Saint Francis expanding services into Central Texas
Saint Francis Ministries has recently begun an expansion of its work in the Lone Star State by providing foster care and in-home prevention services in Central Texas. About 1,700 children and youth are need of care within the 20 counties of Region 7A. Besides foster care services, Saint Francis will provide Family Check-Up®, an evidence-based in-home prevention program designed to help keep families together by working with them within their own home. Through Family Check-Up®, SFM hopes to help families heal and address challenges so children can remain safely with their families instead of going into foster care.
Saint Francis Ministries will host a grand opening of its new Waco office in late July. More about the event and the program in Waco will follow in the next issue of Mission Brief.
Saint Francis Ministries launches new website design
Saint Francis Ministries recently unveiled the nonprofit’s new website design, and it’s ready to receive visitors. The Rev. Robert Mize Jr., an Episcopal priest, founded Saint Francis Boys’ Home more than seven decades ago in Ellsworth, Kansas. Fr. Bob had seen too many troubled youth disappear forever into the juvenile justice system, and he wanted to help them reclaim their lives and their futures. He offered hope.
Over the years, the scope of Saint Francis has grown beyond Kansas to serve in seven states, serving thousands of children and families through adoption, behavioral health, Fatherhood FIRE, foster care, independent living, in-home prevention, residential, and other programs.
In other words, SFM does a lot – and you can learn all about it by exploring our website.
Phase System helps youth manage emotional distress
Safety is one of the prerequisites of healing and well-being. That’s why Saint Francis Ministries uses an intervention procedure known as the Phase System at the Brentwood Residential campus in Lubbock, Texas. Designed to keep staff and residents safe, the Phase System provides a measure of the safety level of each youth at the facility throughout the day, while helping them develop and follow basic life expectations.
Under the system, staff assign youth a color status based on their exhibited behaviors. The color represents the level of intervention required to maintain safety by helping staff determine the level of supervision and support they need to provide. During times of increased intervention, staff provide immediate feedback and help youth build and develop the skills they need to manage their emotions.
Many Brentwood clients have never learned how to soothe themselves in times of crisis and emotional distress. Staff intervention and deployment of trauma informed techniques help model for youth ways to self-soothe and manage their emotions more effectively. They can then use those same skills when they experience stress in future situations.
