CWLA Children’s Voice spotlights Walker FCIS

The latest issue of Children’s Voice, published by the Child Welfare League of America, features a profile of Walker’s Family and Community Integration Services, a set of outreach support services for the families of high-risk children transitioning from highly structured programs back to  home and community. The article discusses the strategies and successful development of the program with Lisa Danovitch, director of marketing and contract management, and Christine Sullivan, the clinical team leader for FCIS.

FCIS was created in 2006, when it was becoming increasingly clear that many children who made significant progress as Walker residential students were struggling to maintain these gains after they returned home. Families who had been isolated within their communities needed help reconnecting with resources that could support a successful transition.

At Walker clinical assessment meetings where service plans were discussed, the creation of FCIS grew out of the need to answer the question, “What is it going to take for this child to live at home and remain in his or her school and community?“  The answer led to the creation of new flexibly designed  home-based services that can significantly increase the likelihood that a child with difficult emotional and behavioral challenges can live safely at home with a family.

You can read the article, From Campus to Community: Walker School Expands to In-Home Care, in the November/December 2008 issue of Children’s Voice  here.