New Directions Program for Children in Foster Care

This new program is part of the federally funded Oklahoma Partnership Initiative through the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. New Directions is a 12 week group treatment program for children ages 3 to 12 in foster care due, in some part, to parental substance abuse, and their foster parents. The program curriculum integrates principles from the Children’s Programs at the Betty Ford Center and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) model and is designed to help foster children and foster parents more effectively cope with the negative impact of parental substance abuse. Additional services provided at no cost to foster children and their foster parents include cognitive and developmental screenings, assessment of current psychosocial functioning, treatment, education and advocacy for foster parents, and babysitting during group hours.

Program Objectives
New Directions works to improve child functioning and enhance foster placement stability by:
• Teaching safe and healthy coping
• Stabilizing mood and increasing self-esteem
• Reducing acting-out behaviors
• Reducing trauma symptoms
• Teaching foster parents additional ways to manage challenging child behaviors
• Assisting in the child’s transition from foster care to the biological parent(s),
when applicable

For more information about New Directions or to make a referral, please contact the New Directions Program coordinator, Susan Schmidt at: (405) 271-8858.

Additional program details and a downloadable referral form are located on the New Directions website: http://oumedicine.com/newdirections

Shared Youth Vision of Garfield County

Garfield County has been selected to participate in the Shared Youth Vision project. This federal project is new to Garfield County and is designed to streamline community resources and improve the education and employability of young people who are considered at-risk. The federal project targets groups such as:
· Youth transitioning out of foster care
· Children of incarcerated parents
· Court involved youth
· Youth at risk of court involvement
· Migrant youth
· Youth with disabilities
· Native American youth
· Homeless and runaway youth
· Out of school youth
· High school dropouts.

The focus of the current pilot project in Oklahoma is youth transitioning out of foster care. In Garfield County this effort will be combined with the current Community Team meeting supporting our Systems of Care staff. Anyone interested in supporting at-risk youth or that currently provides services to transition age individuals is invited to attend the 1st Shared Youth Vision meeting on November 18th at 10 a.m. at the YWCA, 525 S Quincy St, Enid.