Supporting Healing and Mental Health Wellness
Our Behavioral Health Services provide Mental Health Treatment care designed to heal, empower, and stabilize children and youth through individualized, culturally responsive programs. As a State-Certified Mental Health Provider, we partner with San Luis Obispo County’s Behavioral Health Department to provide mental health support, including individualized therapy, group therapy, family therapy, and rehabilitation and crisis-interventions to those referred to us for services.
Services:
- Help youth stabilize behaviors and encourage positive life choices
- Support youth in utilizing their strengths to develop stronger life skills
- Effectively support those impacted by trauma through individualized services
- Work to keep children and youth with their families, and in their schools and community
Mental Health Services Act-Full Service Partnership Program
Established in 2006, Mental Health Services Act-Full Service Partnership Program (MHSA-FSP) is a partnership between FCNI and the County of San Luis Obispo Behavioral Health Services Department.
Through this collaboration, the agency’s therapists, Medication Specialists, Rehabilitation Specialists, and Youth/Family Specialists provide much needed mental health services to underserved children and youth throughout the county. Since its inception, MHSA-FSP has served 476 children/youth in their efforts to achieve one or more of the following:
- Remain in their home or in a stable living environment
- Avoid hospitalization or a higher level of care
- Reach their individualized program goals
2021/2022 Impact
of them were successfully diverted from a higher level of care
reduced their risk behaviors (self-harm, suicidal ideation, and delinquent or reckless behaviors)
developed self-protective behaviors, making long-term, positive progress in their mental health wellness
Delia
Delia had experienced a very difficult year. First, her high school closed down due to Covid and she had to spend her days in distance learning. With her only social interactions limited to the computer or over her phone, her feelings of anxiety and isolation were heightened. Then her parents decided to separate. While she was used to their fighting and tense silences, the “new normal” she found herself in when her father moved out was painful and scary. Being split between two very different homes, with different rules, expectations, and even different cultures made Delia feel especially lonely and unworthy--as if she suddenly didn’t belong anywhere with anyone. Her anxieties skyrocketed, manifesting in stomach aches whenever she had to switch homes, regardless of which home it was. And when her father’s new girlfriend moved in with him, she broke out in full body hives. Delia then started having episodes of crippling anxiety which left her curled up in her room, unable and unwilling to talk to anyone. Delia felt like her life was spinning out of control with no relief in sight.
2021/2022 Impact
Of the 6 individuals who received outpatient counseling services, 100% experienced one or more of the following positive outcomes:
- Completion of their individualized treatment goals
- Resolved crisis
- Improved functioning
Outpatient Counseling Services
We provide outpatient counseling services to children, youth, individuals and families in care, helping them heal and empowering them to achieve their goals. Counseling services include: child therapy; individual and family therapy; marriage counseling; parent-child conflict resolution; parent education and training; and grief counseling.
Katie-A
Through Katie-A, we provide one-on-one individualized behavioral counseling intervention designed to stabilize the behavior of children/youth and help them develop improved life skills. This care is provided to foster youth in order to ensure their placement success or to help them transition back into their biological home (or foster placement) from a higher level of care. Since its inception, we have served 161 youth amount of youth in their efforts to achieve one or more of the following:
- Family and school stability
- Remained in the community in least restrictive setting
- Reach their individualized program goals
2021/2022 Impact
of them stabilized their behaviors and/or their mental wellness
reduced their risk behaviors (self-harm, suicidal ideation, and delinquent or reckless behaviors)
academically improved
2021/2022 Impact
of them remained in a family setting, avoiding a higher level of care
stabilized their behaviors and/or mental wellness
are continuing their efforts in TBS
Therapeutic Behavioral Services (TBS)
Through TBS, we provide short-term, one-on-one individualized behavioral counseling intervention designed to: stabilize challenging behaviors of children/youth and prevent their removal from their home, or to assist children/youth as they transition back into their home from a higher level of care. TBS helps children and youth as well as parents, caregivers and foster parents, learn new ways to reduce and manage difficult behaviors as well as strategies for developing stronger life skills, including more effective coping and communication skills. In November 1999, we began providing TBS for SLO County Behavioral Health and have since worked with 1,050 high-needs children/youth to achieve one or more of the following:
- Diversion from a more restrictive placement
- Family and school stability
- Reach their individualized program goals
Wes
Wes was often referred to as a “sensitive” child because he was slow to warm to people and seemed to prefer playing alone rather than joining in on group games or social situations. But when he hit his teenage years, Wes’s general shyness intensified into self-isolation. His reservedness became a glaring mistrust of people. While never a socially confident person, Wes completely stopped interacting with others, losing the few friends he had which made school more difficult for him and increased the tension between him and his mom. While always very attentive, his mom felt completely ill equipped to help Wes as he struggled, helplessly watching as her only child retreated further and further into himself, not showering or eating, and sleeping all day. When he started appearing with burns and cuts on his arms that he refused to talk about, his mom’s worry turned to fear, and she reached out to County Behavioral Health Services for help.
Intensive Home-Based Services (IHBS)
IHBS provides individualized, one-on-one behavioral support services to children and youth whose unmet mental health needs are impeding their ability to be successful in their home, school and/or community. Services are designed to help youth stabilize their behaviors so they can maintain their current placement and avoid being placed into a higher level of care. These services can be provided to a youth in their home, at their school and/or in the community. We began providing IHBS in partnership with SLO County Behavioral Health in 2017, and have since worked with 297 children/youth to achieve one or more of the following:
- Diversion from a more restrictive placement
- Family and school stability
- Reach their individualized program goals
2021/2022 Impact
of them stabilized or improved their behaviors to avoid a higher level of care
of them developed self-protective behaviors, making long-term, positive progress in their mental health wellness