Families Living Together (FLT) is a gender-specific, family focused, evidence-based, consumer directed, trauma-informed and culturally relevant program providing Integrated Clinical Case Management for homeless mothers in need of treatment for substance abuse and/or co-occurring disorders who are living in four emergency family shelters in the Metro-west area of Massachusetts. Families Living Together supports homeless mothers with their children in participating in local community-based agencies providing substance abuse, mental health and/or trauma related services. This project is a collaboration of the Institute for Health and Recovery, the Middlesex Human Service Agency’s emergency homeless family shelters, and local providers of substance abuse, metal health and co-occurring disorders services.
Engaging homeless women in need of treatment through an onsite Women’s Health and Wellness group, Families Living Together is an Integrated Clinical Case Management model that expands and strengthens women’s ability to access treatment. FLT integrates evidence-based practices, including Motivational Interviewing, Integrated Dual Diagnosis Treatment, The Nurturing Program for Families in Substance Abuse Treatment and Recovery; and Seeking Safety, a substance abuse and trauma recovery curriculum into shelter settings. Services also include childcare, transportation and pre-vocational consultations These practices result in a “treatment readiness” case management model increasing access to local community-based treatment.
Families Living Together is staffed by a master’s level Project Director and three master’s level Family Care Coordinators (FCC). In addition, a Parent/Child Specialist trains shelter staff to lead Nurturing Program (link to description under Family and Children’s services) groups, a Trauma Integration Specialist will train and co-facilitate Seeking Safety groups, and a Substance Abuse/Vocational Specialist implements a pre-vocational (Link to Vocational Services description) individualized curriculum for women in recovery.
The project serves over 250 women with their children and follows families for up to fourteen months. A Consumer Coordinator (CC) will be identified to provide input into evaluation design and data interpretation, review all project policies and protocols for consumer sensitivity and appropriateness. Associates for Human Potential are evaluators on this project, which is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) (link to SAMHSA web page)