FAQ - For Parents
What is a "Very Challenging Child"?
Any of the following issues:
- Adoption or attachment issues
- Wants to be in charge
- Control issues
- Manipulative
- Defiant
- Lying
- Stealing
- ADHD diagnosis
- Oppositional defiance
- Childhood bipolar
- Conduct disorder
- School IEP
- Lower functioning
- Coming home after out-of-home treatment
Are services only available in Idaho?
While we are currently focusing in Idaho, our goal is to be nation-wide. If you believe Family First is what your family needs, please talk with your counselor about their agency providing the program. CLICK HERE for a postcard link you can share with your counselor.
Who is best suited for the Family First In-Home program?
- Foster-adopt families
- Adoptive families (and those considering disruption)
- Kids coming out of detention
- Kids coming out of residential
- Kids coming out of the hospital (mental health)
- Families that are asking for residential placement but prior to qualifying
- If you
- are afraid of your child or have considered calling the police
- don’t have the relationship you want with your child
- have contemplated having your child out of the home
- are willing to try one last thing. (It actually helps if you’ve tried a lot of other things. Even being close to the edge of giving up can work in your favor.)
- are highly invested in wanting to see changes in the child and the family and are willing to try almost anything to make it work. You don’t expect it to be easy but are willing to roll up your sleeves and do whatever it takes to make it successful.
who is not the best fit for the family first program?
- If you just want your child out of the house and aren’t willing to try. Or if you aren’t willing to work on your own recovery issues. But we can do a lot together if you’re willing!
- Foster families - because Family First is about building strong attachments. (But Foster-adopt families are a good fit.)
- Substance abuse issues - there are other programs specifically addressing these needs.
Why should I try this program instead of sending my child to residential treatment?
The problem with residential is not only the expense, but what happens when the child eventually comes home. We believe you are the best change agent for your family. We’ve seen amazing success when parents are trained with the specific tools to help their kids heal, paired with in-house, in-the-moment support.
will the program work if my child is already in residential treatment?
Yes! We will start working with you and the facility before your child comes home so you already have the program in place to help in the transition.
My child is in detention. Is it too late?
Definitely not. We’ve seen great success in kids coming out of detention as we work closely with both parole officers and the parents.
what ages work best for the family first program?
Pretty much any age--very young or adult children living at home
how long is the pROgram?
Six months to a year depending on the community services available to your family. The most intensive part is typically the first 90 days.
what mental health diagnoses do you work with?
Any mental health diagnosis is okay; even low functioning.