FAQ - For Parents
how do we define a "Very Challenging Child"?
Any of the following issues:
- Adoption or attachment issues
- Autism
- Wants to be in charge
- Control issues
- Manipulative
- Defiant
- Lying
- Stealing
- ADHD diagnosis
- Oppositional defiance
- Childhood bipolar
- Conduct disorder
- School IEP
- Higher support needs
- Coming home after out-of-home treatment
where is the intensive in-home program available?
IDAHO: At this time, the in-home portion is only available within about a hour's drive from Boise and Blackfoot. We are actively recruiting for part-time counselors across Idaho to come work with us so more families in the state have access to our program. (But our webinars and parent training provide good information to every parent.)
OUTSIDE OF IDAHO: Our 2-day consulting option is available nationwide.
OUTSIDE OF IDAHO: Our 2-day consulting option is available nationwide.
Who is best suited for the HF 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 Healthy Foundations family 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 - while the parent training is strongly recommended for any foster parent, the in-home program is not a good fit because the program is about building strong attachments (unless you are in a foster-adopt situation).
- 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-home, 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 success with kids coming out of detention as we work closely with both parole officers and the parents.
what ages work best for the HF family program?
Pretty much any age--very young or adult children living at home.
how long is the in-home pROgram?
90 days--if covered through Optum Idaho; 30 days for private-pay (Idaho only)
what mental health diagnoses do you work with?
Any mental health diagnosis is okay; even low functioning.
What topics are covered in the training?
Safety, de-escalation, the importance of the words you use, READ MORE HERE
what services are offered at Healthy foundations?
We only provide parent training and the intensive in-home program. We do not provide counseling.
do i have to take time off work to do your program?
To start, parents and the child must be in the home together for at least 4 days. Parents often will take off a Friday and Monday and keep the child home from school during that time. Some parents have requested 30 days off from their employer and have the child taken out of school as well. We suggest getting as much time together as you can during the first 30 days.
how many hours are spent in the home?
It varies per family, but during the first week we are typically in the home about 4 hours, 4 different times. After that it is typically 6-10 hours a week depending on the situation.
DO YOU Take insurance?
At this time we only accept Idaho Medicaid and you must be current in the YES Program (for the in-home program). We also have a 30-day private-pay option.
do i need to stop other services to do this program?
Everything is designed to be parents only until we get better regulation and connection in the family. With that in mind, parents can continue with their counseling and if the individual counselor is agreeable, parents can meet without the client to keep the client's counselor in the loop. CBRS and Respite are on hold until towards the end of the program since those services cannot be billed at the same time as the in-home program.
