Programs and Services

Programs

General Residential Operation (GRO) –  A residential child-care operation that provides child care for seven or more children or young adults. The care may include treatment services or programmatic services. These operations include formerly titled emergency shelters, operations providing basic childcare, residential treatment centers, and halfway houses.

Transitional Living Program (TLP) – residential services that provide professional support, education, and a stable living environment for youth or adults who are transitioning from challenging situations.  These situations may include incarceration, addiction, mental health issues, or homelessness.  The programs aim to train the participants in basic life skills towards independent living.

When we found key components for better outcomes at HWHF, our guiding principle was the 5 point-child development plan from Trauma Free World, a holistic strategy for improving therapeutic services for our youth to include Emotional, Social, Spiritual, Physical and Educational services.

Group Therapy

Group therapy provides the benefit of peer support and validation, enhanced self-efficacy, an expanded social network, the sharing of resources and the opportunity to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Individual Therapy

Individual therapy is provided to youth to help them learn to take control and respond effectively to their challenging situations utilizing healthy coping skills.  In therapy, youth explore their specific issues and how their thoughts, emotions and behaviors can affect their mood, progression, and outcomes. Therapy not only benefits those who are diagnosed with mental illness but can be an effective tool in addressing everyday stresses and conflicts of life.

Equine Therapy

Equine Therapy is an experiential treatment that uses the connection between people and horses to enhance physical and emotional healing.

Family Therapy

Family therapy is encouraged to help families, including biological, foster, and adoptive, to improve communication and effectively solve relational conflicts.  In therapy, families can learn tools to help them work through their individual concerns, how to cope with a child’s mental or behavioral health needs, and how to develop and maintain a stable, nurturing home environment. By actively engaging in therapy, families can begin to re-establish vital connections, improve family management strategies, create stronger parent-child attachment, and establish positive parent-child interactions.

Psychiatric Assessments

Psychiatric assessments are essential to help identify mental health disorders and determining the best treatment for diagnosed conditions.  Psychotropic medication monitoring is also key during this assessment for a successful rehabilitation.

Psychological Evaluations

Youth are evaluated to measure cognitive levels, intelligence, perception, and personality characteristics.  Psychological evaluations provide an improved understanding and awareness of mental health issues, an enhanced ability to manage symptoms or behaviors more effectively, the ability to identify risk factors to prevent future problems from arising, and aid in the development of strategies for coping and problem-solving.

Academic Enrichment

HWHF staff work closely with the local school district to ensure that each youth receives a quality education.  The Houston Alumni and Youth (HAY) Center provides academic coaching with volunteer tutors that give one-on-one instruction to help improve academic status and achieve set educational goals.

Community Activities

Community based activities can encourage appropriate socialization, foster the development of positive relationships and informal support outside of the residential setting, and promote independence through awareness, volunteerism and utilization of community resources.

Life Skills Development

Life Skills provide opportunities for youth to establish a sense of order in their lives through the development of physical and social/emotional skills needed for independent living. Youth also learn to recognize, manage and cope with emotions.

Ministry and Mentoring

 Ministry and mentoring are a vital part of any child’s life.  Partnering with local churches, organizations, and businesses to provide mentors and activities gives these youth hope!  Education, vocational lectures, career planning and activities (on and off campus) such as character building and self-awareness are key to building a great foundation.

Therapeutic Recreation

Therapeutic recreation is an integral part of our holistic therapy for the youth.  Physical (sport) or passive (board games) types of recreation keep the body well-toned, helps with relaxation, uses trapped energy, and provides for a positive release for aggression.

Spiritual

With support from staff and local churches, the youth have the opportunity to receive spiritual guidance and teachings through biblical principles which leads to spiritual lead choices and growth.

Yoga

Yoga is an integrated program of a total mind and body workout that combines strengthening and stretching with deep breathing and medication for relaxation to teach youth how to self-regulate.

Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI)

TBRI training is led by licensed practitioners with the Karen Purvis Institute founded on evidence-based principles developed at the Texas Christian University Institute of Child Development, including connection (attention to attachment needs), empowerment (attention to physical needs), and correction (attention to behavioral needs.)

Nurture Groups

Using TBRI principles, nurture groups are held weekly for youth and staff to increase social and emotional development and self-care.

Trauma Competent Caregiver (TCC)

TCC training is distributed by Trauma Free World and offered by local certified trainers. The nine-module training builds essential skills from evidence-based research and practices such as TBRI. Written by Jane Schooler, it lends to use in congregate care settings, teaching the deeply layered impacts of complex developmental trauma, attachment styles, and increased nurture in caregiver development. It also provides tools to help children transition between family and residential care.   

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Building Bridges Initiative (BBI)

HWHF was among the first GROs in the state of Texas approved to participate in a BBI Quality Initiative Collaborative pilot, which strives to identify best practices for transforming residential intervention leading to sustained positive outcomes after discharge, including improved home stability and successful living in the community. Building on the successes BBI created around the country; the pilot finished with a round table discussion and book study using Transforming Residential Interventions: Practical Strategies and Future Directions, which offered practical advice on creating a residential program that gives children a voice and helps to shorten stays, build family relationships, and return children to the home. 

A capital campaign is underway to build a Learning Center that will house the Mental Wellness Program and vocational and technical programs for job readiness. The vocational and technical training programs will include culinary, cosmetology, and computer training taught by professionals from local universities and business partners. In addition, extensive, structured life skills courses will be taught that will include but are not limited to the following: driver’s education, financial literacy, and household management, as well as soft skills such as interpersonal communication, interviewing, problem-solving and more. While the Mental Wellness Program will help stabilize the child and offer interventions for maladaptive behaviors, substance abuse, and other issues, the vocational and technical training programs offered through the Learning Center will give the child hope for a bright future.  The long-term goal for the Learning Center is also to serve other foster children in the area and provide training and resources to families and community partners.