Our Services

Family Support Programs: Introduction

Families today often cope with a variety of difficult issues, and it's unusual for individuals and families to have a single, specific need for services. Drug and alcohol abuse may be accompanied by HIV/AIDS or other sexually transmitted diseases. Employment challenges may result in homelessness. Poverty has a major impact on any other problems the family is facing.

The way we work in Alameda and Contra Costa county neighborhoods is through getting to know the residents and the challenges they face. Some of our most successful programs call upon community members to serve as outreach workers, helping us identify those in need and inviting their neighbors to discover how the council can assist them. We seek to build relationships among the individuals and families that we serve, recognizing that the support of one's peers is essential to building a healthy community.

The Perinatal Council's ongoing family case management approach helps us discover and define all the families' challenges and provides a realistic starting point for delivering a host of services. Family Advocates develop close, trusting relationships with individuals and families, and because they're aware of each person's "big picture needs," Family Advocates are in an ideal position to coordinate all the services a family needs. They create comprehensive solutions, often calling on other Perinatal Council staff members for assistance. They may also connect the individual and family with other agencies that provide services such as housing, employment assistance, substance abuse treatment, transportation, and nutrition.

As new family needs arise, our Family Advocates adapt services to meet the changing conditions. Individuals and families are not asked to solve new problems by themselves; their Family Advocates continue to be advocates and friends, helping cut red tape and making sure individuals and families have access to the most appropriate services.

We know that to protect the health and well-being of children, we must care for the entire family-from partners to brothers and sisters to grandparents. Under the guidance of the Family Advocate, we surround the extended family with a compassionate circle of care.
 

The Perinatal Council helps parents:

1) learn to care for themselves and their babies
2) continue their education
3) find jobs and become self-sufficient

We begin our care for the family during pregnancy by helping families find access to healthcare services for the mother before, during, and after the birth of her child. Once the child is born, we help parents be the best moms and dads they can be. We teach them about child development, appropriate behavior, and effective discipline. We also show them how to create a positive, nurturing home life.

Family-based Case management is an important part of our services.   Our Family Advocates form a one-to-one relationship with each client and serves as a trusted friend and advocate for the client and the entire family. For some clients, the Family Advocate may be their first and only positive role model.   Family Advocates also offer emotional support as young men and women make the important transition to parenthood.

Equally important, Family Advocates link families to community agencies that provide housing, educational assistance, childcare, healthcare, and vocational guidance. The Perinatal Council partners with many other agencies, and with their assistance, we can offer faster access to an array of services that make it easier for families to be more cohesive, healthy and self-sufficient.


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