Finger Lakes Parent Network

Any child or youth with an emotional, behavioral and/or mental disorder and his/her family residing in any of the nine counties is eligible for services. Those counties are Allegany, Chemung, Ontario, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Tioga, Wayne and Yates. It is not necessary for the child to have been diagnosed or identified by either the school district or a medical professional. All services are provided free of charge.

Family Support Groups

Self-help support groups with on-site childcare are operating in all nine counties. The groups meet twice per month for 1½ hours and are facilitated by a Family Consultant who offers all services as described above to participating members. Each group offers structured recreational child care during the support group meeting to the identified children and their siblings.

Intensive Support Services

The purpose of this service is to help the family provide appropriate support services to keep their child at home if possible, to make the transition to placement as smooth and stress free as possible when placement is unavoidable and/ or to effect a speedy and successful transition to home and community when the child is transitioned from placement. Services may include additional Family Consultant hours for various support services, educational opportunities, cash pool for transportation, motel and meals during visitations, wrap-around funds for transition back to community and additional Respite hours.

In-Home Respite Care

Respite, or temporary care for the identified youth and his/her siblings, is provided in order to give parents a break. Respite is provided on a planned basis in the family home or by using community recreational facilities. A sitter/companion model is used wherein a trained individual is matched with the child and family to provide respite.

Planned Group Respite

Planned Group Respite events are offered on site or in the community. These events are generally offered to identified children and siblings, on a regular schedule, predetermined by the parents and staff.

Parent Education

A regional family support conference is offered annually through the collaboration of Family Support Agencies of Western New York, including FLPN, Inc. and The Children’s Mental Health Coalition, Inc. FLPN, Inc. also sponsors interested parents to attend conferences and workshops addressing the needs of their children. In addition, individual support groups schedule speakers on topics of interest.

Advocacy

FLPN, Inc. offers families information and other tools needed to advocate for their children. Both the Family Consultant & parents from the support group are encouraged to accompany one another to service planning meetings. Family Consultants attend Advocacy training, which is also open to parents in the groups.

Information. Referral & Peer Support

FLPN Inc. families receive information on agencies, schools and other systems of support within their service area, as well as on mental health diagnosis and treatment. Referral services are offered to connect families with appropriate child and/or family services. Peer support is offered by the Family Consultant and families are encouraged to offer peer support to one another.

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