Intensive Family Service Program

Program Description

The Intensive Family Service (IFS) Program provides therapeutic support and treatment for children, youth, and their families who have been identified as having significant mental health needs. Services are delivered using evidence-based practices and are flexible, individualized, and tailored to meet each family’s unique needs.

IFS services are delivered in the home environment, where intervention can be more responsive and effective than in traditional clinical settings. Where appropriate, services may also be coordinated with other Wellkin programs and supports as part of an integrated service plan. Additional supports may be incorporated to promote positive family functioning, reduce the risk of crisis or out-of-home placement, and support stability across home, school, and community environments.

Program Goals

• To support children, youth, and families in developing a deeper understanding of their strengths, needs, and challenges, and to provide recommendations for appropriate services;
• To work collaboratively with families using an attachment-focused approach to strengthen caregivers’ ability to understand and respond to their child(ren)’s needs;
• To provide intensive, individualized, and flexible therapeutic interventions that reflect the complexity of identified mental health needs;
• To connect families with relevant community resources and coordinated supports;
• To offer advocacy support within schools and other community settings, as needed;
• To co-create comprehensive treatment plans with clear goals and strategies tailored to the family’s level of need; and
• To build family capacity and skills to implement and sustain strategies that support ongoing stability and functioning.

Eligibility Criteria

• Families residing in Oxford or Elgin County;
• Families where the assessed mental health needs of the child/youth significantly impact functioning within the family and may also affect school and/or community environments; and
• Parents/caregivers who are willing and able to actively participate in intensive, home-based mental health services offered through the IFS program.

Referral and Intake Process

• Accessing our services begins at Central Intake. To facilitate the intake process, we recommend that you complete the online self-referral form, available here.
• If you prefer to complete the self-referral over the telephone, please call us at 1-877-539-0463, and our team will support you.
• Once a referral is received, our team will contact you to schedule an intake appointment, where we will get to know your strengths, needs, and concerns, and complete a standardized screening tool to better understand the level of support required; this process helps determine whether this service is the best fit or if an alternate service may better meet your or your child’s unique needs.