Program Goals

The goals of the Michigan Family Reunification Program are:

• Successful completion of four months of the services
• No Category I, II, or III preponderance of evidence Protective Services involvement for a 12-month period following replacement of the child(ren) in the family home
• No removal of child(ren) from the family home and placed in out-of-home care for a 12-month period following replacement in the family home
• Expressed satisfaction with the services received

Logic Model

The program representative did not provide information about a Logic Model for Michigan Family Reunification Program.

Essential Components

The essential components of Michigan Family Reunification Program include:

• The team leader provides clinical, in-home counseling, and works in conjunction with a family worker who addresses the non-clinical needs of the family (budgeting, parenting, case management, etc)
• Twelve families are served per team at one time. Each team serves 24-36 families per year.
• The program is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Specific Assistance funds are used to meet family needs.
• Direct therapeutic, supportive, and concrete services are used.
• Thorough assessments measuring on-going strengths, needs, safety, and risk are performed.
• The Initial Service Plan includes goals, action plans, progress reports.
• Respite care for children is available for up to five days.
• Included in this model are a parent education component, quarterly parent workshops, and quarterly family activities.
• Referrals to the program may be made up to 30 days prior to the reunification.

Program Delivery

Parent/Caregiver Services

Michigan Family Reunification Program directly provides services to parents/caregivers and addresses the following:

• Corporal punishment, neglect, inappropriate developmental expectations, trust and safety issues.

Recommended Intensity:

An average of 4 hours of face-to-face contact per week. This weekly contact is conducted in single or multiple contacts depending on the needs of the family. The number of hours is higher, 8 or more, during the two weeks following reunification of the child(ren).

Recommended Duration:

4-6 months Average of 4 hours per week during this intervention, with 8 or more hours per week during the first two weeks following reunification.

Delivery Setting

This program is typically conducted in a(n):

• Birth Family Home

Homework

This program does not include a homework component.

Resources Needed to Run Program

The typical resources for implementing the program are:

• The family home and/or community

Special events, such as workshops, group family activities, and the parent education component may be held within a provider agency's building, but we recommend they be within the community.

Manuals and Training

Prerequisite/Minimum Provider Qualifications

• Team leader – Master's degree in human services, preferably social worker
• Worker – Bachelor's degree in human services
• Supervisor – Bachelor's degree in human services

Manual Information

There is a manual that describes how to deliver this program.

Training Information

There is training available for this program.

Training Contact:

• Chris Durocher
  durocherc@Michigan.gov

Training Type/Location:

Informal Consultation.

Number of days/hours:

Informal, no set number of days or hours.

Relevant Published, Peer-Reviewed Research

There are currently no published, peer-reviewed research studies on outcomes with the appropriate target population for the topic area(s) in which Michigan Family Reunification Program has been reviewed.

Additional References