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Organization Number: 330560054 Organization Name: Family Assessment Counseling & Educaiton Services Inc Address: 505 E. Commonwealth Ave Address: Ste 200 City: Fullerton State / Province: CA Zip / Post Code: 92832 Country: United States Phone: 1-714-879-9616 Ext: 14 Fax: 1-714-879-2041 Organization Email: mail@facescal.org Website Address: http://www.facescal.org Detailed Description: In 1988, we originally conceived the notion of F.A.C.E.S. As a court-appointed mediator for several years, we had counseled families going through the various stages of divorce. The children, through no fault of their own, were not only shuffled back and forth, but were also subjected to the domestic violence between their parents. F.A.C.E.S. was incorporated in 1992 as a non-profit corporation. Community spirit spurred the founders to open a second office in 1994, and in 1999 we opened the South County office. Lack of substantial grant monies and financial cash flow caused the doors to close in 2004, and now we are ready once again to open a small office in South County. F.A.C.E.S. is an agency with heart that has grown and continues to add to the circle of 3 full time caring employees and 64 volunteers who work with families of divorce. The mission of F.A.C.E.S.' is to provide safety and healing through professional counseling, education and other services for children and their families caught in the crossfire of divorce or other family trauma. F.A.C.E.S. is the only non-profit agency in Orange County that offers mental health services on a sliding-scale basis specifically for families of divorce. Our family resource centers provide a variety of interventions, including counseling for adults, children, couples and families; group counseling, teen groups and Grandparent groups; single parent support groups; parenting and anger management groups, and monitored visitations and exchanges for families separated due to violence. Our 50% bilingual for Spanish staff is culturally sensitive to the changing needs of our communities. We also offer family assessments, mediation services, seminars, classes, and counseling sessions are offered regularly in both English and Spanish. These programs are supported by our Educational Institute, which offers a link between our clients and interns from local universities who seek quality, interactive training in the human services and counseling fields. F.A.C.E.S. has a network of 5 licensed Marriage & Family Therapist supervisors, both paid and volunteer, who supervise and support interns in the counseling forum as well as in group facilitation. Our 30 interns volunteer at our agency because of its reputation for excellent training and supervision. At F.A.C.E.S., our staff is 90% volunteer, and it has been that way for 18 years. In 2006, FACES served 1737 families. Expanding F.A.C.E.S.’ services to southern Orange County will provide much-needed services to underserved families in the area. The Common Ground program provides a safe environment for children who have been exposed to family violence, whether it is verbal, emotional or physical abuse. The families who participate can be assured that the children will have a safe, professional place to visit with their parent. The Common Ground program has two main components: monitored visits and supervised exchanges. For parents who are ordered to do so by the Court, F.A.C.E.S. provides monitored visits with case managers. Clinicians receive specialized training in monitoring and provide guidance when intervention is necessary. For example, a therapeutic monitored visitation occurs when a child who may have experienced verbal, physical, or sexual abuse may need encouragement to participate in the visitation. In supervised exchanges, a trained counselor is also present during the exchange of children between parents to ease the transition between homes. These services create a non-threatening environment for children who have been exposed to hostility, allowing them to flourish in a positive atmosphere. Needs Assessment Five-year-old Sara did not understand why daddy hit mommy’s head against the wall or pushed her down the stairs of their apartment complex. All she knew was that it scared her and made her sad to see mommy crying on the floor. Sara told the F.A.C.E.S. counselor that when these arguments occurred, she would often hide in her mother’s closet, huddled amongst her mother’s dresses. She did this because she wanted to become “like mommy and share the hurt and make [her] mommy hurt less.” Unfortunately, Sara’s story is a familiar one. Everyday our counselors help children who are physically, emotionally or sexually abused and diligently develop treatment plans focused on building coping skills and renewing a sense of hope in their young lives. Sara’s story mirrors hundreds of families in Orange and L.A. Counties in crisis. Her experiences illustrate that many divorces are complicated by a combination of alcohol and drug abuse, domestic violence and other devastating family problems. Studies show that child abuse peaks during the weeks directly following the separation. In these cases, the child must deal not only with the divorce, but also with the trauma of abuse. F.A.C.E.S serves a majority of low-income families from a variety of ethnic backgrounds. Along with the escalating percentages of diversity, there is also a subsequent increase in the need for mental health services. According to the 10th Annual Report on the Conditions of Children in Orange County of 2004, there has been a “dramatic increase” in the amount of people from ethnic backgrounds seeking mental health services in the past nine years. For example, people of Hispanic descent, a population that F.A.C.E.S. serves, experienced a 351 percent increase. Because the unmet need for mental services remains as high now as it was 20 years ago, this makes the work and services of F.A.C.E.S. all too important to the children and families residing in the Southland. It is evident that southern California area greatly needs these services. Currently, there are no services in the area that specifically target children and families experiencing family crises such as divorce. In addition, many of F.A.C.E.S.’ current clients commute long distances for services; some even come as far as Hollywood or San Diego. The travel factor demonstrates that the services of F.A.C.E.S. are greatly needed in Orange and L.A. Counties and a contribution from Foundation will allow us to provide services and assist more families and children in the community. | |
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