ANDRUS PARENTING SERVICES (APS)

ANDRUS’ Parenting Services offers a three-month home visiting program designed to strengthen parents’ abilities to care for themselves and their children, restore or stabilize family functioning, and avert the need for foster care placement. APS serves families with children from birth to 18 years of age who reside in Westchester and are referred from the Department of Social Services.

Parent Aides work with families to enhance parenting skills, provide parent education on effective discipline techniques, communication styles, child development, and age-appropriate expectations for children. We support families with navigating the school system, advocating for their children, and identifying issues that can impact school attendance. Families improve overall household functioning by understanding ways to effectively communicate with children and other family members in the household. Families are connected to medical providers for preventive care and health concerns and other essential resources in the community. Parent Aides assist families in identifying any need for additional services such as mental health, early intervention, or special education.

APS utilizes the Triple P parenting curriculum and Sanctuary Model while working with children and families who have experienced trauma or chronic stress. All referrals must originate from the Westchester County Department of Social Services Child Protective or Preventive Services.

HEALTHY FAMILIES NEW YORK (HFNY)

Healthy Families New York (HFNY) is a comprehensive prevention program that promotes safety for young children by supporting their families. HFNY offers in-home support services to expectant mothers and new parents beginning prenatally or shortly after the child's birth until the child enters Head Start or Kindergarten. HFNY builds on the strengths of the family to ensure that healthy relationships develop between parent and child. We promote the use of positive parenting strategies that encourage healthy development and improved school readiness skills. We assist each family with prenatal health education, scheduling well-baby visits, follow-up of immunizations, lead assessments and screenings, nutrition guidance, and developmental screenings. Parents enhance their self-sufficiency by pursuing educational, vocational, and/or professional pursuits. We link parents to community resources to address concrete needs related to food, clothing, housing, and resources such as counseling and support groups. We strive to facilitate ongoing positive parent-child interactions and long-term parenting skills by supporting families with learning effective ways to manage stress, establish expectations and set limits, and manage emotions to build healthy parent-child relationships. HFNY serves prenatal and new parents residing in Yonkers and Mt. Vernon zip code 10701, 10703, 10705, 10550, or 10553. Enrollment must occur before the child turns 3 months of age.

CARE MANAGEMENT

At ANDRUS’ Care Management Program, we work together to improve access to healthcare services for children and their families to promote better health outcomes and improved quality of life. Our Care Management Program involves a collaborative process that aims to assess, plan, and evaluate services centered on a child’s health needs. This is done primarily through a Care Coordinator who oversees and provides access to all the services a child and family need to stay healthy, out of the emergency room, and out of the hospital.

The goal is for the child and family to achieve a bright, successful future in the long term. By communicating with various service providers, Care Coordinators manage services for children who face chronic health or other issues that may require the need for access to multiple community resources and services.

STRENGTH PROGRAM AND INTERVENTIVE THERAPIES

ANDRUS’ Strength Program and Interventive Therapies support families with children and youth under the age of 21 who have social, emotional, and/or behavioral health needs to improve their health, well-being, and quality of life. Families receive person-centered therapy, goal-directed supports, and solution-focused interventions that help restore, rehabilitate, and support developmentally appropriate functioning. Services are provided at home or in the community for Medicaid eligible families.