At-Risk Families

FAMILY STRENGTHING

Behavior Analysis, Inc. also has a sister company, Behavior Analysis and Therapy, Inc. (BAT). BAT is a non-profit 501(C)(3) corporation that provides behavioral services funded by competitive governmental grants.

BAT operates two programs:

Behavioral Education and Therapy (BET) and Parenting for Success (PFS). Both programs are funded entirely by the Children’s Network of Southwest Florida, which is the local community-based care agency for Circuit 20, covering Lee, Charlotte, Collier, Hendry and Glades counties. Both programs operate in all five counties. Starting July 1, 2022, the programs will also serve Hillsborough county in Circuit 13.

BEHAVIORAL EDUCATION AND THERAPY PROGRAM

Caregivers are often overwhelmed by their children’s behavior. No matter how hard they try or what they do, nothing seems to work leaving them feeling frustrated and helpless to stop the behavior.
Fortunately, help is now only a phone call away! The Behavioral Education and Therapy Program oﬀers free professional services to help families deal with their adolescent’s or teenager’s problem behavior.
If any of these sound familiar we can help. Examples include . . .

Talking back or arguing
Skipping school
Not completing chores
Not following rules

Fighting
Lying or stealing
Engaging in risky behaviors

HOW DOES THE BEHAVIORAL EDUCATION & THERAPY PROGRAM WORK?

We receive referrals directly from the Department of Children and Families Child Protective Investigators. Once the referral is received, someone from our team will call to discuss the problems you are experiencing with your child’s behavior and decide how best we can help you and your family. If our free in-home behavioral services program is appropriate for your needs, we will schedule the ﬁrst home-visit.

Note: This is not a crisis management program and is only available to families referred to us by Florida Child Protective Investigators. We cannot provide services to other persons.

PARENTING FOR SUCCESS PROGRAM

The PFS program is for foster families, relative, non-relative, and pre-adoptive caregivers who have children in their homes having behavior problems. We have two ways to help families: basic and advanced training classes to teach caregivers practical, proven, and effective methods for dealing with behavior problems in the home and in-home behavioral services to foster families needing individualized behavioral intervention for children in their home.

Note: This is not a crisis management program and is only available to foster families in Lee, Charlotte, Collier, Hendry, Glades, and Hillsborough counties in Florida. We cannot provide services to other persons.

HOW DOES PARENTING FOR SUCCESS PROGRAM WORK?

Licensed foster parents may sign up for any of our scheduled classes. The Children’s Network of Southwest Florida (CNSWF) may also request families to attend when the family is identified as needing additional training. In-home behavioral services may be requested by any foster parent whose child is having behavior problems. All referrals must be authorized by the CNSWF. We strongly encourage foster parents, case managers and placement coordinators to be proactive and request this important service at the first sign of behavior that might threaten a child’s placement.

REFERRAL. A state Child Protective Investigator makes a referral to the program based on a suspected abuse, neglect or exploitation of a child due to his or her behavior. We presently accept referrals for children between 10 and 18 years old.

FAMILY CONTACT. A program staff member contacts the family by phone, describes the program and offers our services. If the family accepts services, an appointment is made for the first home-visit. If the family declines our services, the case is closed and no further action is taken on our part.

HOME VISITS. Program staff (behavior analyst) visits the family home and conducts an thorough eco-behavioral assessment of the behavior problems and the family’s response to the behavior problem. We then develop behaviorally-based interventions designed to improve the child’s behavior and family relationships. The parents and significant others are trained on how to carry out the interventions. Follow up visits are provided to ensure that the interventions are successful and that the family is equipped with the skills needed to deal with any future problem behaviors that may arise.

FOLLOW UP. If the family experiences problems after our home visits have stopped, they may contact us for additional assistance. Program staff may provide telephone assistance or on-site assistance.

CLASS REGISTRATION or REFERRAL. Licensed foster parents may sign up for any of our scheduled classes. The Children’s Network may also request families to attend when the family is identified as needing additional training. In-home behavioral services may eb requested by any foster parent whose child is having behavior problems. All referrals must be authorized by the Children’s Network of Southwest Florida. We strongly encourage foster parents, case managers and placement coordinators to be proactive and request this important service at the first sign of behavior that might threaten a child’s placement.

CLASSES. All classes are held at times and places convenient for foster parents. Class size is small to promote learning and all classes are fun and interactive.

HOME VISITS. Program staff visit the family home and conduct an in-depth behavioral assessment of the behavior problems and the family’s response to the behavior problem. We then develop behaviorally-based interventions and provide the caregivers with training designed to improve the child’s behavior and family relationship to maintain the stability of the child’s placement.

FOLLOW UP. If the family experiences problems after our home visits have stopped or just has questions, they may contact us for additional assistance. Program staff will provide assistance over the telephone or at the family’s home.

WHAT ARE HOME VISIT LIKE?

We are sensitive to the emotional turmoil that often occurs in families experiencing problem behaviors. Therefore, we conduct all visits in a constructive, non-threatening manner. Each home visit (1.5-2 hours) will be a combination of gathering information about the problem behavior and teaching you and other family members appropriate methods of dealing with these problems. Clinical staﬀ will work primarily with you as a parent to give you the skills necessary to deal eﬀectively with your child’s problem behaviors. We ask that you keep all scheduled visits and to participate in activities during the home visit. All family members are also asked to practice the skills and recommendations outside of the home visits. Our methods are clinically proven and practical for all families to use. When applied consistently, these methods produce substantial progress within a few weeks. Our goal is to leave you and your family members with the skills necessary to respond eﬀectively to any future problem behavior.

WHO COMES TO MY HOUSE?

Behavioral Clinicians that come to your home are Board Certified in Behavior Analysis. This means they have education, training, and experience dealing with problem behaviors in situations just like yours.

WHAT ELSE DO I NEED TO KNOW?

Services are free of charge to you.
We must receive a referral from the Children’s Network of Southwest Florida to be able to contact you.
You must have a child between the ages of 7 and 17 living in the home to receive services.
We work with you and your family for a maximum of eight home visits. Services usually last 8-10 weeks.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Of course. We specialize in teaching and treating children and adolescents with behavior problems. Our staff have extensive training and experience treating difficult behavior problems. Our results are impressive, often completely eliminating the presenting problem behavior.

The treatment program is developed by a Board Certified Staff and is based on the comprehensive assessment described above. We develop a program that is individualized to meet the specific needs of the child; we do not fit the child into a pre-existing program. Our treatment plan will have from five to dozens of goals, depending upon the child’s needs. A data collection system and specific learning materials are also prepared at this time.

Our primary method of managing difficult behaviors is to teach the child, using positive reinforcement, desired behaviors to replace the unwanted behavior. We may also use extinction – withholding the reinforcer that is maintaining the problem behavior in conjunction with positive reinforcement for appropriate behavior. In all cases, we emphasize positive reinforcement-based procedures.

Our assessment is designed to clearly and objectively identify the child’s strengths and weaknesses. This allows us to determine exactly what skills need to be taught and in what sequence. It will not provide another diagnosis or an age-equivalent score. We have found that these types of evaluations do not provide information sufficient to make accurate treatment decisions. Different children with the same diagnosis or the same age-equivalent scores can differ widely on the specific skills they need to learn. The assessment involves working directly with the child and asking parents to answer questions regarding the child’s skill level in various functional areas.

Administrative Office

(239)-461-8385

4150 Ford Street ExtensionFort Myers, FL 33916

We Come To You!

We provide services throughout Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry, Glades, and Hillsborough Counties in Florida. Call us today and let us answer any questions you may have!