Family Links

Family Links
A Program for the Entire Family

11565 Laurel Canyon Blvd. Suite 100
Mission Hills, CA 91345
Telephone: (818) 365-4723
Fax: (818) 365-3475

Program Description

Mental illness in a family unit is a devastating, stressful and fragmenting problem for the entire family. When parents have a serious mental illness, and their children need mental health services, the family faces multiple psychological, social and environmental challenges.

Family Links was developed in response to the growing awareness of families with multiple mental health problems and their need for comprehensive, integrated services. The program and its multidisciplinary treatment staff specialize in providing an integrated and culturally sensitive array of mental health services to a traditionally under served target population; specifically, families in which one or both parents have a mental illness and one or more children (ages 3-21) demonstrate a need for mental health services.

The primary goal of Family Links is to improve functioning within the family as well as in the community, while maintaining the integrity of the family unit. To accomplish this goal, clinical teams work with each family to address their needs through a coordinated treatment team approach.

The Family Links staff, in partnership with each family and individual family members, attempt to achieve the following outcomes:

For Families

· Reduction in family stress
· Increased family communication
· Increased community involvement
· Preservation of the family unit
· Development of the primary strengths within the family
· Enhanced access to medical, educational, social, vocational, rehabilitative and other community services
· Linkage with peer support and self-help groups

For Individual Family Members

· Reduction in psychiatric symptoms
· Reduction in psychiatric hospitalizations
· Improved educational performance
· Improved employability
· Reduction in aggressive behaviors
· Reduction in substance abuse
· Improved peer relations and social contacts

The Family Links Program Provides the Following Benefits

· “Wraps” services around the family while focusing on the family's strengths, personal goals and sense of empowerment.
· An assertive case management and treatment team approach that includes community and home visits, school visits, crisis intervention, and interaction with other community based organizations.
· A broad and effective family focused, family driven approach to treatment.
· Integrated services for children and their adult parents.
· Access to resources available through the Center’s other programs, such as vocational training, housing assistance and dual diagnosis treatment.

Available Services