MODELS FOR PRACTICE
Program Name: Turning Point Counseling
Services, Inc.
Location:
Healthy People 2010 Objective: 18
Web Address: None
Turning Point Counseling
Services, Inc. (TPCS) is an independent agency that collaborates with other
agencies to build a network of support and services for the
Blueprint: TPCS
is organized as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit agency. It utilizes volunteer
services provided by
TPCS has three main
programs: Victims of Crime, Outreach Services, and Familias Unidas. Victims of
Crime serves individuals, children, and families from Aransas, Nueces, and San
Patricio Counties who are child victims of physical and sexual abuse, domestic
violence victims, adult survivors of abuse, and victims of sexual and physical
assault. The majority of this group is uninsured, and the services to them are
free. The Outreach Services Program serves children 5-17 and their families
from Nueces and Aransas Counties who have been identified in some manner
(self-report, referral from a collaborating agency) as at risk. This group also
has limited access to mental health care due to the lack of adequate insurance.
The Familias Unidas Program targets families and children in San Patricio
County and focuses on prevention and intervention for “at risk” youth.
TPCS provides individual, couple,
family, and group counseling. TPCS also uses play therapy with children and
goes to the schools to provide counseling as needed. If transportation is a
problem, home visits for counseling are available. TPCS provides referral
services, follow-up services, and collaborations with other area agencies. TPCS
also provides educational/informational group presentations to agencies and
groups who request this service.
The main office for TPCS is
located in downtown
Making a Difference: TPCS utilizes a variety of
measures to determine the elements of each program. The Victims of Crime
Program uses a client case tracking system. Each client is placed in this
system and tracked according to seven important categories: number of sessions
utilized, type of victimization, age, ethnicity, county served, referral
source, and disability.
To
measure the level of activity, TPCS looks at the number of new victims as well
as the number of sessions provided. Current data for the Victims of Crime
Program are shown in the following table.
Tracking Categories
|
Reporting Year 1999-2000 |
Reporting Year 2000-2001 |
|
Number
of Sessions* |
1,128 |
1,868 |
|
Number
of New Victims |
379 |
646 |
|
Average
Number of Sessions per Victim |
2.97 |
2.89 |
*“Session” refers to direct service
and group presentation.
Through
the use of these outcome measures, TPCS is better able to determine the
approximate length of treatment needed for each specific referral, the services
most utilized by clients, the category of victimization group that needs
services in the Tri-County area, and the referral sources that most utilize the
agency for referrals/services to their clients. TPCS uses a mental health
outcomes questionnaire and discharge follow-up as two measurement devices to
ensure that clients are receiving therapeutic services. The same methods and
categories for tracking clients used in the Victims of Crime Program are used
in the Outreach Services Program.
For the “Familias Unidas”
Program, TPCS developed a tracking system for all clients that identifies six
important categories: referral source, county/city served, number of
sessions/groups attended, age group, ethnicity, and disability.
Historically, although
parents of youth involved in Familias Unidas participate in initial
sessions, they frequently drop out and do not actively participate in ongoing
services. The percentage of parents who stay in treatment after the initial
session will be monitored as an indicator of effectiveness.
Beginnings:
TPCS was started in 1997 by a group of licensed
professionals as a clinical internship and was fully implemented in 1999. The
program began in response to increasing violence and neglect identified in the
community. These problems were identified in the Nueces County Community Plan
as well as in the Community Plan for Aransas, Bee, Live Oak, McMullen, and San
Patricio Counties. Of these counties, Aransas, Bee, Live Oak, and McMullen are
non-metropolitan. The statistics for this area support that these problems are
on the rise.
Challenges and Solutions: The program has been awarded several grants that
will fund positions and programs for a minimum of one year and up to three
years. The first funding source came from the Criminal Justice Division/421
fund in 1999. A Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grant was received that same year.
These two grants funded the executive director position, administrative
assistant position, and one counselor position. A series of grants since
January 2001 have enabled the organization to launch the Familias Unidas
Program and to hire staff members to support the program efforts.
TPCS expanded at a rapid
rate. While this expansion was beneficial, adequate time is needed to implement
effective tracking systems to keep up with the expansion.
Christine Gullett
Turning Point Counseling Services, Inc.
Phone: (361) 888-5924
Fax: (361) 882-4347
E-mail: tpoint@birch.net