Family Enhancement Center

Childhood is both precious and brief; Child Abuse shatters a childhood, and its effect is damaging for a Child, the Family and our community. We strive to build strong children, strong families and support communities to create a society where children are safe, respected and valued. Child Abuse robs children of their childhoodwe help give it back. Family Enhancement Center (fec) takes a strategic approach to accomplishing its mission by providing programs around Prevention, Treatment, community engagement and advocacy. Fec offers a full range of counseling services with an expertise in families affected by, or at risk for, Child Abuse. Our therapists are trained and experienced engaging in the most appropriate form of therapy for each individual situation. All of our therapists are sensitive to the needs of families with diverse ethnic heritages. Therapists address issues concerning possible sexual Abuse of a Child, post-traumatic stress related to a history of Abuse, reunification of families where Abuse has occurred, Prevention of future Abuse in families, attachment problems, foster placement and its effects on a Child, and healing the parent-child relationship following Abuse of the Child. Fec provided over 150 individuals with trauma informed psychotherapy services during the year ended june 30, 2023.

Youth intervention program (yip)youth intervention program (yip) empowers youth to practice Prevention in their own lives, through validating the impacts of historical & intergenerational trauma, acknowledging how trauma impacts relationship to self & others, and teaching healthy decision-making skills. The youth intervention program focuses on teaching Prevention skills through the following goals and objectives: provide a safe place for youth to explore & connect themselves to Prevention in their daily lives & communities. Identify developmental differences across the life span. Promote empathy for others through empathy for self. Explore systems & historical oppressions that have contributed to sexual abuse/violence, as well as current laws & policies. Engage youth in developing healthy skills to resolve conflict, increase safety, & reduce patterns of abusive behavior.

Parent capacity building aka parent partnership:parent capacity building involves in home parent education, the nest program and solid starts. In home parent educationthe Family Enhancement Center provides parent development services for ramsey and hennepin counties to families in the Child protection system. Our specialists work directly with parents and families in their homes to help assist with subjects such as: understanding basic Child development, how to improve parenting strategies, mending the parent/ Child relationship, help in solving behavior issues with challenging children, and other issues that may be causing Family instability at home.by going into the home, our specialists are better able to evaluate and respond to situations between parent and Child as they develop, and offer meaningful suggestions and solutions for parents as the events unfold; offering an interactive approach to parenting guidance.the nest programthe nest program provides support for families struggling with Child management issues either due to a parent or Child's mental health, Family trauma or other stressful circumstances that make parenting difficult. Our program matches a volunteer parent mentor with a Family. This trained mentor helps parents identify Child and parent strengths, grow their social and parenting skills, learn behavioral and emotional de-escalation techniques and connect parents with community resources.what a nest volunteer mentor can do provide emotional support when things are challenging model and coach de-escalation skills, crisis intervention and self-care offer alternative discipline ideas and techniques engage in supportive phone calls set Family goals and host activities build positive relationship skills help parents identify strengths and weaknesses connect parents with needed resources assist with school support help schedule and organize special needs for children and adults trained mentors work with a Family for a minimum of one year. A mentor might volunteer 2-10 hours per month, depending on the needs of the Family. In their role, a mentor is expected to consistently provide both educational and emotional support. Activities depend on the plan developed with the family.solid startsan education, support and mentoring program for families during pregnancy & through age 3.our solid starts program assists families who are facing any number of challenges including: isolation from community, economic struggles, mental health issues, a history of Child Abuse or domestic violence, or those in need of extra support and parenting information.parents are empowered with new skills and resources as they bring a Child into the community. Past participants co-lead the group as mentors, and one group includes families from our growing hispanic community and is conducted by a native spanish speaker.