Giving Connection

The Family Center - Nashville Office

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Volunteer

139 Thompson Lane, Nashville, TN 37211, USA

EIN Number: 62-1237360

contact information

Phone: 615-333-2644

Hours: Closed

Mon - Fri 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM (EST)

Sat Closed

Sun Closed

Website: http://www.familycentertn.org/

Email: familyengagement@familycentertn.org

NTEE Code: P40: Family Services

MISSION - WHAT WE DO

Mission: To break multi-generational cycles of child abuse, neglect, and trauma. Changing lives... Changing families... Changing futures Research demonstrates that Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) have the potential to disrupt child development leading to potential life-long challenges, including poor emotional/physical health. While positive childhood experiences can build strong, healthy brains and lay the foundation for emotional/ social successes, negative experiences often perpetuate cycles of abuse, neglect, and trauma increasing behavioral problems, substance abuse, and incarceration rates. The Family Center works alongside families through group and in-home sessions helping parents recognize the impact of ACEs on early brain development, how to build resiliency in their children, and positive ways to engage with and support their children. We believe that community outreach, advocacy, and professional training is essential to increase awareness of the effects of ACEs community-wide and make systems changes to benefit generations of Tennesseans. The Family Center is a licensed child abuse prevention agency serving middle Tennessee.

VISION - GOALS AND ASPIRATIONS

Vision: That all children will grow up in safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments. That child abuse and neglect is recognized as a serious public health concern that causes lifetime physical, psychological and behavioral problems for children and impacts communities for generations.

SERVICES - HOW WE DO IT

Positive Parenting/Positive Parenting Plus Positive Parenting · 6 to 8 week course that strengthens parenting skills and promotes understanding of child development. Interactive program uses group discussion, hands-on activities, and peer support to increase understanding and awareness of children’s needs and promote healthy parent-child interactions · offered 11 times/week at jail facilities, substance abuse treatment centers, community locations o Partners:Rutherford County Correctional Work Center, Davidson County Sheriff’s Office Metro Jail, Rutherford County Adult Correctional Center, Davidson County Drug Court, The Next Door, Patterson Park Community Center, TriStar Stonecrest Medical Center. · uses nationally recognized Nurturing Parenting curriculum; topics include child development, understanding/managing children’s behavior, and ACEs · Concurrent Children’s Course, called Positive Parenting Plus, mirrors parent class for children ages 2-12. FY18: 977 parents and 71 children served, impacted an additional 1,689 children (576 parents Davidson; 401 Rutherford) Nurturing Families Nurturing Families 2-generational approach to parent education providing direct services to both parent and children through individualized coaching that can take place in the home or in community locations, focused on building secure attachment and working on self-identified family goals. between 4 and 12 individual visits help parents learn and practice safe, nurturing parenting skills. Each session includes a parent coaching activity, family activity, children’s activity, and a review of progress on family goals. Expanded to serve parents in jails in both Rutherford and Davidson Counties in FY19 Served FY19 · 31 parents and 36 children; impacting an additional 62 children Parenting Seminars Parenting Seminars for Multiple Groups Core topics include: children’s development; attachment, trust and safety, Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACEs, and how ACEs impact brain development; the importance of self-care for parents and children Co-Parenting - a 4-hour session for divorcing/separating families that fulfills State of TN requirement for divorcing parents. Fostering Change—2.5 hour session focuses on the needs of both birth and foster parents; covers attachment theory, communication, mediation and peer supportSupporting Service Families —— 2.5 hour session covers long distance communication, reintegrating after and between deployments, and other challengesNew Parents—2.5 hour session developed in partnership with Vanderbilt’s Children’s Hospital and led by pediatricians—helps families welcome their babies and toddlers into the familyCourting Change—2.5 hour session for Juvenile Court referred families Community Resilience and Trauma-Informed Cultures The Family Center staff is passionate about helping our community understand the vast and devastating effects of childhood trauma, including abuse and neglect, so they can empower parents to create safe, stable and nurturing relationships. To that end, The Family Center works closely with agencies and organizations to provide tailored professional training for staff who work with or on behalf of children, parents, and families.We provide expert training as well as coaching to help partners work towards becoming trauma-informed. We use best practices tailored to organizational needs using effective models. Professional guidance, coaching and consulting is offered to help influence systems’ practices, policies and culture. Training topics include: · Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs): Understanding the link between child maltreatment and adult health and well-being · The role of life experiences in shaping brain development · How to effectively engage parents with a history of trauma · Trauma-informed care/culture · Creating and maintaining a trauma-informed organization In the last two years, staff led 143 presentations and reached 3,946 participants. Targeted training on ACEs was provided to 544 staff at correctional facilities in FY18.