Koba Institute

Mansion at Focus Point

Group Home Program

The Mansion at Focus Point Treatment Team

Your adolescent treatment team members are responsible for providing direct care. These are the key people you will need to know. You can check with any nurse to find out specifically who these people are.

Psychiatrist – The psychiatrist leads the treatment team and gives direct care to your teenager. If needed, the psychiatrist prescribes and monitors medications for psychiatric problems.

Social Worker – The social worker provides social assessments, individual, group and family therapy, and community linkage. The social worker leads therapeutic meetings for groups of families (Multi-Family Group on Wednesday evenings) and acts as liaison between the family support group and its staff. To read a profile of our head Social Worker, please click here.

Nursing Staff – The nursing staff is composed of registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, mental health associates, and direct care workers. Nursing staff participate in group meetings, have individual sessions with adolescents and provide support and encouragement as the adolescent addresses personal issues and problems. If your adolescent becomes ill or needs medical attention the nurses contact a physician for medical services. Each adolescent will be assigned a Primary counselor who will work closely with the Primary Clinician and provide support and guidance to the adolescent in their activities o daily living and their coping with the challenges of residential living. To read a profile of our head nurse, please click here.

Psychologist – The psychologist does psychological testing, evaluates the results, and leads group and individual therapy sessions. They also serve as psychological consultants to the treatment team.

Educator – The Focus Point School is a licensed, non-public secondary school of the Koba Institute serving students with special education needs. It is an integral component of the MFP program and students [residents?] are required to attend classes and to participate in school-related activities.

Occupational Therapist (optional) – The Occupational Therapist leads activities at the group homes, focusing on social skills training and group building (hobby groups).

Primary Clinician – Your teenager will be assigned a Primary Clinician (Treatment Coordinator). The TC represents the treatment team implementing the treatment plan and follows your teenager throughout his/her stay at the group home. The TC provides individual, group and family therapy, and carries out community linkage and discharge planning.

Activity Therapist – The activity therapist organizes recreational activities for your teenager. Activities can include team sports that teach your teenager cooperation and teamwork as well as physical fitness and challenging activities which promote positive self-esteem.

Substance Abuse Counselor – The counselor provides therapeutic support to adolescents dealing with drug and alcohol abuse issues.

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Maintaining Contact with Your Child

Teenagers at the group homes may receive visitors during the following hours:

Weekdays: As scheduled by the Treatment Coordinator.
Saturday, Sunday and Holidays: 11:00 am – 4:00 pm.

Allowed visitors:

Immediate family members may visit, but adolescents 13 to 18 must be accompanied by the parent or guardian. Children 12 and under may not visit unless they are participating in the Wednesday night Multi-Family Group meeting or arrangements have been made with the primary clinician prior to the anticipated visit. Attorneys and clergy for the adolescent may visit at any reasonable time. Individuals meeting with an adolescent at the request of the treatment team, in consultation with the parents, may visit at any reasonable time. Due to limited space, we can only allow three visitors per adolescent at any one time.

Home Visit Reports:

The Mansion and the resident’s parent or guardian must document all home visits on a Home Visit Report Form. The form’s purpose is to provide a constructive method of evaluating the visit, and to determine whether or not it was successful and what problems occurred. Home visit reports are used in conjunction with our Individual Service Plan to gauge the resident’s progress towards his/her treatment goals. Meetings may occur in the living room, dining room, or on the grounds of the group home.

Visitation Policies:

MFP is designed to help children develop a respectful and supportive relationship with peers and adults. We try to maintain a quiet and calm atmosphere and ask that you participate as a supportive parent or family member. When issues arise that are frustrating or make you angry seek assistance from the staff and remain calm. Please respect the following rules while visiting your child:

* Visitors may bring food or snacks for their child to be eaten at visiting time. All leftover food will need to be taken home at the conclusion of the visit.
* Smoking is not allowed in the building.
*To maintain a safe and therapeutic environment the following items are not permitted on the Unit: alcohol and drugs, smoking materials, and any dangerous objects that pose a safety risk to the members of the community. We ask for your help in maintaining a safe environment. The staff will inspect all packages and items brought in.
* Visitors may be restricted by court order or for medical reasons.
* If you have questions about visitation policies, please contact your child’s primary clinician.

Telephone Privileges:

Incoming and outgoing calls can be made from a pay telephone in the dayroom. When calling in, be sure to say who you are and ask for your teenager by name. Telephone times are planned to provide as many hours as possible without disrupting the teenager’s daily routine. If you have concerns about telephone calls, contact your child’s primary clinician.

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Family Counseling

If recommended by a child’s Individual Service Plan, social workers and staff will help work with a resident and his or her parents in a therapeutic family counseling session. These meetings will take place however often is determined appropriate. The objective of these meetings is to provide a therapeutic, positive environment in which parents and children can begin to understand their differences and work towards a more functional relationship.

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Individual Service Plan

The Individual Service Plan is the Mansion’s unique method of determining each child’s emotional and therapeutic needs and identifying his or her treatment goals. The ISP helps us to tailor the treatment program to each individual’s needs, thus resulting in a much greater chance for a successful outcome. Parents and guardians are an integral part of the ISP system, and work with the group home staff and case workers to create this treatment profile when the resident is first admitted to the program. After this initial meeting, parents are kept up to date on the child’s progress towards goals outlined in the ISP, and are consulted regarding any changes that might need to be made.

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