Southside Family Nurturing Center
Therapy Enhancement Initiative Planning and Implementation Timeline
Year 1:
Timeframe
Part 1: Program Enhancement:
Group Play Therapy and Parent
Engagement
- Develop program group play
therapy curriculum, and evaluation
plan (Play Therapist Lead; Family
Program Director and Children’s
Program Director)
- Planning for increased
communication and collaboration
between Play Therapist and parents
of children receiving individual play
therapy. (Play Therapist, Parent
Workers, Children’s Program
Director, and Family Program
Director)
October - December 2015
- Direct service staff professional
development training:
Understanding the Benefits of Play
Therapy with Young Children (Play
Therapist & 20 staff participants, 2
hours)
Part 2: Music Therapy
-Explore emerging research and
evidence based practices related to
music therapy in early childhood
education, child development/parenting
children with special social and
emotional needs
-Research music therapy providers in
the area, and conduct interviews with
qualified candidates
Part 3: Mental Health Support for
Parents
-Assess parent identified needs for
therapeutic/mental health support
(Parent with Teacher/Family
Worker)
-Assess current barriers for
accessing community mental health
services
-Establish contractual relationship
between SSFNC and 1 or more Music
Therapists
-Explore emerging research and
evidence based practices related to
parent mental health as well as
toxic stress and its effects on longterm health, education, and income
- Determine model for SSFNC music
therapy program (frequency, duration,
service delivery model: individual,
group, parent/child, or parent)
-Identify potential partnerships
between SSFNC and community
mental health groups to provide onsite services
-Explore service delivery models
appropriate for implementation
including;
1) Type of services offered:
individual, group, and Parent Child
Interactive Therapy (PCIT)
2) Comparative cost and
sustainability analysis/explore client
eligibility for third party payment
3) Duration of service
- Pilot play therapy groups with
toddler and preschool children in
small groups of 3-7 children for 5
hours per month
-Parents and Play Therapist
establish a communication plan for
supporting each child receiving
individual play therapy.
January - March 2016
Overall Goal: Through play, children
engage with peers in therapeutic
activities that model and encourage
self- expression, healing, and
overall social and emotional
development.
- Planning and scheduling with Music
Therapist, Teacher/Family Workers, and
Children’s Program Director
- Music Therapist spends time observing
children in classrooms
- Direct service staff professional
development training: Understanding
and Promoting Music Therapy in Early
Childhood Development (Music
Therapist and 20 SSFNC Staff)
(2 hours)
- Goal: 50% of children participate in
July - September 2016
- Parents and Play Therapist
meet/communicate monthly for
information sharing, skilltransference etc. per individualized
communication plan)
- Process evaluation of play therapy
groups and adapt program as
appropriate, based on feedback
(increase number of children served,
change group composition, etc.)
- Monthly parent/Play Therapist
Communication continues
- Define parameters of individual
service duration
-Prepare SSFNC physical space for
individual and group therapy
sessions
-Professional development training
for direct service staff in Short Term
Mental Health Support Services for
Parents, 2 hours. (Mental health
provider and SSFNC Staff)
- Start pilot music therapy program:
including individual, group, and
parent/child or parent groups.
play therapy groups
April - June 2016
-Determine provider generated
billing process and service
reimbursement by grant for nonbillable clients.
-Identify and enroll parents with
interest in specific therapeutic
program offerings
Goal: Parents are acquainted with
the play therapy model, and support
their child’s participation in play
therapy, and communicate regularly
with the Play Therapist to share
strategies to best support their
child’s social and emotional
development (Play Therapist and
parents)
- Continue play therapy groups
-Formalize partnerships with mental
health provider for pilot program
-Goal: 100% of children receive group
music therapy, 40% of children receive
individual music therapy, and 85% of
families participate in parent/child or
parent music therapy
- Continue pilot music therapy program
- Process evaluation of music therapy
program and adapt model as needed
-Begin pilot of parent therapeutic
support services including individual
and/or group therapy, as well as
PCIT
-Goal: 20% of parents engage in
one or more therapeutic support or
skill development services
-Goal: Increase parent engagement
to 35%
-Process evaluation with parents
and service providers and adapt
model as needed
Year 2:
Timeframe
October - December 2016
Part 1: Program Enhancement: Group
Play Therapy and Parent Engagement
Part 2: Music Therapy
- Implement adapted play therapy group
program based on feedback received
during evaluation
- Implement adapted music therapy
program based on feedback received
during evaluation
-Play Therapist participates in biannual
staffing meetings with Teacher/Family
Workers, program directors and other
therapists for children receiving individual
play therapy services
-Strategize and establish a long-term
program sustainability plan
Part 3: Mental Health Support for
Parents
- Implement adapted parent
therapeutic services program based
on feedback received during
evaluation
-Goal: 50% or more of parents
engage in therapeutic support/skill
development services
-Strategize and establish a longterm program sustainability plan
- Monthly parent/Play Therapist
communication continues.
- Strategize and establish a long-term
program sustainability plan
- Continue play therapy groups
January - March 2017
- Play therapist continues meeting with
individual families according to individual
parent/Play Therapist communication
plans
- Play Therapist, Children’s Program
Director, Teacher/Family Workers, Family
Program Director, and Executive Director
evaluate program and make changes as
needed
- Continue music therapy program
-Continue parent therapy program
- Continue expanded play therapy groups
serving at least 80% of children
- Continue music therapy program
-Continue parent therapy program
- Continue parent/Play Therapist meetings
- Continue music therapy program
-Continue parent therapy program
July: Convene SSFNC leadership and
Play Therapist to evaluate pilot program,
review client feedback, assess
SSFNC/Play Therapist contract review,
and plan 2018 SSFNC play therapy
program
- Evaluate program and adapt as
needed for continued implementation
- Evaluate program and adapt as
April - June 2017
- Continue parent/Play Therapist meetings
July - September 2017
-July: Convene SSFNC leadership and
Music Therapist to evaluate pilot
program, review client feedback, assess
SSFNC/Music Therapist contract, and
plan 2018 music therapy program
needed for continued
implementation
- July: Convene SSFNC leadership,
and mental health service providers
to evaluate pilot program, review
client feedback, assess
SSFNC/mental health provider
partnership, and plan 2018 parent
therapy program