Neighborhood Family Counseling
The Neighborhood Family Counseling Program provides community-based counseling services through unique partnerships with Family Support Centers throughout Allegheny County. Members of the Family Support Centers are eligible for individualized and family counseling either at the Center or in home. With support from the United Way of Allegheny County, the Neighborhood Family Counseling program also includes two helpful training services for parents; Helping Your Child to be a Successful Student and Act Against Violence Program (ACT).
Professional therapists can assist with:
- Stress, depression, anxiety and other emotional concerns
- Birth, death, divorce, retirement, care giving and other life stressors
- Relationship and parenting issues
- Self Sufficiency classes, including financial literacy
- Other issues
For more information call 412-661-1670 x 674.
Incarceration / Justice-related Service
Families Outside, Family Virtual Visitation and Allegheny County Jail Collaboration
Services Provided:
- The Families Outside Program provides a unique service to families of incarcerated men and women. The objective is to maintain and strengthen family relationships with a belief that family members, especially children, need continued contact with their loved ones, even during incarceration.
Click here for the Families Outside Bus Schedule for March 2012 - The Allegheny County Jail Collaboration is a family support program that provides comprehensive services to families impacted by incarceration and delivers a wide array of family support programming, including services based in the jail and in the community.
For more information call 412-661-1670 x 820. To read the latest Bus Schedules click here .
Self Sufficiency Services
Transportation Loan Program
The Transportation Loan Program consists of two programs, Ways to Work and Keys to Success.
Services Provided:
- Low interest loans to working individuals who need a vehicle to get to work
- For individuals who cannot get a loan from traditional sources due to poor credit
- All participants that utilize the Ways to Work and Keys to Success programs must pass a free Financial Literacy class offered by Family Services
For more information and to apply, please go to http://www.pawaystowork.org.
Or
Family Services of Western Pennsylvania
Transportation Loan Program
6401 Penn Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
1-866-965-5929 (toll free) or 412-6611-1670 x 650
Transitional Youth Services
Educational Assistance Initiative
The Educational Assistance Initiative provides financial assistance for post secondary education to economically disadvantaged youth who have been served by social service programs in Western Pennsylvania.
Services Provided:
- Helps students with the supplementary costs of attending college or vocational school, such as computers, transportation assistance, rent and living costs, and college or vocational training fees
- Support is provided throughout their time in school
- Many students begin in their senior year of high school, and in some cases, students in their early 20s who have decided to pursue post-secondary education
If you would like to donate to this program click on the "Donate Now" button:
Reaching Out to Create Success (ROCS) Program
The ROCS Program is for youth ages of 16-24 who are aging out of foster care, have already aged out of foster care, or have spent some time in foster care during their childhood/teen years. Any youth in Allegheny or Westmoreland counties are eligible to join.
In the Program:
- Youth pursue job and educational goals, learn life skills such as money management, join their peers on ROCS trips and group activities, as well as earn awards and prizes for their active participation.
- Youth can be trained in the YouthWorks’ JumpStart Success training on job readiness and career exploration. Resource coordination services are also available for youth (e.g. housing/food/cash assistance, health care resources).
- Interested youth can be referred or youth can call the ROCS office directly to set up an interview. The ROCS Coordinator then sits with the interested youth to explain the program and discuss the youth’s goals, interests, and expectations. If the program is a good fit, the youth then attends an orientation to enroll in the program as well as to begin identifying and planning out their goals.
Who can I contact if I’m interested?
Contact Shayla Sojourner, Youth Services Resource Coordinator, to learn more about the program, set up a youth interview, or schedule a ROCS presentation or meeting at your agency via phone at (412) 661-1670 x610 or via email at sojourners@fswp.org
Click here for the ROCS Referral Form
Click here for the ROCS Brochure
Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern Pennsylvania .
Parenting Classes / Prevention
ParentWISE offers families the means to maintain and improve their quality of lives and the lives of their children. Program staff works closely with parents and other community groups to identify training needs and current issues facing local families with the goal of eliminating child abuse, neglect and violence.
Services Provided:
- Support and education for families experiencing changes or difficulties
- Whether there are allegations of neglect or abuse; or involvement in the legal system; or struggles with an adolescent, or sibling rivalry, or a divorce or a remarriage; or a diagnosis of ADHD; or a new daddy trying to tell if the baby is sick, the ParentWISE Program is available for education, support or referral to services
- By supporting and encouraging caregivers, they will feel confident and comfortable in their role as caregiver
For more information about The ParentWISE Programs please call 724 837-5410 ext 701, toll free Help Line (1-800-544-0227) or email cawoskij@fswp.org.
Click Here for upcoming ParentWISE workshops. For additional workshops Click Here.
For the winter schedule of Parent Education Classes for 2012 please Click Here.
BEE Kind Program
In the hopes of breaking the cycle of abuse within families, the ParentWISE Program developed a program to teach young children about kindness, tolerance and acceptance of differences.
Services Provided:
- Idea that by teaching children about kindness and conflict resolution early in their lives, they would grow up to be kinder and more supportive parents
- Visits to classrooms four times over a one month period and shares four stories, activities and crafts with the children
- Presenters include our staff and/or trained volunteers who enjoy the chance to read quality literature to children
For more information call Shana Orlic at 724-837-5410 x705 or email orlics@fswp.org
For a list of upcoming Bee Kind classes, click here.
Senior Services
Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers
The Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers (IVC) program matches volunteers with older adults (ages 60+) in Allegheny County who need occasional assistance to continue living independently. The goal of IVC is to maximize the independence and overcome the isolation of the frail elderly in Allegheny County. IVC is supported by the United Way of Allegheny County.
Services Provided:
- Volunteers can help with grocery shopping, friendly visiting, escort/transportation to medical appointments or worship services, help managing correspondence, snow removal, home safety checks, and Information & Referral.
- In some cases, IVC gives family caregivers a break by helping lighten their load; in others, our volunteers are the closest thing to family a care receiver has.
Visit www.ivcswpa.org for details.
For Information & Referral assistance, contact Robbie Lisi at lisir@fswp.org.
For volunteer inquiries, contact Sarah Papperman at pappermans@fswp.org
For more information call 412-345-7420.
Other programs for Seniors
Services Provided:
- Open your Heart to A Senior program is a collaborative effort by Family Services and North Hills Community Outreach, with funding from the United Way of Allegheny County, to increase the number of volunteers who are interested in helping seniors remain in their homes for as long as possible. For more information about the Open Your Heart to A Senior program, click here: www.openyourhearttoasenior.org
- Safety for Seniors offers free in-home safety checks to Allegheny County seniors aged 60 and older. Trained volunteers will inspect room by room for fire and fall hazards, making recommendations as they go. They will also distribute safety supplies, install smoke alarms, and help clients obtain grab bars or handrails free of charge. Each home visit takes about one hour. Please call IVC at 412-345-7420 to sign up for Safety for Seniors.
- APPRISE , Pennsylvania’s State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), is a federally funded service that provides free, objective health care education and counseling for Medicare beneficiaries. APPRISE is an objective source of information and expertise about Medicare plan choices, benefits, and programs available to help beneficiaries keep their health care costs manageable. Beneficiaries, family members, and care managers can count on APPRISE for accurate, personalized answers to questions related to Medicare billing, claims, appeals, and more. Family Services operates the Allegheny County APPRISE program in partnership with the Area Agency on Aging. For more information on APPRISE, call 412-661-1438 or email APPRISE@fswp.org