Positive Parenting

Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcUK91gasPU

Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCiBRqqSiLQ 

Individual Parenting Supports

The United Arc Positive Parenting Program is dedicated to building the capacity of families headed by a parent living with an intellectual disability and/or an executive functioning challenge. Though our Individual Parenting service, staff provide support, skills training, and advocacy to parents who are involved with The Massachusetts Department of Children and Families. The Positive Parenting program utilizes evidence based curriculum and the latest research to ensure that our families are afforded the most effective parent support services.

Supervised Visitation Services:

The United Arc Positive Parenting program offers supervised visiting services by referral from The Massachusetts Department of Children and Families. The program provides parents and children the opportunity to visit in a structured and supportive environment. Our visitation program utilizes the expertise of The Supervised Visitation Network for training and best practices in this work. Our service includes visit coordination, transportation, and supervision, instruction as needed, and written documentation.

Transitional Supported Living Program

The Transitional Supported Living Program is available to families referred by The Department of Children and Families. Referred families are provided a broadly supportive environment for reunification or the prevention of out-of-home placement. The program promotes stability and independent living skills. Each family receives a Project Based MRVP voucher for the building to assist with rent. Staff work with families on an individualized basis to address goals in each family’s plan and provide more intensified services as needed.

Youth Transition Services

The Youth Transition Program services provides transitional services by referral from The Massachusetts Determent of Children and Families.  The program provides older teens and young adults support in gaining the skills and resources necessary to become independent. It also provides mentoring support to younger teens. Staff support youth in many areas, including making social connections, obtaining their license, college applications, learning job skills, and referrals for therapy and other appropriate services.

Parent Education and Support Groups
Sessions focus on child development, parent/child communication, health and wellness, family literacy, basic household and financial stability, positive discipline and limit setting, trauma and its effects on parenting, safety factors and prevention of abuse and neglect, and access of community resources. Groups currently are funded by The Children’s Trust, with the focus for parents with children up to age 6 years old. The Massachusetts Department of Developmental Disabilities has begun to fund parents groups as well which is open to parents of children of all ages.  Most groups have a targeted educational themes and draw from a primary curriculum such as The Nurturing Parent or Thriving Kids. Parent education and support groups are held in various locations or if needed virtually, in Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampden Counties and the North Quabbin area of Worcester County. In addition Parent Education and Support Groups

Groups have educational themes and draw from a primary curriculum such as The Nurturing Parent or The Family Game. Parent education and support groups are held in various locations in Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampden Counties and the North Quabbin area of Worcester County.

Grandparent and Kinship Care Resource Center

The United Arc offers resources and support to grandparents raising their grandchildren as well as other relatives raising a family member. Thanks to a grant from Lifepath, Inc., we offer twice monthly meetings, home visits and check in calls to grandparents living in Franklin County. We serve as a resource for families and provide regular activities and get togethers for grandparents and their grandchildren. We are affiliated with the Commission on the Status of Grandparents Raising their Grandchildren, a state agency whose mission is to support the growing number of grandparents in Massachusetts who are caring for their grandchildren. For information about meeting times and resources please call us at 413-774-5558.

Consultation
Training workshops and consultation are available upon request to other agencies or groups wishing to serve this population.