Kasserian-Ifarada Program

Designed to enhance outcomes for Black and African-ancestry youth and reduce Black families' involvement in child welfare.

The Program

Ifarada and Durham Children's Aid Society have developed comprehensive, supportive advocacy, outreach, and family support program that addresses challenges that children, youth, and families experience. Our programs are designed to enhance outcomes for Black and African-ancestry youth and reduce Black families' involvement in child welfare. We advocate with families as they access services for families, and can support families as they navigate through the Society's assessment. We outreach with families to connect with resources within the community. We collaborate with families to improve their relationships and address concerns.

Family Outreach

Through the outreach program, our family wellbeing workers connect with families to support them accessing the resources they may require within their lives.

Outreach services include:

Connecting families with specialized mental health and addiction support,

Guiding families to access parenting supports and other resources, Supporting families to access financial, housing, and other resources to help them live successful lives.

Advocacy

We support families by attending meetings with child welfare workers or other professionals. We support families to address anti-Black racism they may experience, and guide them on how to navigate resources that are also embedded with anti-Black racism.

Family Support

We provide intensive support to families when needed to address crises, reduce further concerns, and strengthen the family system.

Referrals: We guide families to make referrals and connect with community professionals who can help the family address challenges they face.

Consultant Referrals

Ifarada provides individual, family and couple psychotherapy geared to addressing mental health and family system challenges and difficulties. Each referral is matched with a registered or practicing psychotherapist for 3 to 12 sessions.

Psychotherapy and psychological consults are aimed to addressing challenges which impact the functioning of one or more of the family members. Psychologists can provide recommendations that can support parents in understanding the next steps in their family members' treatment and intervention. Psychotherapists can help to address mental health concerns, as well as trauma, grief/loss, family conflict and other issues which may impact the family or individual as a whole.

We strive to respond to referrals within 4 weeks of the initial request. Once a therapist or psychologist is assigned, they will connect with the family to schedule the initial appointment.

Family Relief Fund

In a short time, we have found that many families experience financial hardship due to our economy, and other economic factors. Many of our families experience home insecurity, intimate partner violence, instability, and anti-Black racism which can led to deficits within their resources,

Our family relief fund is an immediate, one time resource that provides gift cards to families for food, hygenie products, household needs, clothing and more.

Our family wellbeing workers can apply for the gift card at any time for families in needs. Gift cards are usually sent within a week of the referral.

Referral Process

Families, youth, or parents/caregivers/guardians can make a referral to the program. Usually, the Durham Children's Aid Society has made referrals online.

Once a referral is made:

Our team of Family Well being workers will connect with you within 72 hours. The team member will also connect with the Durham Children's Aid Society Worker to introduce themselves and confirm the receipt of the referral.

Building therapeutic alliance:

Our initial goal with families is to build an alliance and connection with our families. At some point, the DCAS worker is brought into the service planning depending on the level of support required by the family. Once we understand the family's cultural, social, financial, and community experiences, we work with the family to develop a service plan.

The service plan is usually 3, 6, or 9 months in length. We commit to supporting your family for a period of time. We can extend the plan or reduce the time depending on the family's needs and requirements for support.

The service plan identifies goals that are geared to support the family in the way they wish to be supported.

Serving the Durham Region

We love to hear your feedback about the services offered and our team. Please feel free to connect with us at: info@ifaradainstitute.org

**Throughout the year we host initiatives that are geared to supporting children, youth, parents, caregivers, and guardians. Our initiatives are designed to strengthen the family and the service delivery for families. As we plan for our Year II of the program, consider and reflect upon our upcoming plans and programs.

Join our Parent Advisory

We are seeking volunteer parents, caregivers, and guardians to join our Parent Advisory Group. This group of past and present families will help to shape our service delivery, future grant applications, and programming that directly helps to cultivate strong families.

Our group will meet 4-6 times per year on zoom, for approximately 2 hours and led by one of our team members.

Parent advisory members will receive a small honarium for their time and support.

To register, complete our Customer Survey. Once completed, submit your email address. A member of our team will connect with you in February to review your interest, and join the advisory.