About Methodist Family Health
Methodist Family Health is the management company of
Methodist Children's Home,
Methodist Behavioral Hospital, and
Methodist Family Health Foundation.
History
Established in 1899 by Methodists in Arkansas, the Arkansas Methodist Orphanage addressed the need for care of orphaned and dependent children. The orphanage served the need well for many years, but as attitudes and regulations about homes for orphans changed, so did the services provided, and the name changed to Methodist Children’s Home. In the decades that followed, the agency grew into a comprehensive residential treatment facility with youth group homes throughout Arkansas.
In September 2001, Methodist Children’s Home founded a subsidiary corporation in Maumelle: Methodist Behavioral Hospital, Inc. These two entities joined in 2003 to form Methodist Family Health, a management company consolidating the operations of the full continuum of care established by Methodist Children’s Home. In addition, they formed Methodist Family Health Foundation, a new nonprofit entity to be the public relations, fundraising and development arm of the operating entities.
Methodist Family Health Today
Today, Methodist Family Health provides the only comprehensive behavioral healthcare system to children and families of Arkansas, through a variety of programs and services. It brings value to the state and the communities it serves in many ways.
Comprehensive Care
It offers levels of care ranging from the most restrictive service level (Acute Psychiatric Hospital Care) to the least restrictive service level (outpatient counseling), simultaneously providing all intermediate residential levels of care. Youth receive all educational requirements while in residential placement at Methodist Family Health. Methodist Family Health also offers treatment for mothers with addiction disorders, and for their children through the Arkansas CARES program.
Through the continuum of services provided, Methodist Family Health brings great value to the youth and families in its care, by allowing them to be treated in the least restrictive setting appropriate, with continuity of care provided through consistent use of a model of care. This allows youth and families to transition between varying service level intensities while still maintaining a consistent program format.
Consistent Model of Care
All residential and inpatient treatment programs of Methodist Family Health use the same nationally recognized Teaching-Family Model of Care, a model receiving acclaim from numerous agencies and reviewing entities. The American Psychological Association selected it as a model program in service delivery in child and family mental health. The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention identified it as possessing a program characteristic closely connected with the reduction of re-offense rates of serious offenders. The U.S. Surgeon General listed it as one of two models conducive to learning social and psychological skills. Finally, the Juvenile Forensic Evaluation Resource Center identified it as a successful community systems-based program with evidence-based practices relating to conduct disorders in children.
The Teaching-Family Model is a cost-effective, replicable, and organized approach to providing humane, effective, and individualized services. It employs a specific method of addressing behaviors that is tailored to the individual target skills of each participant. Problems are identified by observed skill deficiencies and targeted based on the mental health diagnosis. The program focuses on promoting appropriate behavior by maintaining the most effective ratio of positive to corrective teaching interactions with the client. Participants are praised and rewarded for positive behaviors, and using a token economy reward system, are able to trade points earned for these positive behaviors for privileges. In the same way, clients lose privileges for negative behaviors. However, the focus is always on the positive aspects. Even when being corrected, the most important aspect of teaching is to practice the appropriate way of interacting or using a skill. The Teaching-Family Model requires at least four praisings for each correction to ensure this positive focus.
Based on progress made toward goals, clients progress from an initial system of high structure and less responsibility to a system of self-imposed structure and greater responsibility. As treatment advances occur, participants move to different levels of Methodist Family Health's Continuum of Care. The end goal is achieved when the client becomes proficient in social and independent living skills, and is reunited with family, moves to the least restrictive residential treatment setting such as Therapeutic Foster Home Care, or re-enters the community as an adult.
The consistency of applying a non-punitive program across all levels of care allows those who transition between service locations to experience continuity of care. Since clients are familiar with the approach in each setting, adjustment periods tend to be shorter, allowing them to participate more effectively in treatment.
Methodist Family Health is especially proud of the unique status Methodist Behavioral Hospital in Maumelle holds. The hospital is currently the only Teaching-Family Association certified hospital in the world.
Scope of Services
Methodist Family Health has established varying components of behavioral healthcare services in more than 30 Arkansas cities and towns and offers a wide array of care venues.
Every day Methodist Family Health serves approximately 500 clients in its inpatient and residential venues of care, with an additional 900 clients receiving intermittent care in outpatient and school-based services. Its statewide programs include:
- Acute Psychiatric Hospital Care (serving up to 36 each day in Maumelle);
- Sub-Acute (Residential) Psychiatric Care (serving up to 24 each day in Maumelle);
- Residential Treatment Center Care (serving up to 37 each day in Little Rock, and up to 28 each day in Bono);
- Therapeutic Group Home Care (serving up to 64 each day in Little Rock, Heber Springs, Helena West-Helena, Magnolia (2), Searcy, and Mulberry (2));
- Therapeutic Foster Home Care (serving children in multiple locations across the state);
- Emergency Shelter (serving up to 10 each day in Little Rock);
- Therapeutic Day Treatment School (serving up to 50 each day in Little Rock and Magnolia);
- Early Childhood Development (serving up to 50 each day in Little Rock);
- Counseling Clinic Services (serving 800 intermittently in Batesville, Cherokee Village, Heber Springs, Mount Ida, Jonesboro, Fayetteville, Little Rock and Magnolia);
- School-Based Counseling Services (intermittently serving 700 in Harrisburg, Jonesboro, Lincoln, Nettleton, Vilonia and White County school districts, as well as Success Achievement Academy in Jonesboro and Crossroads Learning Center in Quitman, alternative schools serving multiple districts).
- Arkansas CARES (serving up to 14 mothers and 30 children each day in Little Rock);
Certification
All programs are accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. Methodist Family Health is a member of The Teaching-Family Association.
Pastoral Care
Methodist Family Health believes in the importance of serving the spiritual needs of the children and families in its care. This is accomplished through essential connections of each program to its community and local churches. In addition, youth in hospital and residential care programs are given opportunity weekly to participate in Bible studies and monthly spirituality services. The spiritual needs of non-Christian persons are addressed on an individual basis with the help of qualified chaplains and local community connections.
Spirituality services are worship services that consist of music, devotionals, games, dramas, and even snacks. The Pastoral Care staff relies on local church groups to donate time, resources and energy to this ministry.
Church groups may also wish to "adopt" a unit, a cottage, or a home to help meet ongoing needs such as furnishings, posters, books, clothing, paint, etc.
Pastoral Care also oversees a Children's Bible Fund and strives to make a Bible available to every client who wishes to receive one.
Groups wishing to assist in the Pastoral Care mission may contact Rev. Scott Moore for more information. To send Rev. Moore an e-mail, click here.
Affiliations
The organization’s premier medical staff enhances the value of services delivered to the state and community. Medical Director Scott Hogan, MD, oversees the clinical aspects of the various Methodist Family Health programs, and is board certified in both child and adult psychiatry.
Methodist Family Health adds value to the state through its many partnerships with other organizations. It partners with UAMS’ Department of Psychiatry. At the Fillmore Campus in Little Rock, Methodist Children's Home works closely with the UALR Social Work program, the UAMS College of Nursing, and the UAMS Department of Pediatrics' Partners for Inclusive Communities.
Methodist Family Health also maintains professional affiliations with the University of Arkansas Criminal Justice Institute for statewide mental health training to law enforcement agencies. In addition, Methodist Behavioral Hospital collaborates with the University of Central Arkansas for internships for postdoctoral psychology students and Arkansas Baptist Hospital to provide practical nursing students training rotations throughout the year.
Methodist Family Health also has an affiliation with Camp Aldersgate, which houses the Little Rock therapeutic day treatment program.
Methodist Family Health is a member of the United Methodist Association of Health and Welfare Ministries and the Arkansas Hospital Association.
Mission Statement
The mission of Methodist Family Health is to give the best possible care to those who may need our help and to treat the whole person: behaviorally, emotionally and spiritually.