The Boys Town North Florida Care Coordination Services program recently had the opportunity to go above and beyond for a family who lacked resources and knowledge on how to navigate getting their child linked to needed services.
When the family was referred to Boys Town, they lived in an isolated area where it was very hard to find providers and they didn't speak English. Care Coordination Services Consultant Emily Backes made sure not to let these factors get in the way of providing care to the family.
Emily worked with Sara Soria, a Program Support Services Coordinator, to translate service plan documents into Spanish, so the family could actively participate by providing input. Sara also worked as a translator during calls with the family. This gave the mom confidence and made her feel like she had a voice in the process.
Emily also assisted the family in the application process to attend Leon County schools where the kids had the opportunity to be assessed academically, emotionally, and behaviorally. These assessments resulted in the development of a much-needed Individualized Educational Plan (IEP). Emily made sure interpreters were present at all school meetings, so the mother felt empowered to grow into a strong advocate for her whole family.
“This was an awesome example of how willing members of the Boys Town family are to go out of their way to not only help their coworkers, but ensure the families we work with receive the highest level of care, even when we need to get really creative to do so," said Emily. “This was truly an impressive collaboration!"