A.W.A.R.E. Inc. of Great Falls, Montana is a non-profit organization that provides a variety of community-based services for families and children. Services are available in Great Falls, Box Elder, and Browning Montana, with special emphasis on serving family members from the area tribal communities.

Youth who have been identified with serious mental health challenges (severe emotional disturbances) and children, birth to age six, who have serious difficulties managing their emotions and behavior are eligible for services. Because A.W.A.R.E. promotes a "wrap-around" philosophy, services are strength-based, family-focused, individualized, and comprehensive.

School-Based Mental Health Services:

Our services make additional supports available for youth who are struggling with behavioral and emotional issues in their current school placement.

Staff work closely with teachers and other school personnel in providing assessment, program planning, skill-building activities with the youth, one-to-one therapeutic support, and therapy based on the youth's individualized action plan. In addition, consultation, training, and support are offered to school personnel.

Family Support Services offer families parenting education, skill building activities for children and youth, one-to-one therapeutic aides, counseling, children and youth groups, and respite. Services are individually designed by the family and their intervention team (a clinician, treatment specialist, treatment technician, and other community-based professionals) and implemented through a strength-based action plan.

Services are provided in the family's home and in the community, as needed, seven days a week. Emergency program support is available 24 hours a day.

Adult Case Management Services:

As targeted case managers we assist all eligible adults (persons classified as 16 years of age or over with no time limitations on the duration of services) with developmental disabilities to obtain the services that will allow them to live the highest quality of life possible.

The purpose of targeted case management is to access and coordinate the delivery of services and support required by adults with developmental disabilities. The focus of case managment is to enhance independence and interdependence with others in the community. A portion of our efforts are directed toward outreach to Native American adults with disabilities.

That includes expanding options for participation in and contribution to society, increasing skills and abilities to enable on-going personal growth, and to aid individuals to be able to reside, work and play in safe healthy integrated environments. Case management is the mechanism for linking and coordinating segments of the developmental disabilities service delivery system.

We serve as resources for all segments of the communities we serve in, advocate for our clients needs/rights in all areas, and provide support for the individuals and families with whom we work.

For the individuals who are receiving services that are funded by the Developmental Disabilities Program, case management is responsible for assuring that a multi-disciplinary team meeting occurs which results in a comprehensive written service plan for this person and monitoring the plan. For the individuals who are not in DD-funded services, we operate under an Individual Service Plan with the person and/or guardian.

---

Transitional Living:

Transitional Living Services provide supports to youth (ages 16-21) who need additional assistance learning the skills to live independently in an apartment. Skill-building activities and supports are provided for youth as they transition to adulthood through implementation of a strength-based action plan.

Many of the youth served in this program have previously received care in foster homes or group homes. In addition, young adults who have dual diagnoses (cognitive delay and severe mental illness) receive supports through Transitional Living Services.

Intensive Therapeutic Group Home Services offer daily care and residential services for youth in a home-like environment. Four male or female youth are served in each home.

Close supervision, needed structure, and individualized supports are provided by trained caregiving staff who implement each youth's strength-based treatment plan daily. In addition, youth participate in skill building activities, both individual sessions and therapeutic groups, and community-based activities.

Family involvement is encouraged. Often youth transition from a therapeutic group home to therapeutic foster care, transitional living or family support services after approximately nine months.

Technical questions or comments regarding the website?
- please contact the Web Guy at: gordonh@blackfoot.net
Member of the Montana Recreation Connnection Network