Highlands Family Success Center opens
BY GINNY PRIVITAR
WEST MILFORD — The community has a new resource and a reason to celebrate.
On July 21, the Highlands Family Success Center opened at 1546 Union Valley Road with the Commissioner of Children and Family Services Allison Baker in attendance. Funded by the New Jersey Department of Children and Families, the Highlands Center is part of a state-wide network of family success centers that serves as a “one-stop” location that provides wrap-around resources and support for families before they find themselves in crisis. Those resources include support, referrals, activities and workshops to serve the people of West Milford. A grand opening was held on Aug. 15.
The center fulfills the need to provide a central location where community members can go for assistance. Often, people are unaware of what services are available. The center’s goal is to serve as a link between the community and those services.
There is no charge for any of the services they provide to the community, including referrals to other agencies for social service needs, mental and physical assistance and job training opportunities. They will assist with resume preparation and re-entry into the workforce. Onsite programs include financial education and parenting skills through workshops and training. A mothers group, known as the Mothers’ Café, provides a support group, and a fathers group is planned. Refreshment is available for all activities.
“Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments help us to prepare for the (client)," said Wilson Santos, program director. "If services are not available, we’ll go out of county to get access to them…We’ll also look to bring in providers who can do educational workshops. Starting in September we’ll offer homework help.”
Santos is assisted by a volunteer service coordinator and two "family partners" who work directly with families and individuals. The center plans to actively recruit volunteers and interns to assist in the coordination of these types of services:
Access to child, maternal and family health information, including linkage to publicly-funded health insurance programs and referrals to local health care services;
Economic self-sufficiency and employment related services
Information and referral services (connection to off-site public and private resources)
Housing Related Services
Advocacy
Parent Education and Parent-Child Activities
Life Skills Workshops
Members of the community are encouraged to avail themselves of these many benefits