TBHC celebrated a successful year partnering with Winners Circle Group of Texas this December at their holiday party on December 9, 2023. VP of Programs Jami Hogan, Regional Director Dana Holt, and Compassionate Hope Coordinator Cashlee Fox were honored by receiving the Community Partner Award for TBHC that evening. TBHC is proud to continue partnering with Winners Circle Group of Texas in 2024, and we look forward to seeing the positive growth and impact it will have on our children in care.
Over the last year, TBHC has continued to be excited about the services Winner’s Circle has been able to offer to our families and children in care. They have shown through their services, professional staff, and client relations that they believe in going above and beyond for all their clients, providing more than just skills training and development but also focusing on developing a relationship with each child client and their family as well.
Winners Circle’s main office is in Houston, but to meet the growing needs in other areas, they have expanded and now have offices in Dallas, Beaumont, Tyler, and Midland/Odessa, so they are able to service all of our TBHC branches and foster homes. They see clients 3 – 21 years of age and are covered by foster care insurance, Superior Health, and other Medicaid insurance. Their full range of services includes skills training and development, case management service coordination, 24/7 crisis intervention, medication training and support, psychosocial rehabilitative services, and wraparound services. Once a referral has been made, a Qualified Mental Health Professional (QMHP) will be assigned to the case. They will create an individual treatment plan to address each child’s unique needs and the family’s needs as well. A child’s needs, age, development, trauma history, and feedback from the foster parents will be utilized when creating the goals and objectives of the treatment plan. Some of the skills targeted can include developing coping skills for emotional regulation, positive language and behaviors, aggression replacement, anger management, listening and following directions, and for older clients, money management, job preparedness, and independent living skills. QMHPs utilize role-playing, modeling real-life situations, practicing, field trips, handouts, discussions, and homework to work on the targeted skills, and they will also teach the foster parents how to continue working on these skills on a day-to-day basis with their child.
Visits can range from in person home visits to virtual visits/phone calls, as well as off-site visits as needed to sports venues, home churches, movie theaters, and dinners out, depending on the child’s needs and interests to help with the skills training and the youth’s goals but also to help build the relationship between the QMHP and their client. This is where Winners Circle really excels and goes above and beyond. From the Winners Circle Group of Texas Website, “We believe in true relationships. We emphasize being child-centered, family-focused, knowledgeable of youth and family strengths, and address needs and challenges appropriately.” And they do not stop with just the youth in the home. Wraparound services can include helping the parents as needed and coordinating services with the child’s other professionals, like trauma therapists and case workers. The average time a QMHP spends working with or for a client is 8-12 hours a week, depending on the child’s level of care and the family’s needs. This time includes the combined case management and skills training and development, and hours would vary for crisis management depending on the client as well.
“For us, Winner’s Circle has provided a much-needed break from recreational events and a lot of activity in our boys’ lives. Winner Circle mentors are trauma-trained for youth, so there are few behavioral surprises. They are permitted to transport the kids without us supervising the activities they plan together. They are able to provide finances for the outings they plan. They are experienced in working with youth of all ages and at all levels of development. It’s been a win-win situation for us, and our boys have responded positively to each of their “mentors.”
~ Sue Scionka
If you would like to learn more, please visit their website at Home – Winners Circle (winnerscirclegroupoftexas.com). If you are interested in services for your child, please reach out to your TBHC case manager.
