Texas Families Together & Safe

Established as one of the first eight Texas Families Together and Safe programs in Texas in 1995, Project Unity's Texas Families Together & Safe program provides the holistic approach for families seeking help. Texas Families Together and Safe utilizes the evidenced-based “Family Connections” curriculum which provides Community Outreach, Family Assessment, Individualized Tailored Interventions, Helping Alliance, Empowerment Approach, Strengths Perspective, Cultural Competence, Developmental Appropriateness, and Outcome-Driven Service Plans. Project Unity Family Service Coordinators conduct comprehensive assessments and then meet weekly for face to face visits with parents and their children-- helping them with parent education and support, supportive counseling, basic needs, resource and information, and support groups.

"It helps with providing me with the tolls I need to be a better parent, wife. And with my utilities and groceries."

Texas Families Together & Safe is a Department of Family and Protective Services program of family support grants. Family support services are provided through community-based prevention programs. These programs are designed to alleviate stress, promote parental competencies and increase the ability of families to successfully nurture their children. Families are provided information about resources and opportunities available in their communities.

The information is intended to reduce social isolation by promoting the development of support networks for families. Ideally the support networks will help to reduce the risk of child abuse and neglect by increasing personal responsibility and family self-sufficiency. Program control, including the selection of services offered families, is maintained at the community level.

"They show concern and help me a great deal. I feel like I have someone who cares."

Since 1995, Project Unity has been a Texas Families Together and Safe project. Comprehensive family support services offered through Project Unity's innovative coordinated case management model helps to reduce stress while at the same time improving parental competencies and behaviors. The in-depth assessment instrument identifies the critical components necessary for a family to reach self-sufficiency. Families are asked about their medical status, their educational status, their employment status, their housing status, their nutritional status, and their family stability status. Questions are geared toward each member of the family, i.e. children, other people living in the household, etc. The staff then assist the family in identifying the type of services that would best meet their needs. Staff encourage families to also identify natural support systems such as friends, extended family, neighbors, or others. Once a game plan is established by the family in partnership with Project Unity's service coordinator, the coordinator then assists the family in obtaining the identified services, either through telephone, written referrals, transporting families to services, attending appointments to advocate on behalf of the family translating for the family, arranging for agencies to meet with the family in a Project Unity office or in their homes through home visits, etc.

"Helped me in my time of needs and always had a listening ear when I needed to talk to someone."

Funding and Support:
Texas Dept. of Family and Protective Services
United Way of the Brazos Valley
Bryan Texas Utilities
Citibank, Texas
City of Bryan
City of College Station
First Presbyterian Church
Christ United Methodist Church
Brazos Valley Food Bank
Bed Bath and Beyond
The Avenue
Talbots
First Book
Law Office of James and Reynolds
Wired Ranch Advertising
Community Donations