Vanderheyden Awarded Grant for Rensselaer County Family Treatment Court Enhanced Parenting Time Services
The New York State Office of Court Administration’s Division of Professional and Court Services has
awarded Vanderheyden a grant in the amount of $346,141 to provide Enhanced Parenting Time Services (EPTS) to the
Rensselaer County Family Treatment Court.
Families referred to Vanderheyden by the Rensselaer County Family Treatment Court will be teamed with a Parenting
Time Family Case Manager (PTFCM) who will work with the parents, youth, and the local district to identify goals and
develop a visitation schedule. To facilitate positive visitations, treatment plans will be created that list activities that can be
completed during the allotted visitation time, as well as suggested topics of conversation. These plans will serve as a
toolkit to ensure continued success following the family’s time in the program. Throughout the program, the family will also
receive education on the impacts of substance abuse.
“Vanderheyden’s mission empowers youth and families to build brighter futures,” says Karen Carpenter, President and
CEO of Vanderheyden. “The Enhanced Parenting Time Services program provides another opportunity to support
vulnerable families to help them live their best lives.”
Vanderheyden is experienced working with government-funded programs and has a long history of success in developing,
implementing, and evaluating family services. Vanderheyden is a member of Health Alliance, which makes it possible to
assist families with housing, transportation, and furniture. Vanderheyden also has numerous connections throughout the
state that allow families to access additional support.
Vanderheyden’s team of clinicians and case managers are trained in the Office of Children and Family Services’ Coached
Family Visits model. Under this model, the case worker and parent work together to identify what the parent needs to
learn and utilize in order to bring their child home successfully. Vanderheyden is also a Sanctuary-certified organization
that provides trauma-informed care using a person-centered and strengths-based approach.
Vanderheyden began as the Troy Orphan Asylum in 1833 and has been providing services for more than 185 years.
Today our facilities offer a safe haven for youth, adults and families who have experienced family disruption, trauma,
abuse, emotional difficulty, developmental disability and learning problems. The Richard A. Desrochers Educational
Center at Vanderheyden is a Regents accredited 7-12 grade program. It provides education to individuals who are at risk
of not succeeding at school, and those in need of a special education. Vanderheyden is a designated Children and
Family Treatment and Support Services Provider (CFTSS). The agency is committed to a family focused, trauma
informed and community-based system of care. Every day at Vanderheyden, we work to change lives to save lives. For
more information visit www.vanderheyden.org and follow us on social media.