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P.A.T.H.
(Professional Therapeutic Foster Parents)
The PATH Program is
unique in every way.
First, each home is a
licensed Level II Therapeutic Foster Home. These are professional Foster Homes
requiring a higher standard of care.
Second, COPE will
Identify and Prepare the highest quality couples and homes for this unique
program. Professional Foster Parents will be provided an intensive professional
development program to prepare them for the stringent requirements of special
needs children.
Finally, the children are
special needs children. A special needs child has unique emotional and physical
needs which requires professional training, special nurturing and professional
behavior management. Each home will be limited to two beds with the goal of
placing one child in each home.
Professional
Compensation
Professional
Therapeutic Foster Parents are not only highly trained, but are highly paid.
This is a professional position with higher expectations than traditional foster
care programs. Our Professional Foster Parents will be compensated at a daily
rate of $43.75 per day from COPE and a monthly board rate from the state. When
computed on an annual bases (a child in the home every day of the year), the
reimbursement rate exceeds most full time employment salaries, and in most
cases, the couple can maintain their present employment.
We feel there can be no
better investment in the future than the investment we make in children of our
community, and we are currently recruiting and selecting prospective families
for our rewarding and successful program.
Another benefit is
much, if not all, of the reimbursement is tax free and the additional respite
and emergency bed has the ability to make additional part time income when a
second child is in the home on a short term or emergency bases. The Professional
Foster Parents receive 12 days a year paid respite with additional (none
overnight) respite available.
Professional
Support
Each Professional
Foster Home will be assigned a Mental Health Professional who specializes in the
treatment of the unique emotional and behavioral needs of the children. A
para-professional counselor will also be assigned to each home to assist with
day-to-day needs including paper work, as well as a case manager and behavioral
technician if needed. Other services available to the Professional Foster Parent
are Family Therapy, Individualized Behavior Modification Programs, respite
relief, transportation assistance and Psychiatric Services (for the child). We
are here to serve you and your needs.
Professional
Experience
COPE has served
Walton County’s Mental Health needs for over 30 years. For a personal interview,
call:
Becky Tillman
PATH Licensing
Specialist
(850)
892-8045
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