Program areas at The Martin Pollak Project
Treatment Foster CareThe Martin Pollak Project (MPP) Treatment Foster Care Program (TFC) serves foster children and youth who have experienced significant Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE's) including child maltreatment. As a group these children demonstrate high acuity of behavioral and mental symptoms. Skilled licensed social workers, competent associate staff and highly committed skilled resource parents are required to support post traumatic healing and restoration of adaptive function and wellbeing. MPP TFC employs a Clinical-Case Management service delivery model, intentional agency and bio-family teaming, EBP's including child and adolescent psychiatry, mind body wellbeing services result in results of reunification, placement stability, educational success, improved social-emotional developmental adaptation and overall personal progress during foster care placement.During this reporting period MPP TFC had 6 reunifications, I transitioned to ILP, 1 adoption, 1 obtained employment, 6 completed successful part time employment experiences, 0 indicated child maltreatment incidents. MPP TFC social work staff exemplifying Trauma-Informed Responsive capacity have implemented TF-CBT, Therapeutic arts program, non-pathological, strengths based and solution oriented Enriched Structural Family Therapy (ESFT) biological family support services and virtual social peer support groups.
Virtual Self HubThe Virtual Self Hub program is a special grant funded progrgam by the Maryland Governor's Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services (GOCCP). The grant funding is to allow MPP to create a Virtual Self Hub for the kids in its existing program to recconect and create rapport in the current isolated times.
ILP Independent LivingThe Martin Pollak Project, Inc. (MPP) Independent Living Program (ILP) has shifted to a hybrid program offering the traditional ILP service array with emphasis on individualized life skills training, hands on support to master community and apartment living, individualized health promotion and self-care psycho-educational processes, embedded psychotherapeutic mental health services, formal policy driven support for LGBTQIA+ young adults, academic advocacy / repair and facilitation of community based vocational rehabilitation services. MPP implemented intensive Clinical Case management with a program admission requirement of psychiatric evaluation, ongoing psychotherapy and psychotropic medication and medication management (as required). This relatively new component is in direct response to the extreme mental and behavioral trauma driven symptoms of current referrals to our program. Property destruction, physical aggression and asocial behaviors are another dimension of the acuity profile of referrals and some admissions. MPP ILP implemented the S.E.L.F. Group Curriculum with the ILP Young Adults which is a psychoeducational group that focus on topics around Safety, Emotions, Loss, and Future. MPP ILP served on an average between 20-25 youths working on life skills around money management, budgeting, opening a bank accounts, assistance with tax preparations, job searching, resume building, role playing for interviews, cooking lessons and demonstrations, grocery shopping, maintaining a clean apartment with hands on support, preparations for learners permit test, support with driving hours, support with researching and purchasing vehicle, completing laundry, identifying ways to build credit, providing support with completing housing application prior to age out, and receiving support as needed with scheduling and completing medical appointments. MPP ILP Young Adults are actively and consistently gaining and maintaining employment in the community, and/or attending high school, college, or enrolled in an GED Program to further their education.