Information
for Heartlight Parents
Heartlight has put into practice a number of policies to ensure the very best care for your child, while at the same time ensuring success of the Heartlight program as it works with a number of other children. We want the parents of our residents to be fully informed about the workings of Heartlight, and we also want to remain in constant communication with the parents so there is full understanding about the strategies and program developed for your child. Listed below are a number of policies concerning the listed topics. Please read each carefully and feel free to discuss any portion of this information with the Heartlight staff.
Parental
Visits to Heartlight
Parent/Family
Retreats
Heartlink
Mail
Gifts
Telephone Calls
Religious Training
Parent Reports
Trips Away from the Facility
Travel Arrangements
Counseling Program
Dismissal from Heartlight
Runaway Situations
Level System and Parental Involvement
Heartlight Break Times
Heartlight's View of Academic Participation
Heartlight's Discipline Policy
Heartlight
is dedicated to the family as a whole and encourages the full and total
support of the entire family, during the time an individual member
is involved in the Heartlight program. While visits from the parents
and other family members are greatly encouraged, Heartlight must limit
the number of visits for obvious reasons. We ask that parents not visit
their child at Heartlight during the first 30 days after placement
to ensure that the "transition"
to your child's new" home away from home" goes smoothly. After
the first 30 days, parents may visit Heartlight once a month for a weekend.
Heartlight reserves the right to limit visits, should they not be in
the best interest of the child, the family, and our program.
Should you wish to spend a larger portion of time at Heartlight, please
give us a call ahead of time so we can make the necessary arrangements.
We'd love to have you visit Heartlight and spend more time meeting and
discussing your family issues at hand, while giving you the opportunity
to see how Heartlight operates.
Parent/Family Retreats
There are parent and family retreats at Heartlight. These are structured to provide parental involvement and understanding of the Heartlight residential and counseling models. Parents are asked to commit to attend three parent retreats. There are three family retreats each year for parents and siblings. It is our hope that the family can attend as many as possible. Family Retreats are easy going, and designed to provide opportunities for families to be together in a relaxed and fun atmosphere. The Parent Retreats are designed to give parents a "seminar-type" opportunity to learn more about how Heartlight works with their child as well as effective ways of handling difficulties. These occasions also allow parents to spend a large amount of time with the Heartlight Staff. Over the years, Heartlight has found that families who do not participate in the retreats have a more difficult time when their child returns home. Participation in these retreats is vital and required and is viewed by the Heartlight staff as essential and paramount in the "working through" of struggles and difficulties. A schedule of these retreats is updated and mailed to parents on a regular basis.
Heartlink exists as a support group to mothers of Heartlight residents as they participate in the Heartlight program. "Veteran" moms encourage and support the newer moms because they are one step further in this journey and understand the shared grief, loss, and fear. If you would like to "link" with another mom who has shared this experience, please initiate this contact by e-mailing momlink@yahoo.com or call the Heartlight office for more information. A second function of Heartlink is to offer moms a time of fellowship and support at each of the family retreats. Although attendance is optional, our intent is to encourage and provide a time to connect face-to-face with other moms.
In some cases, Heartlight will ask that mail be sent only after the first 30 days, or with approval of your child's staff counselor. In most cases, it's only a couple of weeks, as we want your child to make the "break" from home and realize the full meaning of this temporary separation from home. We do limit mail to your child initially, only allowing mail from family members. At the staff's discretion (following the Level System Privileges) and after discussion with you, others may also be able to send mail to your child. Also, at the discretion of the staff, your child may have the privilege of writing to those other than family. You may send envelopes and stamps, or Heartlight can purchase them for your child and bill you at the end of the month for that amount. Please send all mail with a return address, since all mail not displaying a return address is left at the Post Office.
Gifts
Gifts may be sent to your child on holidays, birthdays, and special occasions. Heartlight encourages gifts from family, but please exercise reasonable judgment by not overdoing gift giving occasions. We do ask that you call the office prior to sending any gift.
Telephone Calls
Parents are allowed to call once each week at a time that the house director will assign. This eliminates parents calling and not being able to get through to their child. We ask that you limit these calls to 30 minutes. Residents will not be allowed to make phone calls, so parents must call the resident. Residents are not allowed to use the Heartlight office phones. A list of staff members' individual phone numbers will be given to you upon admittance to the Heartlight program.
Religious Training
Heartlight is a Christian ministry dedicated to the guidance of scripture for family renewal, and the fulfillment of a person's life through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Heartlight does not force-feed any type of doctrine, religion, or scripture to any child, but does provide opportunities for all residents to discover more about the Christian faith. Your child will be required to attend a church (with staff). Your child will also have the opportunity to participate in a voluntary Bible Study offered to residents during the week. In addition, we provide a weekly program activity called 'Question and Answer Night", when we discuss pertinent issues from a scriptural perspective.
Parent Reports
We encourage you to
be in touch with the Heartlight staff at least every other week in regard
to your child. Within the first month of your child's stay at Heartlight,
you will receive a Plan of Service followed by an updated Plan of Service
Review every 6 months. We encourage you to review these materials thoroughly
and then discuss any thoughts, concerns, or comments you might have with
your child's counselor.
Parents are encouraged to call their child's counselor at any time to
inquire about their child's progress, as this staff person has a "total"
perspective on a resident's development. Please don't hesitate to call
any of our staff members should you have questions, concerns, comments,
or needs. You may want to utilize a facsimile machine or e-mail to send
us an agenda you want to discuss with our staff prior to your phone call,
to make sure that discussions are productive and complete. Heartlight's
FAX number is (903) 668-3453. The e-mail is info@heartlightministries.org.
Because of the division of responsibilities among our staff members, parents
are encouraged to utilize all staff member's thoughts and input as to
the progress of their child. Any questions about a particular area concerning
your child should be directed to the person in charge of that area.
Communication between the staff and parents is vital and essential so
that a concerted and supportive effort can be displayed to your child.
We feel that the primary responsibility for this communication should
be initiated by the parents. At times, you may get an answering machine,
and if you do, leave a message, we will get back to you within 24 hours,
or will direct a specific staff member to handle your questions or updates
as soon as they can.
Trips Away from the Facility
Your child will travel away from the Heartlight facility a number of times each week on a regular basis. This will be to and from school, to purchase personal necessities, out for a Coke or night out with staff, or to school events. Since Heartlight is a relational ministry that strives to spend time with young people in as many different situations and places as possible, the number of trips away from the facility on a regular basis is not limited to those trips listed above. In addition, your child may have the opportunity to go with staff members on weekend trips, over-nighters, retreats, etc. Other trips include trips home for holidays, at which time your child will be escorted until he/she is on the way via plane, train, or bus. An authorization form must be signed prior to admission that releases Heartlight from responsibility for your child when he/she is traveling alone to and from a particular destination approved by you, i.e. home for the holidays, visiting brothers, sisters, and extended family, etc.
Travel Arrangements
Heartlight will approve all travel arrangements made by the parents for any and all travel needs of the young people, as this gives Heartlight control of scheduling that allows for overall coordination of itineraries. These arrangements, whether by bus, rail, or plane, should be submitted to the travel coordinator. Heartlight discourages travel on days that would cause a child to miss any time at school. Contact your child's counselor to determine your child's travel eligibility during the scheduled breaks. You will be asked to provide travel information at the time of admission.
Counseling Program
The Heartlight counseling program is multi-faceted with a Christian perspective, supported by all staff members and utilized in interactions with your child. Counseling occurs in every aspect of the Heartlight program, as we develop the bridges of trust and friendship that allow communication and mentoring of wisdom and responsibility. The more open a child is to these relationships with the staff, the more change we see in a child's life. Each resident meets individually with his/her counselor for one hour a week. In addition, all residents are involved in group therapy meetings that are scheduled two times a week. There are two types of group meetings that Heartlight utilizes; one group deals with issues surrounding the separate girl's and guy's settings; another group is coed and deals with development of relational skills, as well as hurts and struggles in social relationships. Groups address issues such as anger, depression, abuse, self-esteem, manipulation, deceitfulness, divorce, peer pressure, communication, and other topics that residents may feel are needed for their discussion and understanding. All groups are led by counseling staff. The counseling staff works closely with the local psychiatrist, for evaluations and monitoring medication. The counselor acts as a liaison between parents, residents, and the psychiatrist. Upon a resident's graduation from Heartlight, the counseling staff provides aftercare for the resident and family via phone calls for the first four weeks and every other week the following month. It is the hope of Heartlight that communication with the family continues far beyond that four-week period, as a result of the relationships that form during your child's stay.
Dismissal from Heartlight
It is our sincere
hope that Heartlight's program will be successful in the life of your
child. While success cannot be guaranteed, our faithfulness to the
cause of Heartlight can be. That faithfulness, along with the working
attitude of your child, will hopefully produce a changed heart. However,
at times,
"workability" of a child may limit the effectiveness of the
Heartlight program and become a negative influence on other residents.
It is important that your child show respect toward Heartlight and its
staff members, while struggling through his or her own difficulties.
If, at any time, Heartlight feels that our efforts are proving futile
after we have exercised all our skills, or, there is a strong distaste
for our work from your child, to such a point that we've come to an impasse,
or there is a blatant violation of the principles set forth by Heartlight,
your child may be asked to leave the program.
While it is our overall desire to not allow this to happen, Heartlight
will not allow any one child to dictate or destroy the effectiveness
of Heartlight on others in the program. Grounds for dismissal may include
drug usage, blatant disrespect for authority that prevents Heartlight
from "happening" in the life of a child, sexual relationships
with other residents, blatant destruction of personal property, suicidal
attempts or threats, lack of progress through the Level System, an unwillingness
to continue to work through problems with their counselor, being expelled
from the public school system, or more than one runaway attempt. Parents
will be contacted immediately following the first discussion of our staff
about the possibility of such action.
Runaway Situations
Please understand that in a runaway situation, Heartlight will immediately contact the Harrison County Sheriff's Department and file a missing person's report. We will do all we can to locate your child within the first 24 hours (follow-up on phone calls, search the three mile radius around Heartlight, and follow any leads we might receive). Heartlight does not focus all of its attention on finding a child when they "run", or otherwise take away from the program for the other residents. Beyond 24 hours, Heartlight will allow law enforcement officials to oversee the search for a child and will not further participate in the search for a runaway child.
Level System and Parental Involvement
The Heartlight Level System is designed to promote responsible thinking behavior and rewards such behavior and changes of heart with greater privileges. It is our hope that parents will support, by word and deed, those restrictions under each specific Level. This is in regard to phone calls, mail, visits home, sports involvement, etc. Completion of this Level System is paramount to a child's "success" upon returning home. Historically, all residents who have left Heartlight without completing the Level System have not done well at home. Our hope is to see each child complete the system, and any variance from this standard will not be supported by our staff. We would prefer that a child not come to Heartlight if the intent of the family is to not have their child finish the Level System.
Heartlight Break Times
Heartlight does have a number of times throughout the year that we take a "break", allowing those residents on the appropriate level to go home for all or part of that break. These break times happen during the following academic scheduled breaks: Thanksgiving, Christmas Break, Spring Break, End of School Break, and the End of the Heartlight Summer Program Break. Exact dates for these breaks will be mailed to you periodically throughout the year. Permission for a child to go home over these breaks will be granted by the child's counselor in conjunction with conversations with parents after reviewing the child's progress at Heartlight. Things to be considered include the family's planned events and vacations, the level of the child at Heartlight, the amount of time the child has been at Heartlight, the cost of transportation, and the current demeanor of the child. If there is any question that a trip home might be detrimental to the child's progress, or the child has not completed the necessary responsibilities to go home for a visit, Heartlight would recommend that the child stay at Heartlight for these breaks. However, all Heartlight residents will have a Christmas break, during which they are not under Heartlight jurisdiction, for a minimum of four days.
Heartlight's View of Academic Participation
There's no
question that academics and extra-curricular activities at school play
an important part in the life of any child at Heartlight. However,
Heartlight feels that participation in academics and sports are secondary
to the treatment of specific and potential lifelong problems should
they not be dealt with fully. At times, and if necessary, Heartlight
may take a child out of school if his or her attitude and actions are
not displaying the respect demanded and required by school officials,
if the current demeanor of the child might cause further problems while
away from the Heartlight property, if the resident is "skirting issues" at
Heartlight by going to school, or, if the child is not putting forth
effort at school and failure is inevitable.
Heartlight provides two environments for education. The main campus students
attend Hallsville High School and the residents participating in the East
and South programs attend school on -site and use a curriculum from Texas
Tech University for grades 7-12. It is preferable for residents to be
in the public school setting prior to completing the Level System. Since
most residents will return back to a public setting, private or public
school, Heartlight provides the framework to successfully make the transition.
In the event that a resident moves to the Heartlight main campus for entry
into the public school prior to completing coursework from Texas Tech,
the resident is able to complete the coursework in addition to the public
school program. If necessary, a tutor will be available to assist in the
successful completion of the course work. The additional hourly costs
of the tutor will be charged to the resident's expense account.
Heartlight's Discipline Policy
Discipline can be used as a tool to move a child in the right direction, building character and esteem, or it can be used as a weapon to destroy a child's spirit, motivation, and self-esteem. Heartlight believes that correction for inappropriate behavior is necessary, but must follow strict and ardent guidelines to ensure its success. Discipline must therefore be consistent, purposeful, fair, and proper, depending on the individual needs of a child. No disciplinary measures will be physically or emotionally damaging to any child. There will be no harsh, cruel, or unnecessary punishment. There will be no "hazing." Furthermore, no punishment will befall in any action or word that might be detrimental to the child's spirit, or be demeaning to his or her character in regards to academics, family background, past mistakes, or any social, physical, or emotional limitations. All residents will be treated fairly and equitably. Discipline shall be based on a careful assessment of the circumstances of each case. Factors to consider will include the seriousness of the offense, the resident's age, the frequency of misconduct.
