Sibshops: Sibling Support Program
Program
Sibshops are a celebration of the many contributions made by brothers and sisters. Sibshops offer brothers and sisters of children with disabilities the opportunity to meet other siblings of people with special needs, share common joys and concerns, and learn about the implications of their siblings’ disability-all in a lively, recreational environment. Sibshops are not therapy, group or otherwise, although their effect may be therapeutic for some children. Sibshops acknowledge that most brothers and sisters of people with disabilities, like their parents, are doing well, despite the challenges of an illness or disability. Sibshops are a lively mixture of new games, discussion and activities. Participants should dress comfortably and be ready for action!
Location & Eligibility
Sibshops Sibling Support Workshops occur the first Friday of each month from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm. Each session is held at the Woodfords Training Center (red & gray building) located at 15 Saunders Way, Westbrook, ME 04092. Sibshops are open to any brother or sister of a sibling with special needs ages 7-13.
Additional Information & Forms
Pathways to Transition Parent & Caregiver Support Program
Description
Woodfords' Pathways to Transition Parent & Caregiver Support Group is a quarterly community building group that focuses on the common challenges experienced by parents and caregivers related to the transition to and navigation of early adulthood for older youth with disabilities. This group offers support to a community of caregivers so that they are able to discuss shared experiences, solve problems, and learn about services and transition related resources.
The Pathways to Transition Parent & Caregiver Support Group is hosted by a Senior Behavioral Health Homes Coordinator who specializes in Transition. Each meeting includes a short presentation about a specific transition topic and gives time for parents and caregivers to have discussions and make con
Location
Pathways to Transition Parent & Caregiver Support Group meetings are hosted virtually via Zoom on the third Tuesday of the month in February, May, August, and November.
Eligibility & Referrals
No preregistration is required. The Pathways to Transition Parent & Caregiver Support Group is open to interested parents and caregivers of older youth with disabilities. Please contact Whitney Brown, Senior BHH Care Coordinator for Transition at wbrown@woodfords.org to receive the link to the next meeting.
Additional Information & Forms
ROOTS – Foundations for Early Intervention
Program
Woodfords’ ROOTS - Foundations for Early Intervention program is designed to meet the needs of toddlers diagnosed or in the process of being diagnosed with autism and their families. The service is designed to help these children learn essential skills in the areas of communication, social interaction, behavior regulation and self-care. The program provides direct 1:1 support to children and their families in their homes. The model also includes support and coaching for parents and caregivers, helping them learn strategies to support their child's development and decrease problematic behaviors.
Service Area
The ROOTS – Foundation for Early Intervention Program provides services within a 10 mile radius of Westbrook, ME including but not limited to Portland, South Portland, Scarborough, Windham, and Gorham.
Eligibility & Referrals
The ROOTS - Foundations for Early Intervention Program serves children ages birth – three who have been diagnosed with autism or in the process of being diagnosed with autism, are eligible for MaineCare coverage, and have met the Section 28-Specialized Rehabilitative and Community Support eligibility criteria. Families can reach out to Woodfords’ Intake & Utilization Management Department at 207-878-9663.
Additional Information & Forms
Family Support Resources
Pathways To Transition Parent & Caregiver Support Group Program
Woodfords’ Pathways to Transition Parent & Caregiver Support Group is a bi-monthly community building group that focuses on the common challenges experienced by parents and caregivers related to the transition to and navigation of early adulthood for older youth with disabilities. This group offers support to a community of caregivers so that they are able to discuss shared experiences, solve problems, and learn about services and transition related resources.
The Pathways to Transition Parent & Caregiver Support Group is hosted by a Senior Behavioral Health Homes Coordinator who specializes in Transition and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Each meeting includes a short presentation about a specific transition topic and gives time for parents and caregivers to have discussions and make connections.
Service Area
Pathways to Transition Parent & Caregiver Support Group meetings are hosted virtually via Zoom on the third Thursday of every other month.
Eligibility & Referrals
No preregistration is required. The Pathways to Transition Parent & Caregiver Support Group is open to interested parents and caregivers of older youth with disabilities. Please contact Whitney Brown, Senior BHH Care Coordinator for Transition at wbrown@woodfords.org to receive the link to the next bi-monthly meeting.
Additional Information & Forms
Sibshops Sibling Support Program
Sibshops are a celebration of the many contributions made by brothers and sisters. Sibshops offer brothers and sisters of children with disabilities the opportunity to meet other siblings of people with special needs, share common joys and concerns, and learn about the implications of their siblings’ disability-all in a lively, recreational environment. Sibshops are not therapy, group or otherwise, although their effect may be therapeutic for some children. Sibshops acknowledge that most brothers and sisters of people with disabilities, like their parents, are doing well, despite the challenges of an illness or disability. Sibshops are a lively mixture of new games, discussion and activities. Participants should dress comfortably and be ready for action!
Location & Eligibility
Sibshops occur the first Friday of each month between October and June each year from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm. Each session is held at the Woodfords Training Center (red & gray building) located at 15 Saunders Way, Westbrook, ME 04092. Sibshops are open to any brother or sister of a sibling with special needs ages 7-13.
Leadership
Board of Trustees
Management Team
Programs & Services
Support Departments
History & Who We Are
History
Woodfords provides a wide array of clinical, educational, behavioral health, residential, community and family support programs to more than 2,000 children, youth and adults with autism, developmental disabilities, intellectual disabilities and/or mental health diagnoses throughout the state. Additionally, the agency has a statewide Training & Resource Center that offers a variety of high quality evidence based training programs for parents, professionals, and interested community members. The agency is accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA), whose program of quality improvement is designed to identify providers that have met high performance standards and have made a commitment to their stakeholders to deliver the very best quality services.
Who We Are
Woodfords was founded in 1967 by the late Alan and Katrina Rich, who sought better specialized educational services for their son Jimmy. With the support of four additional families seeking more services for their children with disabilities, the Rich family open Woodfords’ first school which quickly grew from 5 to 200 students and began the legacy of the agency now known as Woodfords Family Services. For more than 55 years, Woodfords has continued to honor the Rich family and their legacy by providing high-quality supportive programming to individuals with disabilities and their families throughout Maine.
Mission, Vision, Values
Mission
Woodfords Family Services is committed to the support and inclusion of people with special needs and their families in Maine communities.
Vision
Woodfords Family Services is committed to supporting individuals with special needs and their families so that they may:
- Maximize their potential;
- Be productive and appreciated contributors to their neighborhoods and communities;
- Have positive and enriching relationships;
- Lead lives that are safe and secure; and
- Lead lives allowing for choice.
Values
As a provider of community based services to individuals with special needs and their families, Woodfords Family Services values:
- Lifelong partnerships and advocacy with those we serve;
- Respect for the diversity of the entire Woodfords community, including those providing and receiving services;
- Well trained, professional and competent staff;
- The provision of measurably effective, high quality, evidence-based and integrated services; and
- The provision of support with commitment, compassion and understanding.
Wendy’s Wonderful Kids
Program
The Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Program, the signature program of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, focuses on helping the longest waiting children and youth in America’s foster care system find permanent, loving homes. The Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Program utilizes the Foundation’s evidence-based Child-Focused Recruitment Model administered by adoption professionals working in public and private adoption agencies throughout the United States. Woodfords is proud to be Maine’s only provider of the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program.
Service Area
The Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Program serves referred children and youth in foster care in Southern and Central Maine.
Eligibility & Referrals
Children and youth are referred for this program through their DHHS Care Coordinator and/or other members of their team.
Therapeutic Foster Care
Program
Woodfords provides treatment-level foster care to children ages 3 to 21 with developmental, emotional and/or medical disabilities who cannot reside with their biological family and are in the custody of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). With the support of trained foster parents and Woodfords’ treatment team, children are offered support and guidance with challenges related to behavior, social and emotional needs, learning, psychological diagnoses, and more. The team works together in the best interest of the child, while promoting the goal of family reunification and life skills growth.
Service Area
Woodfords’ Therapeutic Foster Care Program contracts with foster parents who supports foster children in Southern and Central Maine.
Become a Foster Parent
You can make a difference in the life of a child in your own community by becoming a foster parent! In addition to a daily stipend, Woodfords foster parents receive case management, in home support services, behavioral consultation, training, on-call help 24/7 and emotional support. Foster families can connect with each other during quarterly meetings, support groups, trainings, and other Woodfords-sponsored activities.
To be eligible to become a contracted Foster Parent with Woodfords, applicants must:
- Enjoy working with children
- Be 21+ years of age
- Be in good physical and mental health
- Possess effective parenting skills
- Possess a willingness to work with birth parents, service providers, and service agencies
- Successfully complete introductory trainings
- Possess at least one year of experience as a foster parent or at least six months of work experience with children who have moderate to severe disabilities
Additional Information & Forms
Adoption Home Studies
Program
An Adoption Home Study is the first step in the adoption process and is required when a family wants to adopt. Woodfords provides home study services to families. The agency aims to act as a partner to interested families and offer support to help them realize their dream of adoption by providing the service of a completed home study. Our staff will walk you through each step of the adoption home study process and will provide you with the support and education needed to complete the study.
Service Area
Woodfords provides Adoption Home Studies to families interested in starting the adoption process in Southern and Central Maine.
Eligibility & Referrals
Adoption Home Studies can be requested by any family in Central or Southern Maine who is looking to begin the process of adoption. Adoptive families come from all walks of life, are married or single, must be age 21 years or older, have reliable income, and are in good health. Adoption Home Studies typically take 2-3 months to complete.
Additional Information & Forms
Behavioral Health Homes
Program
Woodfords’ Behavioral Health Homes Program is designed to provide support to children and youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities and/or mental health diagnoses and their families. Coordinators link children and their parents to resources and services in their own communities. Services can range from informational to intensive, defined by the amount of support and intervention a parent and/or child requests. Coordinators provide a wide range of supports and resources including providing information regarding the child's diagnosis, connecting the child and their family with a wide range of resources and services, and more based on the goals of the child and family.
Woodfords Behavioral Health Homes Program also specializes in helping families navigate the special education process, IEPs, and major school transitions such as the transition into kindergarten, from elementary to middle school, middle school to high school, and high school to adulthood and adult services.
Service Area
The Behavioral Health Homes Program provides services in many parts of the following counties: Androscoggin, Cumberland, Kennebec, Lincoln, Sagadahoc, and York. If you are interested in accessing services, please contact us to see if we have providers currently serving your community.
Eligibility & Referrals
Services are accessible to any child age birth to 20 years with a diagnosis of an intellectual or developmental disability or mental health diagnosis. All children (birth to 20) must be eligible for MaineCare services or MaineCare Katie Beckett.
Additional Information & Forms
Rehabilitative & Community Support Program
Program
Woodfords’ Rehabilitative & Community Support (RCS) Program provides one-on-one support to children with intellectual and developmental disabilities so that they may become active participants in both family and community life. A Behavioral Health Professional (BHP) works with the child in their home and/or community on specific goals to increase their skills in behavior management, communication, independent living, self-care, self-help and socialization. The RCS Program also offers specialized services for children in need of more intensive treatment. In these cases, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) develops the child’s treatment plan and it goals and objectives are based on the evidence-based principles and practices of Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA).
Service Area
The RCS Program serves the Central Maine area including Androscoggin, Oxford, Franklin, Kennebec, Sagadahoc, Knox, Lincoln, Waldo, and Somerset Counties.
Eligibility & Referrals
Children ages birth to 21 who have MaineCare or MaineCare Katie Beckett coverage and a behavioral health diagnosis and a current functional assessment that documents a functional impairment. Referrals for this service can be made by case managers. Self-referrals are also accepted. Final confirmation of eligibility is made by KEPRO Healthcare.
Additional Information & Forms
School-Based Services
Program
Woodfords’ School Based Services Program provides assessment and treatment services for children with developmental, mental health and/or co-occurring disorders within the mainstream school-setting. The program relies on the evidence-based principles and practices of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) to assess and analyze a children’s strengths and goal areas. Structured therapeutic services are designed to improve children’s functioning in key areas. Services are provided as prescribed in the child’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and Individualized Treatment Plan (ITP).
Each child receiving School Based Services has a dedicated treatment team that includes a Behavioral Health Professional (BHP) and may also include a licensed Clinical Social Worker or Professional Counselor and/or a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA).
Service Area
Woodfords’ School Based Services Program partners with school districts in Central and Southern Maine to provide specialized support to students experiencing challenges in the main stream school setting.
Eligibility & Referrals
Referrals for this program most typically come through a child’s special education teacher or school-based treatment team. To be eligible a child must have a significant functional impairment, have MaineCare, meet Attrezzo authorization criteria, and require day treatment services as documented by their Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and supported by educational evaluation.
Additional Information & Forms
K-5 Special Purpose Private School Program
Program
Woodfords’ Special Purpose Private Schools offer out-of-district educational programming to students in grades K-5 who experience considerable challenges in the mainstream school setting. The Program utilizes the evidence-based principles and practices of Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) alongside a unique array of academic, social and emotional curricula to deliver services.
Service Area
Woodfords operates three K-5 Special Purpose Private School Programs for students referred by their school districts in Westbrook, New Gloucester, and Waterville.
Eligibility & Referrals
Referrals for the K-5 Special Purpose Private School Program are made by student’s sending school district at the guidance of the student’s school-based treatment team as outlined in their Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Referrals for this program follow all of Maine’s Special Education guidelines.
School Lunch Program Participation Information
Availability: Woodfords’ K-5 Special Purpose Private School Program participates in the National School Lunch Program enabling students to receive free and reduced lunch. All students enrolled in the agency’s K-5 Special Purpose Private School Program are entitled to participation in the lunch program.
Rights & Responsibilities: Students enrolled in Woodfords’ K-5 Special Purpose Private School Program are eligible and entitled to participate in the National School Lunch Program at no cost to the family. Upon enrollment, the family will be informed of their child’s eligibility and asked to complete the NSLP Application for Free and Reduced Lunch form. It is the families right to elect to participate in the program or decline participation. It is Woodfords responsibility to inform all enrolling families of the availability of the National School Lunch Program and coordinate application submission and on-going service delivery.
Additional Information & Forms
Program Flyer
School Lunch Program Application
School Lunch Program Non-Discrimination Statement
Early Childhood Services Preschool Program
Program
Woodfords’ Early Childhood Services Program provides evidence-based preschool programing for young students with autism and related disabilities. The Program utilizes an evidence-based curriculum of Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA), and includes intensive clinical instruction to help young children with autism and related disabilities reach their highest potential and function successfully in home, community, and school-based settings. Instruction occurs in a structured preschool setting, where children play and learn alongside other children.
Service Area
Woodfords operates three preschools for children ages 3-5 years old with autism and related disabilities in Westbrook, New Gloucester, and Waterville and surrounding areas.
Eligibility & Referrals
Enrolled students most often receive referrals from Child Development Services (CDS), their pediatrician, or other provider.
Additional Information & Forms
Shared Living
Program
Woodfords' Shared Living Services provides family and home-based services to adults with intellectual disabilities in Central and Southern Maine who are looking to enhance their independence. A Shared Living provider offers direct supports in their own home, providing a natural family environment and fostering relationships and community inclusion. This program is an alternative to group home living and is funded by Section 21, 29, and private pay.
Service Area
Woodfords’ Shared Living Services contracts shared living providers in York, Cumberland, Androscoggin, Oxford, Sagadahoc, Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Piscataquis, and Somerset Counties.
Eligibility & Referrals
Adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities who qualify for Section 21 or 29 services through the Maine Department of Health and Human Services are eligible for these services as an alternative to group home living.
Become a Shared Living Provider
Parents, relatives, or even family friends are able to be Shared Living providers for their loved ones with intellectual disabilities when they reach adulthood. Additionally, Shared Living providers can be paired with a non-related individual with similar interests. Shared Living providers must be able to pass a full background check, be in good mental and physical health, able to complete required trainings, and be willing to work as a member of the program team.