SUPPORT PROGRAMS

Adolescent Program
Mary’s Center provides comprehensive health, education and support services to young adults between the ages of 13 and 21. Through a youth driven model, we promote primary health care, support abstinence choices, family planning and pregnancy prevention services, HIV/STD testing, health education, counseling, case management, referrals and academic support and college preparation. Mary’s Center works to help adolescents make responsible decisions and realize their full potential in partnership with their families.

Family Support Programs
Mary’s Center’s bilingual family support team addresses social and emotional needs of clients and seeks to help them and their families strive for self-sufficiency. Families are assisted in accessing available services such as housing and food programs, education, financial assistance, employment and legal and mental health services. Additionally, the staff ensures a continuity of care by serving as liaison between physicians, mental health professionals and other community service agencies.

Early Intervention Program
The Early Intervention Program provides education, service coordination, advocacy, psychosocial support, home visits and translation/interpretation services for parents of children up to three years old with disabilities or developmental delays and who are eligible for the DC Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities Program. All families are assisted in enrolling their children in daycare, preschool or public school programs.

Mary’s Center hosts weekly playgroups for all parents and their children in the community, with a special emphasis placed upon children ages 0-5 years that are at risk for developmental delays. The program also facilitates a support group called “Somos Unidos” for Spanish-speaking parents of children with disabilities.

Home Visits Program
Mary’s Center’s home visiting program also known as Healthy Start Healthy Families (HSHF) provides intensive, long-term home visitation services to pregnant and post-partum women and their families. An interdisciplinary team of outreach workers, assessment workers, family support workers, a registered nurse, an in-home mental health provider and education specialists ensure participants receive quality, comprehensive medical care and support services along with education and advocacy services. HSHF serves District of Columbia residents until the child reaches five years of age.

HSHF demonstrates a combined effort of the Healthy Families America home visiting model-a national movement to prevent child abuse and neglect- and the Federal Healthy Start program, an initiative to reduce infant mortality. HSHF’s mission is to partner with families to ensure that their children are healthy, safe and ready to learn through home visitation and connections with community resources.

Mental Health Counseling
Mental health therapists provide one on one active case management and multiple linkages to other Mary’s Center programs and mental health services that focus on the integration of physical and mental health activities.

Entitlement Benefits Assistance (Bilingual Health Access Program-BHAP)
Mary’s Center’s Bilingual Health Access Program (BHAP) works in partnership with the city’s office of public benefits (IMA) to help families apply for disability benefits, Medicaid, food stamps, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and the District of Columbia’s Children Health Insurance Program. The center’s staff gathers and translates all necessary documents for enrollment and helps families complete their applications in a timely manner. Outreach workers spend numerous hours in community settings educating the public about the advantages and the process of enrolling in public benefit programs.

The BHAP staff speaks Amharic, English, Spanish, and Vietnamese.

Resources and Referrals

Mary’s Center links clients with the resources available within the community and advocates finding the assistance needed in their native language so that clients can become more independent. These referrals include: housing and food programs, education, financial assistance, employment and legal services. Additionally, trained staff facilitates clients’ visit to specialists outside the center by assisting with their appointments and requesting interpreters.





	Intro Advocacy Support Medical & Health Promotion Family Literacy
	SUPPORT PROGRAMS Adolescent Program Mary’s Center provides comprehensive health, education and support services to young adults between the ages of 13 and 21. Through a youth driven model, we promote primary health care, support abstinence choices, family planning and pregnancy prevention services, HIV/STD testing, health education, counseling, case management, referrals and academic support and college preparation. Mary’s Center works to help adolescents make responsible decisions and realize their full potential in partnership with their families. Family Support Programs Mary’s Center’s bilingual family support team addresses social and emotional needs of clients and seeks to help them and their families strive for self-sufficiency. Families are assisted in accessing available services such as housing and food programs, education, financial assistance, employment and legal and mental health services. Additionally, the staff ensures a continuity of care by serving as liaison between physicians, mental health professionals and other community service agencies. Early Intervention Program The Early Intervention Program provides education, service coordination, advocacy, psychosocial support, home visits and translation/interpretation services for parents of children up to three years old with disabilities or developmental delays and who are eligible for the DC Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities Program. All families are assisted in enrolling their children in daycare, preschool or public school programs. Mary’s Center hosts weekly playgroups for all parents and their children in the community, with a special emphasis placed upon children ages 0-5 years that are at risk for developmental delays. The program also facilitates a support group called “Somos Unidos” for Spanish-speaking parents of children with disabilities. Home Visits Program Mary’s Center’s home visiting program also known as Healthy Start Healthy Families (HSHF) provides intensive, long-term home visitation services to pregnant and post-partum women and their families. An interdisciplinary team of outreach workers, assessment workers, family support workers, a registered nurse, an in-home mental health provider and education specialists ensure participants receive quality, comprehensive medical care and support services along with education and advocacy services. HSHF serves District of Columbia residents until the child reaches five years of age. HSHF demonstrates a combined effort of the Healthy Families America home visiting model-a national movement to prevent child abuse and neglect- and the Federal Healthy Start program, an initiative to reduce infant mortality. HSHF’s mission is to partner with families to ensure that their children are healthy, safe and ready to learn through home visitation and connections with community resources. Mental Health Counseling Mental health therapists provide one on one active case management and multiple linkages to other Mary’s Center programs and mental health services that focus on the integration of physical and mental health activities. Entitlement Benefits Assistance (Bilingual Health Access Program-BHAP) Mary’s Center’s Bilingual Health Access Program (BHAP) works in partnership with the city’s office of public benefits (IMA) to help families apply for disability benefits, Medicaid, food stamps, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and the District of Columbia’s Children Health Insurance Program. The center’s staff gathers and translates all necessary documents for enrollment and helps families complete their applications in a timely manner. Outreach workers spend numerous hours in community settings educating the public about the advantages and the process of enrolling in public benefit programs. The BHAP staff speaks Amharic, English, Spanish, and Vietnamese. Resources and Referrals Mary’s Center links clients with the resources available within the community and advocates finding the assistance needed in their native language so that clients can become more independent. These referrals include: housing and food programs, education, financial assistance, employment and legal services. Additionally, trained staff facilitates clients’ visit to specialists outside the center by assisting with their appointments and requesting interpreters.