RIP Services for Families

Eligibility

• A child up to age 6 at the time services are requested
• A child experiencing behavior challenges
• A parent or legal guardian willing to agree to services
• A parent, legal guardian, or other appropriate guardian willing to regularly participate in the program
• The family resides in the county or surrounding county of a RIP site (in Tennessee)

Participation
Families enrolled in RIP actively participate in the program 2 times per week for 2 hours. It takes about 6-9 months to complete the program. The following programs operate each week in Nashville:

 For information on other RIP programs across the state, contact the location nearest you.

Overview

Families enrolled in RIP move through 2 phases of treatment, Phase I:  Active Treatment and Phase 2:  Payback Treatment.

Phase I:  Active Treatment
During this phase of treatment, families meet with their parent case manager during each program to identify challenging behaviors they are experiencing. Once the behaviors are identified, families learn specific positive behavior management strategies and skills to effectively address them.  RIP parent case managers have come through the program with their own child and can offer a parent perspective and encouragement on using these strategies and skills outside of program.  Families also become trained on classroom management and how to support social skills in young children. They have an opportunity to practice what they’ve learned during each program in RIP classrooms.

Phase II:  Payback Treatment
During this phase of treatment, families strengthen and generalize their skills by teaching and supporting newly enrolled families. Parent implementation comes to life in this phase. Families in this phase of treatment serve as a lead teacher in classrooms, prepare classroom activities, conduct intake interviews with potential new families, and have the opportunity to identify and carry out other projects that benefit the overall program.  Families continue to monitor their progress and have ongoing support from RIP staff.

Other Services 
Enrolled families have access to other services including Childcare and School Intervention (CC/SI) services, consultation (e.g. speech, occupational therapy) services, and following graduation, liaison services. RIP offers a lending library stocked with books and videos for families on a variety of topics.

Cost
Because, RIP is funded by the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS), there are no fees associated with RIP. Services are free of charge to families. Phase II:  Payback Treatment is not only considered a continuation of skills learned in Phase I:  Active Treatment, but it also serves as a way in which families “give back” to the program.