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Agency Overview
In 2001, a link was forged connecting the complimentary services, strengths, professional staffs, and solid reputations of two of Western Pennsylvania's finest human services organizations, The Whale's Tale and Parent & Child Guidance Center. The result was Familylinks, an organization that retains the best of both merged agencies. At all times, Familylinks provides its services in support of its mission to provide integrated family-centered services focused on behavioral, social and developmental health issues.
In 2005 Frederick A. Massey, Jr., was appointed CEO. Mr. Massey has served Familylinks since 2002 as both its Chief Financial Officer and Chief Administrative Officer and, for the six-month period prior to his appointment as CEO, as leader of its transitional management team. Mr. Massey is a certified public accountant who earned a degree in business administration from Duquesne University. His prior career included senior financial management positions at UPMC McKeesport, Southwood Psychiatric Hospital, and Holy Family Institute.
Mr. Massey was responsible for reforming and restructuring the accounting and financial reporting systems of Familylinks. Stronger financial controls were initiated, fiscal activities were monitored, and new professional staff was hired. The result was more cost-effective spending and increases in fees from government funding sources. In addition, several prominent local leaders were added to its Board of Directors.
With a professional staff of over 350, Familylinks serves more than 12,000 people annually through its service locations throughout Southwestern PA. Familylinks is proud of the unique role it plays in keeping troubled families whole, strong, independent, and productive. It delivers a wide array of short- and long-term services that benefit children, youth, and families. It provides each of its clients with a compassionate response designed specifically to deal with their own, distinct problems.
Familylinks' provides critical services in three broad areas as highlighted below.
1. Behavioral Health Services
- Family-based mental health and developmental disability services.
- Three family treatment centers for pregnant and parenting women who are chemically dependent and their children.
- Community Support Center for chemically dependent adults and their families.
- School- and community-based prevention programs which address prevention of tobacco, alcohol, and drug use, and violence and self-esteem issues.
2. Education and Community Services
- Administrative Service Coordination and Supports Coordination that provide a continuum of care for people seeking mental health and developmental disability services.
- Therapeutic Learning Center on Banksville Road, a private, academic, special education school and therapeutic treatment program that serves children Pre-K age through grade 4 who suffer from severe behavioral or developmental disorders such as Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and other conditions causing disruptive behavior.
3. Youth and Family Services
- Youth emergency shelters for homeless and at-risk youth.
- Adolescent semi-independent living program that provides supervised apartment living for youth ages 16 to 18.
- Supportive housing services.
- Journey to Independence Program that offers critical independent living skills to youth aging out of foster care, to make the successful transition to adulthood.
