In addition to serving individuals with disabilities, a distinct unit within Raystown Developmental Services is dedicated to helping families with special needs. The Family Preservation and Unification Program assists Huntingdon County Children Services and neighboring counties by working with families whose children are at risk for an out-of-home placement. Each situation is unique. The goal of the program is to teach and facilitate families in developing the skills necessary to resolve problems.

The Supervised Visitation service exists to accommodate court-ordered visits with a non-custodial parent. This service provides a safe environment and advocacy for the child's needs. The office at Raystown Developmental Services provides a comfortable room for visitation. Visits are monitored by trained staff whose goal is to insure the safety and well being of the child.

Raystown Developmental Services (RDS) is committed to the delivery of evidence-based models which have been proven successful with child and family services. The RDS team of professionals initiates services with a family using a structured process with implementation designed to draw upon shared experiences in order to achieve a measurable outcome.

Examples of evidence-based programs utilized by RDS include:

These tools were developed to assist family preservation and reunification programs working with families at high risk of having a child removed from the home or for families working towards reunification. Both scales are well recognized models that have been developed to measure family functioning prior to and during intensive intervention with social service professionals.

The Nurturing Skills for Families Program is part of a series of evidence-based parent education curriculum. This program is designed as a tool for practitioners during in-home sessions or group sessions, depending upon the family needs. The Nurturing Skills for Families Program can be customized to address specific family strengths and weaknesses and varying skill levels.

RDS also relies on the AAPI Assessments to determine pre and post testing. These measurement instruments are valuable tools in monitoring family strengths and the identification of continued educational needs.

The Home Builders Model Program for family preservation and reunification began in 1974 in Washington state. This program has been the basis for numerous family preservation and unification programs throughout the country. The Home Builders Model Program is designed to prevent placement of children in out-of-home care and to reunify children with their families of origin as quickly as possible. This evidence-based program targets families involved with Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice systems.

RDS will continue to implement treatment models endorsed by the Office of Children, Youth & Families and academic entities in order to provide effective interactions with families.