Family Connections is committed to nurture each child’s social emotional, physical and cognitive development from early childhood through school age. Our Home Visiting Programs focus on supporting parents and their children, making referrals to needed resources, and educating families on topics that affect their well-being such as nutrition, disease prevention, and mental health.

In the case of incarcerated parents, we are committed to supporting them through the reentry process and connecting them to support programs in their community once they return home. In doing so, we aim to strengthen their relationships with their children and help them to become more self-sufficient. We are currently implementing a new program called Healthy Connections which focuses on four overarching areas of preventive health: nutrition, physical activity, disease prevention, and mental health.

A good family supports its members through ups and downs, teaches them how to cope with life’s challenges and tries to find something positive in every situation. This shows their love and care for one another and makes them a better person. However, it’s important to remember that building a strong relationship takes years of hard work and sacrifices. It’s a continuous effort and there will always be ups and downs, but no distressing experience can loosen their bond.

Siblings are also a valuable source of support for individuals as they navigate the challenges of life, and research on sibling relationships continues to yield fruitful insights. Further, the quality of sibling relationships may vary by gender, and within-family differences are influenced by wider contextual factors. Future research should pay greater attention to this, and seek to understand the influence of family structure, and intergenerational ambivalence on well-being at different points in the life course.

Family members who have a loved one with BPD or ED are often overwhelmed by the feelings of guilt, shame and depression that come with their loved ones’ behavior. The Virtual Family Therapy training aims to reduce these negative emotions by providing participants with practical tools and skills to manage their loved ones’ crisis behaviors. It includes learning about DBT treatments, learning how to support your loved one during a crisis, and improving your own wellbeing.

In addition to promoting family wellness, Family Connections works to build and support community-wide systems of care. To that end, in 2020 we partnered with Waypoint to apply for a Second Chance grant, which we were awarded. This grant allows Family Connections to expand our Family Ties Inside Out program and create systems of care throughout New Hampshire for families with a formerly incarcerated parent. This includes creating and sustaining a Family Resource Center in each district. Currently, our centers connect all newly incarcerated parents from all NH jails and prisons with their local family support programs. We also provide training to the staff of these programs to support them in offering the best possible support to their clients. This includes trainings on how to facilitate conversations about challenging topics, including suicidal and non-suicidal self-injury behaviors.