R.E.A.C.H.
Restoring Empowerment and Choosing Hope
Contact Us
Outreach Specialist Yanira Castro*
Email: ycastro@jfcs-cares.org Call or text: (941) 504-7052
*hablamos español
About R.E.A.C.H.
R.E.A.C.H. is a federally funded program assisting adults in developing the skills they need to hone healthy relationships, improve family dynamics, and enhance abilities required to gain and retain economic self-sufficiency.
Skills and support are provided through the usage of 10-week evidence-based curricula and individualized support.
Services are provided in English and Spanish.
Through this study we hope to:
- Promote healthy relationships
- Strengthen family functioning
- Improve economic stability
Eligibility
- Ages 18 or older
- Residing in Sarasota, Manatee, or Charlotte County
JFCS has been providing this program since 2006 and with over 30+ years of combined social service experience, our team is dedicated to help you on your journey to self improvement and efficacy!
Meet our Staff
Melissa Putman
Program Director
Maria Carolina Alban
Education Coordinator
Marina Felipe
Advocate Coordinator
Megan Sicks
Data Manager Coordinator
Yanira Castro
Outreach Coordinator
Beatriz Osorio
Employment Specialist
Raymundo Cruz
Evaluation Specialist
Rubia Rosas
Administrative Specialist
R.E.A.C.H.
A Research Project with USF
We are collaborating once again with USF Research Professors Dr. Kathleen Moore, PhD and Dr. M. Scott Young, PhD, to gauge the effectiveness of social service agencies in the community.
With your help we can create a better experience for others all across America!
Dr. Kathleen Moore, PhD
Title: Research Professor
Dr. M. Scott Young, PhD
Title: Research Associate Professor
About our
Research Project
Our 5 month study is designed to gauge the effectiveness of social services.
Since we receive federal funding, we are required to provide feedback on the effect this program has on our community by comparing our two research tracks.
R.E.A.C.H.
Restoring Empowerment and Choosing Hope
What to Expect
Surveys:
Our grant requires us to provide feedback from our participants about our program. We do this by having our clients fill out surveys at different times throughout their journey with us.
If you also join our research study you will be asked to fill out an additional survey throughout your time as well as receive an additional gift card.
Randomization:
Our research study is open to everyone who meets the eligibility requirements. At orientation, we will randomly assign you to one of two tracks. Everyone has an equal opportunity of being assigned to either track.
We Pay You!
We understand that taking surveys is not always fun, but for your time and effort, we pay our participants over $100 for filling out all the required research surveys.
Our Research Groups
Track 1
If you are randomly assigned to Track 1, you will:
- Meet with your advocate
- Start weekly sessions right away
- Fill out required surveys
Track 2
If you are randomly assigned to Track 2, you will:
- Fill out required surveys over 5 months
- After 5 months, then you can begin meeting with your Advocate and start you weekly sessions.
Within My Reach: A flexible-use curriculum containing up-to-date research!
Within My Reach is based on up-to-date research in communication, conflict management, affect regulation, commitment, expectations, intimacy enhancement, emotional safety, and physical safety.
Within My Reach additionally focuses on partner selection with regard to important issues such as safety in relationships and the impact of one’s romantic life and on one’s children.
This newly revised curriculum is designed to help anyone, regardless of their goals or needs in romantic relationships, to develop useful skills in relationships that may benefit them more generally on the job, in the neighborhood, with children, with co-parents they are no longer involved with romantically, and with family.
R.E.A.C.H. Curriculum
Lesson 1- Welcome & The State of Relationships Today
Participants will explore how relationships look today, will recognize that their concerns are normal, and identify the myriad ways relationships affect their children and other areas of life, as well as identify, address, and combat destructive relationship patterns.
Lesson 2- Knowing Yourself First
Participants will explore their own personality for an improved sense of what individual needs they bring and need in a relationship, conduct a thorough family background that illustrates the origins of their current expectations, discuss realistic expectations, carefully consider familial personalities.
Lesson 3- Healthy Relationships
Participants will explore difference between healthy relationships vs unhealthy, models of healthy relationships, understand safety as the backbone of healthy relationships, recognize that unsafe relationships are not places to focus attention, receive resources for getting out of unsafe relationships, and Sliding vs. Deciding.
R.E.A.C.H. Curriculum
Lesson 4- Financial Self-Sufficiency and Abuse
Participants will receive financial literacy, discuss the importance of self-sufficiency, how financial control is a form of abuse, empower participants to take control of their finances to become and maintain self-sufficiency.
Lesson 5- Smart Love
Participants will recognize the difficulty of making informed decisions while infatuated with their partner, utilize the Seven Principles of Smart Love as a guide for making healthy partner choices
Lesson 6- Where Conflict Begins
Participants will learn how important it is to keep children safe from conflict, explore the origin of conflict, face their own issues in proactive ways, explore concept of hidden issues, and deepen communicative connection with partners by sharing the issues that instigate the most conflict
Lesson 7- Dangerous Patterns
Participants will recognize the Danger Signs in ineffective communication, consider and receive feedback on the communication patterns in their relationships, participate in an extended discussion on domestic violence including its detrimental effects on children, distinguish between violence that spills over from unresolved, conflict and violence that includes threatening/controlling behavior.
R.E.A.C.H. Curriculum
Lesson 8- The Speaker Listener Technique
Participants will learn and reinforce a proven effective model of communication, practice active listening skills; recognize the importance of listening actively to promote healthy, two-way communication; practice the three steps of skillful talking to promote healthier communication; utilize the Speaker-Listener Technique as a system for better communication; reinforce emotional safety through honest and open discussion, and review ground rules for communication learned.
Lesson 9- Smart Communication
Participants recognize the danger signs of ineffective communication; replace detrimental communicative habits with proactive strategies; understand the value of taking a time out to discourage unhealthy exchanges; practice making positive, and encouraging statements using the XYZ structure.
Lesson 10- Reaching into Your Future, Review and Celebration
Review the themes of the curriculum by exploring which themes mean the most to participants and why and helps participants revise their original vision statement created in week 1, note the barriers to their relationship goals, brainstorm concrete steps to make their visions happen, and close out their time together by celebrating the hard work accomplished.
Advocate Services
Our Advocates are here to help!
Whether its looking for a new job or wanting to go back to school, our Advocates are here to help guide you through the process and navigate different resources in the community.
Here are just some of the services we can help with!
Referrals to Outside Resources
Identify Needs
Referrals to Partnering Agencies
Goal Setting
Access to Community Resources
Individualized Support
We have a committed staff member solely dedicated to Employment and Financial Literacy.
Whether you need to create a budget or revamp your resume, they are here to help guide you to financial freedom!
Prepare Resumes
Interview Preperation
Budgeting
Job Searches
Vocational/Career Assessment
Application Completion (Medicaid, SNAP, SSI, etc)
Employment and Financial Literacy Specialist
What to Expect with our Advocate Services
Initial Intake Appointment
Our initial intake appointment
helps us help you!
We use the "Wheel of Life" to look at your life in 8 different domains to identify current successes and opportunities for future growth.
est. time: 1 hour
Regular Check-Ins
We want to make sure you are getting the most out of our of the class sessions. With regular check-ins, we want to help keep you on the right track to your personal goals.
est. time: 15 mins
Employment & Financial Literacy
With our dedicated Employment & Financial literacy specialist, they can help you hone in and focus on your current and future goals.
The Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood (HMRF) programs provide $150 million per year in discretionary grants, contracts, research and evaluation, and other activities to strengthen families, promote responsible parenting, and improve family economic stability. The programs were originally authorized in 2005, and continues its authorization under 42 U.S.C. §603(a)(2).
These programs play a key role in helping the Office of Family Assistance (OFA) achieve its goals to foster economically secure households and communities for the well-being and long-term success of children and families. The HMRF programs are specifically designed to help interested adults and youth build stronger relationships, marriages, father-child engagement, and families. There are currently 111 grant awards to various organizations in 30 states to provide activities to promote healthy marriage and responsible fatherhood promotion activities.