L.Y.N.C.S. - Linking Youth to Needed Counseling Services

Santa Fe Youth Services provides evidenced-based counseling services to Tarrant County youth and their families. After an individual screening and assessment are completed, consultation with the youth and family will determine the best suited counseling approach. All services are offered in the home; however, community sites or office appointments are also available. Programs are funded through various federal /state grants as well as private donations, so services are offered at no charge to participants.

We understand that replication of evidence-based programs is essential for consistent outcomes. Program staff receive intensive program training by certified curriculum trainers and are monitored through stringent supervision and quality management plans to assure fidelity to these LYNCS programs. Please click the link below for more information.


LYNCS Details


To get more information or to talk to our Information Referral Specialist, please contact Lydia Garcia.

Strengthening Families

Families with increased risk factors suffer frequently from diminished communication, deteriorating relationships, disabling preoccupation with stressors, and an increasing presence of emotional pain. Studies illustrate that prevention efforts directed exclusively at one member of a family in crisis produce little real impact upon the family as a whole. In recognition of this, the Strengthening Family Curriculum targets intervention efforts to all members of the family.

Program Overview:
Strengthening Families Program is a 14 week program for youth ages 9-16 and their families. The program was developed after a research project funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) demonstrated that combining youth skills training with family skills training was more effective in decreasing risk factors than either parent training or youth training only. It has been selected by NIDA, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP), Community Mental Health Services (CMHS), Department of Education (DoEd), Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), and National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) as an exemplary delinquency prevention program and has been tested, evaluated, and replicated in a variety of settings.

Program Goals/Objectives:

  • To increase personal resiliency
  • Minimize susceptibility to drug use in high-risk youth.
  • Improved skills in nurturing and child management by parents
  • Improved interpersonal and personal competencies among youth
  • Reduce environmental risk factors and improve protective factors by teaching parents to increase wanted behaviors in youth by increasing positive attention and reinforcements.

Program Design:
The Strengthening Families Program is designed so that parents and youth attend separate classes for the first hour and then work together in family sessions in the second hour. The curriculum contains three elements:

  • Parent training program - which includes communication training, alcohol and other drug education, problem-solving, compliance requests, principles of limit-setting, implementation of behavior programs for youth.
  • Youth skills training program - which includes discussion and skill building around resisting peer pressure, problem-solving, compliance with parental rules, understanding and handling emotions, sharing feelings and dealing with criticism; questions and discussion about alcohol and other drugs.
  • Family skills-training program - The second hour is spent in bonding activities including meals and family fun activities. The goal is to have parents and youth separately learn their skills and then come together to practice as a family with trainer support and feedback.

To encourage initial and continued family participation, we have developed "incentives" which include:

  • Childcare options
  • Transportation
  • Groceries provided at each meeting
  • Assistance and referrals for other social services
  • Dinner served at each meeting

Community Collaboration:
We work in collaboration with other community based agencies so that services are offered in families neighborhoods. SFP sessions are held in various sites including:

  • Elementary & Middle schools
  • Churches
  • Community and recreation centers
  • Apartment complexes

For referrals and specific program information, including locations and schedules, please contact our Information Referral Specialist, Lydia Garcia.