Frequent Questions

What type of services does Pinebrook provide?

Pinebrook Services provides a wide array of social, mental and behavioral health services for chidren up to 18 years of age, as well as for their families. These services include:

• Adoption Services (domestic, international and special needs adoptions)
  
• Behavioral Health Services (outpatient counseling, psychiatric services, psychological evaluations, family-based services, and the Summer Intervention Program therapeutic day camp)
  
• Community-based Services (In-Home Respite Care Services, Transportation/Family Visitation, Family Life Education)
  
• Placement Services (Multi-level Foster Care Services, Community Residential Rehabilitation Homes, Lifesharing Through Family Living)

For more information, go to Programs.

I am interested in becoming a foster parent; what are the requirements and how do I sign up?

"Resource" or foster parents must be at least 21 years of age, in good health, and be of good moral character. They must be able to provide a clean, comfortable home environment with a separate bed for each foster child. Adaptable and tolerant, they must be willing to accept the many challenges of resource parenting.

If you are eligible and interested in becoming a resource parent, contact Heidi Hoffer, Pinebrook Coordinator of Home Studies at 610-432-3919 or by email at . For more information, go to Programs, then to Placement Services.

We are thinking of adopting a child; what are the procedures?

Every family who chooses to adopt a child must complete a Home Study, an assessment of the environment in which the adopted child will be living. Once the Home Study is completed, the family will have a legal document to use to represent them to organizations responsible for placing children for adoption and to the courts.

Pinebrook will help you through every step in the adoption process. We provide Domestic, International and Special Needs Adoption Services. Various fees apply. If you are interested in adopting a child through Pinebrook, contact Michael Shaffer, Director of Social Services at 610-432-3919 or by email at . For more information, go to Programs, then to Adoption.

I can't seem to handle my child's behavior problems anymore; what kind of assistance can Pinebrook provide?

A wide range of behavioral health services at Pinebrook are offered to children from three to 18 years of age as well as to their families. We help them to maximize their potential for growth and character development by focusing on their strengths to resolve the specific problems that necessitated treatment. Therapeutic approaches include individual, family, collateral family, group, play and art therapy.

For a Pinebrook program or service that is appropriate for your child, call Pinebrook's Client Services Coordinator at 610-432-3919, extension 1138.

For more information, go to Programs then to Behavioral Health Services.

My child may be autistic, but I have very little knowledge of the disorder. How can Pinebrook help?

Your child will receive a detailed biopsychosocial assessment, which will include any number of screening tools. The assessment will be dependent upon your input.

Some children who show strong clinical indicators or signs of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) will be seen by a Pinebrook psychologist or psychiatrist to confirm the diagnosis and to develop recommendations for treatment. In certain cases, referrals will be made to specialists in the community. Typical recommendations include individual therapy, family-based mental health services, psychiatric evaluations, medication management, in-home respite services which allow you to take a break from the daily challenges of caring for your child, and psychoeducational services.

To request a copy of Pinebrook's brochure on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Services, call Pinebrook's Development Department at 610-432-3919 or go to Programs. To schedule an appointment, call Pinebrook's Client Services Coordinator at 610-432-3919 extension 1138.

Is Pinebrook a government contractor for social services? For which public agencies does Pinebrook provide services, and what publicly funded programs are offered?

Pinebrook has been a state-licensed provider of child, youth and family social services since 1979. Public contracts include service agreements with Offices of Children and Youth, Juvenile Probation, Mental Health/Mental Retardation and Drug and Alcohol Services of various counties. We currently have service agreements with the counties of Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Chester, Cumberland, Delaware, Franklin, Lancaster, Lehigh, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Schuylkill and York. We are affiliated with the Pennsylvania Statewide Adoption and Permanency Network (SWAN), and enrolled in the following managed care networks:

• Magellan Behavioral Health
  
• Community Care Behavioral Health
  
• Community Behavioral Health Network of Pennsylvania

We have inter-agency agreements for international adoptions with the following organizations:

• Holt International Children's Services, Oregon
  
• Brightside for Families and Children, Massachusetts
  
• Hawaii International

What employment or volunteer opportunities does Pinebrook offer?

Many opportunities for full-, part-time or on-call employment, internships and volunteering are available at Pinebrook. For more information, go to Employment. For volunteer positions, contact Len Manansala, Pinebrook Director of Communications, at 610-432-3919 or by email at .

How can I help your organization?

There are a variety of ways in which you can assist Pinebrook in fulfilling its mission. Even without leaving this website, you can make a quick and convenient online donation to Pinebrook through PayPal by using your credit card. You may also send a check payable to Pinebrook Services by regular mail, addressed to Pinebrook Development Department, 402 North Fulton Street, Allentown, PA 18102. You have the option of making your gift in honor of or as a tribute to a loved one. We have numerous designated funds such as the Higher Education Fund for foster children, Family Life Education Fund, Facilities Fund, Education Supplies Fund, the Summer Intervention Program (SIP) Fund, Creative Expressions Fund, the Psychotherapy Fund, and the Florence Applebaum Children's Fund which underwrites the cost of enrichment opportunities and special items for children in foster care that are not publicly funded. We have also established a new fund called The Nancy Center Fund, which offers the flexibility and versatility for your gift to be applied to best meet Pinebrook's most urgent needs. Still another option is to make a planned gift to Pinebrook which ensures a regularly recurring donation while you or your heirs enjoy interest income and tax benefits.

If you, your foundation or company is considering a financial or in-kind gift to Pinebrook, contact Len Manansala, Pinebrook Director of Communications, at 610-432-3919 or by email at . For more information, go to Donate.