Innovative Teaching Systems
Innovative Teaching Systems (ITS), LLC, provides training and consultation services to Teaching-Family Model certified Sponsor Sites, Developing Sites, or new agencies that are interested in implementing the model at their agency.
Training services include the Pre-Service Workshop Training for Practitioners, the Consultation Workshop for Teaching-Family Association (TFA) Supervisors, the Train the Trainer Workshop for TFA Trainers, and the Evaluation Workshop for evaluating Practitioners. Also, there are numerous in-service workshop modules to enhance the quality and effectiveness of TFA strategies designed to help youth succeed.
The History of Innovative Teaching Systems
Cristy L. Schlientz, president of ITS, has a history of working with Teaching Family Model programs for more than 30 years and founded ITS in 1995. During her career with the model she has provided services to more than 40 TFM agencies and assisted 10 human services agencies in achieving TFA Sponsor Site Certification.
As stated in the name, Innovative Teaching Systems, Cristy has a reputation for updating and revising TFM materials and strategies to meet the ever-changing needs of children and families. One of her achievements relates to the traditional Teaching-Family Model motivation systems. The original daily/weekly point system as originally defined by Achievement Place was brilliant! It automatically incorporated learning-theory principles into the design and practice. With that said, as treatment approaches became more individualized and strength-based, it was necessary to expand the options for motivational tools. Cristy, along with talented individuals at Boys and Girls Home of North Carolina, created a continuum of services that starts with the more restrictive motivation tools (daily and weekly) and builds additional less restrictive tools that create opportunities for advanced youth to have more freedoms and responsibilities. The new continuum of motivational tools includes the negotiation system, self-determination system, responsibility system and behavioral contract. These tools are individualized, strengths-based, and have been effective when preparing youth to leave placement.
Values Curriculum
Another addition that Innovative Teaching Systems has added to the Teaching-Family Model is a values curriculum. The social skills curriculum that is part of the Teaching-Family Model is invaluable. However, in our ever-changing society, the need for teaching personal and family values has become a necessary priority. Innovative Teaching Systems has created a curriculum that will help you teach values to youth individually, as well as, within a family meeting.
The Life Saver
A third innovation is the “First Year Curriculum for Teaching Parents”, which is a step by step tool that helps Teaching-Family Model Consultants/Supervisors prepare Teaching Parents for certification. No more guesswork – it is a curriculum that addresses all TFM components during the first year, so Teaching Parents can fully implement the model and achieve certification. Consultants who have attended the training call it “a life saver”.
Why Create the Teaching Family Services Website?
The Teaching Family Services website was created to educate human services professionals about the Teaching-Family Model and to define the development process for agencies that want to implement the model. In addition, ITS wants to introduce new training, Consultation, and Evaluation services with updated training materials authored by Innovative Teaching Systems. Our hope for this website is that our readers will be able to come here to:
- Learn about new information on the Teaching-Family Model and the industry through our blog.
- Get any questions answered either by reading the site or by contacting us for more information.
- Purchase additional training modules online through our Training Modules Store.