5. Family Partnerships

Family Partnerships is a program offered in partnership with the St. Clair Catholic District School Board.

The program provides intensive support and family preservation services to 2 or 3 children and their families. The program provides intensive mental health services and support to children in their classroom and home to prevent the need for foster care or residential placement.

For more information on this program, please call (519) 352-0440

4. Group Services

Group Services provides intervention to children, youth and parents in a variety of clinically-focused treatment groups.

Providing services in groups enables the agency to offer service to a greater number of clients simultaneously, thus reducing the wait for treatment and allowing the client to focus on specific skill development in a social setting. It is also widely accepted and is the treatment of choice for many situations.

Group Work Intervention affords an opportunity for participants to gain personal confidence and skill while also building on the experience of peers.

The group further provides support and a safe and accepting environment in which to test out new strategies for effectively relating with others. Feedback is immediate, sensitive, and designed to enhance the individual's journey toward effective and meaningful connections with others.

Most clinical groups involve a parallel parent education/support component, which is offered at the same time as the children's group program. This enables the group leaders to educate parents and guardians on methods for supporting the children's progress. It further reinforces the fact that addressing a child's emotional and behavioural problems is a shared responsibility and everyone in the family must work together for change.

3. Family Protective Services

Family Protective Services are responsible for ensuring that families where children are in need o protection are receiving adequate services in order to minimize risk to the children and strengthen the families.

Family Protective Services investigates allegations of physical, sexual and emotional abuse on ongoing cases and other protection concerns as outlined in the Child and Family Services Act.

Social workers act as advocates and supporters and maintain a liaison with other agencies assisting children, adults and families, including schools and doctors.

For more information please call (519) 352-0440

1. Counseling

Counseling offers multiple services to families and children with mental health needs. The types and combination of services are decided upon with the family in developing a service contract or plan of care. These services provide assessment and intervention services to families and children experiencing a wide variety of adaptive skill and social functioning difficulties, such as:

• Depression/suicide
• Acting out behaviours
  
• Anger control problems
  
• Sexual offences
  
• Victims of sexual and physical abuse
  
• Learning difficulties
  
• Poor peer relations
  
• Aggressive/assaultive behaviour

Services to address the above may include:

• Counseling and skill development
  
• Group support and mutual aid
  
• Networking and support building
  
• Crisis support
  
• Play therapy
  
• Parenting training

For referrals to Counseling Services, please call (519) 352-0440

2. In-Home Services

There are a variety of in-home services and programs available to families that include:

Protection Support services - Protection Support Workers teach parents with identified protection concerns to improve their skills in childcare, discipline, household management, self-esteem building, etc. They provide support and advocacy to parents as well as connections to community resources. Protection Support Workers report their progress directly to Child Protection Workers in an effort to prevent family breakdown.

Autism Support services - The Autism Support Team provides services to children 0 - 12 years of age diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Services to the child and family include: resource provision, assessment, treatment, case management, advocacy and family support.

Child & Family Consultant services - Child & Family Consultants work in partnership with community treatment, childcare, health, recreational, education and social services programs to provide service to children and families. Consultants provide consultation, advocacy, case management, parental guidance, behaviour management, informal and formal assessments, learning plans, supportive counseling and individual support to children with extra needs who are attending childcare facilities.

Developmental Support services - Developmental Support workers assist Child & Family Consultants in their role and provide similar services.

For more information on these services, please call (519) 352-0440