Children and Family Services
The Counseling Center programs/services begin in early childhood to help provide a healthy start, and continue on throughout their school years. Families must be included in the nurturing and problem solving process, thus our programs also provide support for parents, siblings and care-givers.
Youth and families do better when they express their thoughts and feelings to others in a friendly and cooperative atmosphere.
When families discover and utilize their strengths, they are more likely to succeed.
Families succeed when they have local support to whom they can turn when facing challenges.
Positive Beginnings is a comprehensive early childhood program which focuses on helping parents and caregivers provide healthy environments for their young children. In-home programming provides assistance to parents to help them get off to a positive start and obtain assistance from community resources when needed.
Early Childhood Community Support and Consultation provides community support services for children 3 to 5 years of age who are exhibiting behavioral problems. Home visits give our Early Childhood Specialists the opportunity to work with parents/caregivers and children on special behavioral issues or other concerns. Additionally,consultation services are available to day care centers, preschools and other systems serving young children.
Education & Support:
Educational and support programs are available for youth and families. Two of our major programs are:
Project: S.A.F.E. (Support, Assistance & Family Education) is a parent program that is designed to help families by providing information, guidance and support. This program includes two parts: a 12-week Group Education Program and a home based Mentoring/Support Program.
The topics involved in this educational training are:
Building Positive Relationships
Information is also available on other issues that effect families such as: divorce, domestic violence, substance abuse, stress, mental health, and developing positive networks.
Incredible Years – An evidence-based program designed to teach preschool children (ages 3-6)social skills and appropriate behaviors through use of puppet and play activities, while helping their parents develop effective parenting skills.
Diagnostic, Assessment, Counseling, Groups, Psychiatric Care:
This group of services includes more traditional mental health services, providing assessment/evaluation and appropriate individual/family therapy to youth and their families. In addition, group therapy (e.g., Anger Management groups) sessions are held as appropriate.
Psychiatric care and medication monitoring for youth are available by psychiatrists and a psychiatric nurse who specialize in work with children and adolescents.
Project F.O.C.U.S. (Families Of Children Under Stress) is a comprehensive community support program designed to more effectively meet the needs of youth with severe emotional/behavioral disturbances and their families. Youth Community Support staff work with youth and their families to assess family needs; provide direct interventions; coordinate services; advocate on behalf of the youth/family; monitor the youth in the home, school and community; provide education, support or crisis intervention services; and link/refer youth and their families to community resources. Such problems may be indicated by:
• Developmental or learning problems
• School difficulties
• Not obeying school and/or home rules
• Lack of social supports
• The child’s parents being overwhelmed by ongoing stressors and/or emotional problems
• Risk of out-of-home placement
Intensive Family Services:
Intensive Family Services began as Families Together and has provided home-based services in Columbiana County since 1989 beginning as partnerships with the Columbiana County Juvenile Court and the Columbiana County Department of Job and Family Services. Program staff have valuable training and experience in providing homebased services to families and youth with behavioral health needs. All program staff are licensed therapists who provide therapy and Community Psychiatric Support Treatment (CPST) services for youth and their families. This service usually lasts 3-6 months, staff meet at locations most comfortable for the family and 24/7 crisis support is available.
The goal of the Intensive Family Services Program is to provide home-based, family support and treatment focused on improving the youth’s success at home, at school and in the community. This program focuses on individual and family strengths; the youth and family work together developing goals and participating in family sessions. Referrals for less intensive services, such as outpatient counseling and/ or CPST treatment should generally be made before referring a youth to Intensive Family Services. The Intensive Services Coordinator is available to discuss possible referrals.
Intensive Family Services continues to serve families with children of all ages. This program provides families the opportunity to reduce unwanted behavior and increase positive coping.
Admission Considerations for the program include:
- Youth is a resident of Columbiana County between the ages of 3-18.
- The mental health or behavioral needs of the youth are not met through traditional outpatient counseling and CPST.
- Families must consent/agree to participation in the Intensive Family Services program.
In addition, youth must meet one or more of the following criteria:
- Youth is at risk of out-of-home placement ( e.g. hospital, detention, residential treatment).
- Youth has returned home within thirty days of an out-of-home placement or is transitioning back to their home from placement within thirty days.
- Youth requires a high intensity of mental health interventions to stabilize potential safety concerns.
For More information on any of these services, please contact:
Director of Youth & Prevention Education
330-424-9573 Ext. 386