Compass Health 3/26/2020 - Laserfiche WebLink

EVERETT WASHINGTON City of Everett Human Needs Grant January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020 Exhibit A Program Summary Organization&Program: Compass Health: Cocoon House Homeless Shelter Counseling The Compass Health Youth Counseling Program provides mental health counseling services to homeless youth ages 12-18 at the Cocoon Everett Shelter and to some of the youth at the Cocoon Complex. Our objective is to ensure that homeless and at-risk youth have immediate,barrier-free access to mental health services. We provide individualized engagement therapy, individual therapy,group therapy and family therapy when that is appropriate and safe. We provide regular consultation to the Cocoon staff who are with the youth 24 hours/7 days a week. We provide help with crisis planning,provide a deeper clinical understanding of the behaviors that youth may be exhibiting,and help with individual treatment plans. Three key goals of the program are: 1)establish a safe and trusting relationship with a reliable adult;2)establish a long term safe place for the youth to live so they don't return to the street;and 3)provide individualized counseling to help with pressing mental health issues. Youth entering the Everett Cocoon House come in a state of crisis. Because they often have had such difficult histories with their parents or other adults who may have been the perpetrators of physical or sexual abuse,have had abuse or domestic violence histories of their own,they often do not trust adults.We are seeing increasingly that youth are leaving situations in which they have been trafficked sometimes by family members. The issues that arise in individual therapy include depression,anxiety,post-traumatic stress disorder,anger management grief and loss,and suicidal thoughts. During treatment sessions,other needs of the youth are assessed,and if they require drug and alcohol counseling,medical services,or a referral to Dawson Place for issues related to sexual abuse,these referrals are coordinated with Cocoon staff. he first task at the shelter is to assess the youth for safety and ensure that the youth is not suicidal or exhibiting self-harming behaviors. Staff seeks to establish relationships with youth so they will agree to individual counseling. The engagement therapy phase is very important and requires great clinical skill. It is critical in order for youth to be willing to share their story and ask for help. The engagement process is different for each youth: some are very willing and anxious to talk and have someone safe listen to them;for others,it can take a long time before a youth will even come into a room alone with a counselor and share details of their lives. This hesitancy is one reason youth often will not pursue traditional counseling; they need to first find a trusted individual before participating in more traditional and structured process. Treatment focuses on the acquisition of daily living skills such as emotion regulation,evaluating life choices and consequences,maintaining family connections,and developing health relationships and conflict resolution. Treatment strategies consist of cognitive behavioral treatments as well as motivational interviewing,both of which are evidence-based and allow for the greater autonomy of the youth. The treatment process is important not only to address the mental health issues that arise in counseling,but also to provide an understanding that there are indeed adults in the community who can be trusted and that assistance is available. With this positive interaction,we hope that youth will be able to seek out assistance at other times in their life. 7