Child Strive 4/27/2016 - Laserfiche WebLink

City of Everett Human Needs Grant January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2016 ChildStrive Counseling in Early Intervention EXHIBIT A: Program Summary Counseling will be provided to families with children who have a disability or developmental delay. Having a child with a disability impacts families in a variety of ways.For some, it makes bonding and attachment difficult.For others, it puts a stress on the marriage/relationship between parents. Others struggle with depression, grief and loss. Counseling services are integral to helping these families cope, learn,grow,and thrive. ChildStrive has four Early Intervention teams and each team has a Social Worker or Marriage&Family Counselor on the team. Other team members include Educators, Speech Language Pathologists, and Physical and Occupational Therapists.Each team member can refer families to counseling who need extra support with issues related to depression,grief and loss regarding their child's diagnosis or who would benefit from assistance to better attach and bond with their child.Additionally, any team member can consult with the counselor on the team about a child/family they have concerns about and the counselor may go on a home visit with the therapist to meet the family and determine what supports might benefit them.Every family is discussed by the team at least every 90 days and questions may arise that lead to a referral to counseling. The other agencies in the county that provide Early Intervention Services (Providence Children's Center; Sherwood ExCEL; Wonderland Development Center)also refer families to ChildStrive counseling staff. Carol Good,LICSW, is the manager of ChildStrive Counseling services, serves families from other agencies and provides reflective supervision to the counselors. When families agree to accept counseling services, goals are developed with the family and added to the Individualized Family Service Plan(IFSP). The counselor then makes home visits or meets meet with family members at our facility to work on those goals.If the goals involve the relationship with the child the visits typically occur in the child's natural environment—where the child is most comfortable.If the issues are ones that would be better to discuss away from the child,the sessions occur at one of our sites (Everett or Lynnwood)where we have a counseling office. Families of children birth to three years of age who qualify to receive Early Intervention Services by having at least a 25%delay in one or more areas of development.Parents are typically the focus of the services because of their issues of depression,grief and loss, inability to attach or bond with their child, or marital discord or stress related to their child's condition.The child may be involved in the sessions if attachment or bonding is a problem.Ultimately the parents and the child benefit from the adults resolving these difficult issues and being more present and capable as parents.