Compass Health 2/7/2018 - Laserfiche WebLink

City of Everett Human Needs Grant January 1 through December 31, 2018 Compass Health Cocoon House Homeless Shelter Youth Counseling EXHIBIT A: Program Summary The Compass Health Youth Counseling Program provides mental health counseling services to homeless youth, ages 13-18,who have come to the Cocoon Everett shelter or who reside at the Cocoon Complex. Our objective is to ensure that these 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. Additionally,we provide regular and ongoing consultation to the Cocoon staff who are with the youth 24 hours/7 days a week. We can provide help with crisis planning, provide a deeper clinical understanding of the behaviors that the youth may be exhibiting,and help with the overall treatment plan of the youth during their stay at the shelter. Three key goals for 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 go back to the street,and 3) provide individualized counseling to help with pressing mental health issues for each youth. Youth entering the Everett Cocoon House come into the shelter 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 histories of their own, or have had domestic violence that involved the youth or that the youth witnessed,they often do not trust adults. 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 made and coordinated with Cocoon Staff. The first task at the shelter is to assess the youth for safety and to ensure that the youth is not suicidal or exhibiting self-harming behaviors. Staff seeks immediately to begin to establish relationships with the youth so that they will agree to individual counseling sessions. This engagement therapy phase is very important and requires great clinical skill. It is critical in order for the youth to be willing to share their story and ask for the help that they need. The engagement process is different for each youth depending on their history and their personality. Some youth are very willing and anxious to talk and to have someone safe to listen to them. For others, it takes a long time in this initial engagement phase before the youth will even come into the room alone with the counselor and share details of their lives.This hesitancy is one reason these youth often will not pursue traditional counseling;they need to first find a trusted individual and then they will participate in a more traditional and structured process. Treatment focuses on the acquisition of daily living skills such as emotional regulation,evaluating life choices and consequences, maintaining family connections, and developing healthy relationships and conflict resolution. Treatment strategies consist of Cognitive Behavioral Treatments as well as Motivational Interviewing.These treatment strategies are evidenced based and allow for the greater autonomy of the youth.The treatment process