Organizational Overview

Building the foundation for playful, healthful, hopeful living for children, families, and communities.

www.centerforchildcounseling.org

our mission

Building the foundation for playful, healthful, and hopeful children, families, and communities.

How great is the need for our counseling services?

Unfortunately, too many children need our help. But thanks to your generosity, we can provide comfort, strength, healing, and hope to more children every year.

30

SITES

IN THE NEXT YEAR

where children and

families can ACCESS OUR SERVICES

7,000 CHILDREN will receive direct services from us in 1 YEAR

48%

3,800 pediatricians, nurses, teachers, caregivers, police officers, and mental-health professionals will receive training from us.

1in5

children suffer from MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES

of children in the U.S. have experienced at least one type of serious childhood TRAUMA

50% of all children entering foster care monthly are 6 or younger

who do we help?

Abuse and neglect don’t discriminate. Neither do behavioral issues or family dysfunction.

Our programs work with children, adolescents, and families across the socioeconomic spectrum.

— from every neighborhood in Palm Beach County, from every type of family situation.

And we address a range of issues, including depression, anxiety, grief, anger management, parent-child attachment, and difficulty adjusting to separation or divorce

We help moms like Emily:

Because of donors like you, my kids got help right away, and they were able to just be kids again.”

Help us help local families.

DONATE TODAY!

See page 10 for details.

“There were many ‘last straw’ moments, but when my now exhusband struck Justin for the first time, I knew we had to get out. A therapist from Center for Child Counseling came to the shelter where we were staying and explained they would be using play therapy to help my children process the trauma they had experienced. Because of donors like you, my kids got help right away, and they were able to just be kids again.”

–Emily

childhood trauma

Repeated exposure to abuse, neglect, or household dysfunction actually alters the way a young brain develops.

If issues aren’t addressed early, they often lead to lifelong physical and mental health problems – a decades-long ripple effect felt by the individual, his or her family, and the community

Adults with high, unbuffered ACEs have:

1200% INCREASED R I S K O F S U I C I D E And are: 7X’s

ACEs: Education about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) is critical. Prevention is key. Early intervention is imperative.

$

as likely to smoke, develop heart disease, or CANCER

more likely to abuse ALCOHOL

VS.

CHILDHOOD VS. ADULTHOOD TREATMENT

1 11$ 2X's

For every $1 we spend to treat early childhood trauma, it would cost $11 to treat the effects of that trauma in adulthood.

Investing early in treatment can change the trajectory of an entire family – AND COMMUNITY.

*Dr Robert Block, former president, American Academy of Pediatrics

Why has childhood trauma been called 'the single greatest unaddressed public health threat facing our nation today?'* Trauma isn’t something a child simply outgrows.

how do we help?

Using a trauma-informed equity lens to build stronger families and communities.

Our goal is to create trauma-aware adults within our homes, schools, and communities who recognize and stop childhood trauma and abuse in its tracks, are part of the healing process, and ensure children grow healthy in mind and body.

our programs

At the heart of the matter. Helping children develop resilience.

Our education, prevention, and early intervention services

are designed to support overall wellness and resilience in children, their caregivers, and their families:

Education and Prevention Services:

Live and online workshops, consultation, and support for parents, caregivers, and professionals. Training experiences focus on building specific skills as well as caregiver and community capacity to promote mental health, well-being, and resilience.

Fighting ACEs

SNAP® Program

Stop Now And Plan, known as SNAP® is a proven model for children ages 6-11. It teaches children struggling with behavior problems, and their parents, how to make better choices “in the moment.”

A Way of Being with Children

Based on decades of brain and developmental research, 'A Way of Being' builds family relationships where children feel accepted and parents feel empowered

Promotes a Public Health Approach to preventing and healing the effects of early adversity and trauma at the individual, family, and community levels.

WeLEARNPlay

Provides interactive, online training on a variety of mental health topics and interventions for mental health students and professionals,

Stay KidSafe!™

Provides personal safety education, focusing on sexual abuse prevention and awareness for children, educators, and child-serving professionals in the community

Lead the Fight

Every child deserves to grow up feeling loved, nurtured, and safe. 'Lead the Fight' brings together leaders to learn strategies to combat the effects of childhood adversity and trauma on families and communities.

our programs

How do we fight the effects of trauma and support child and family mental health?

Through these programs,

which are designed to support children, their families, and their caregivers:

Child and Family Center:

Located in West Palm Beach, the center is a safe place for children to heal and for families to resolve problems It contains state-of-the-art play therapy rooms where children, parents, and therapists can work together.

Child First

The first program of its kind in Palm Beach County, Child First is a national, evidencebased, early childhood intervention that helps heal young children from the devastating impact of trauma and chronic stress.

Infant Mental Health

Focusing on supporting the social, emotional, and mental health of pregnant women, new mothers, and their children through an array of evidence-based, therapeutic services.

Pediatric Integration

Partnering together to promote overall wellbeing and health, we support patients at Palm Beach Pediatrics through an array of mental health services, care coordination, and support.

Care Coordination

We provide Care Coordination for our clients to ensure access to the care and resources needed to support their mental health and wellbeing

Childhood Trauma Response

We step in immediately to help children and teens exposed to traumatic events or situations to provide trauma treatment and support.

School-Based Mental Health

We partner with the school district to provide mental health services in elementary schools, connecting children and families with the help they need.

Childcare and Community Social-Emotional Wellness

We integrate prevention, early intervention, and counseling services into childcare center, schools, and shelters.

a way of being

The foundation of our work. A trau approach to building resilience.

Combining the science of brain development, child development, and actual practice to enhance positive child-caregiver relationships and resilience.

Growing up has never been easy - children have always faced the challenges of making friends, adapting to new environments, and coping with the ups-and-downs of family life.

Now children have the added stressors of technology, social media, exposure to global crises, and a pandemic.

Helping children build coping skills and resilience is the best antidote we have to counteract the stress of all these influences.

grade teacher

Fortunately, resilience is like a muscle that can be exercised and strengthened, and you can give your child powerful tools in their battle to remain calm in the face of adversity.

Workshops, videos, tip sheets, support groups, and consultation to improve your way of being with children.

www.centerforchildcounseling.org/awayofbeing

I muc teacher. It has shifted how I interact with children in the classroom and in my life. The simple shifts have changed everything.”

with children

~3rd

Keeping Kids Safe

Abuse Prevention Training

Stay KidSafe!™ and CampSafe® protect children from child sexual abuse

1 in 4 girls and 1 in 13 boys will be sexually abused before they turn 18 years old. The actual number is much higher as most children never report. Ninety percent of the time a child is harmed by someone they know and trust.

Children who are educated about their personal safety are more empowered to report when they feel “uncomfortable” thereby preventing sexual abuse or a continuous cycle of abuse and a lifetime of health concerns. www.centerforchildcounseling.org/kidsafe

Every child deserves to grow up feeling safe and loved.

play therapy

Play Therapy is at the heart of what we do.

Play is the language of children, and toys are the words they use to convey feelings related to grief, abuse, and other traumatic events.

How does play therapy help a child heal?

Using puppets or dollhouses, games or toy cars, our therapists and interns engage a child in play that explores any issues he or she is facing – whether it’s jealousy over a new sibling, sadness over the loss of a grandparent, frustration with a teacher, grief over the loss of a loved one, or fear of a family member’s visit.

We can talk about resolving emotions in the language in which children are fluent.

Want to know more?

Free telephone consultation, 561.244.9499

Through play therapy,

we pick up the pieces of a broken child and help make him or her whole again.

We keep our therapy rooms and toolkits wellstocked, but over time, the well-loved toys need replacing. Items on our wish list include developmental toys, musical instruments, and art supplies.

www.centerforchildcounseling.org

Committed to