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| Last updated on May 20, 2008 |
The Child Guidance Center of Southern Connecticut is a professionally-staffed outpatient mental health center for children and adolescents who experience psychological, behavioral, developmental, social or family problems. We are dedicated to reducing emotional suffering and dysfunctional behavior and to helping each individual achieve optimal potential.
Description:
With a clinical staff of psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and marriage and family therapists, the Child Guidance Center provides services to over 2,350 children and teenagers annually in Stamford, Darien, New Canaan, and Greenwich. Preventive services are also provided through public education and consultation programs for approximately 1,000 youth, parents, and professionals.
In FY 2007, 28.1% of the children helped at the Child Guidance Center had been sexually abused, physically abused, or neglected; 22.6% had made a suicide attempt or were seriously considering suicide when they came to us for help; 16.1% were victims of or witnesses to crime; 35.7% had academic functioning problems. Among the parents of children seen at the Center, 42.6% were experiencing severe stress, 17.3% were victims of domestic violence, 21.8% were suffering from depression and 20.5% had substance abuse issues.
Programs Include:
Child, Adolescent, and Family Therapy Program (CAFT)
CAFT provides a broad range of mental health assessment and treatment services for children and families referred under non-emergency circumstances.
Emergency Mobile Crisis Services
24 hour mobile response providing immediate mental health assessment and crisis stabilization services for children and adolescents experiencing serious psychiatric symptoms or severe reactions to a recent traumatic event.
Lower Fairfield County Child Sexual Abuse Response Team
The Center coordinates an interagency team integrating criminal justice and protective services investigations and providing comprehensive services for child sexual abuse victims and non-offending parents. Specially trained CGC therapists conduct investigative interviews at the request of police and the state child protection agency (DCF), and provide therapy for the child and supportive services for the family to help them cope with the trauma of victimization.
Crime Victim Assistance & Community Policing Partnership -
provides 24-hour outreach and mental health services to child victims and high risk children identified by police, with the goal of mitigating the psychological consequences of violence and other traumatic events, and reducing the likelihood that youngsters exposed to violence will become perpetrators of violence.
Intensive Home-Based Services - provides intensive child specific family focused services at home and community sites for youngsters with high risk behavioral problems to reduce delinquent and dangerous behavior and avoid placement in juvenile corrections facilities.
Community Emergency Response Program -
provides on-site assistance and counseling in response to emergencies impacting large groups in the community. (e.g.: suicide, terrorism, school violence, death of a youngster or teacher, natural disasters, etc.)
Child and Parent Resource Team -
Under the Center's leadership, this interagency team provides coordinated services for families of children with multiple needs requiring services from several community agencies with a special focus on families whose children are at risk for abuse and neglect.
Local System of Care -
provides intensive case management services for families of seriously emotionally disturbed children. Working in partnership with the family the case manager develops a service plan and helps access and coordinate services to support the family’s efforts to maintain the child in the home, and reduce the need for more costly and disruptive alternatives of hospitalization and out of home placement.
Professional Consultation Service -
provides professional consultation to preschools, schools, courts, residential facilities, shelters, substance abuse programs and other youth serving agencies, to help them more effectively respond to the special needs of youngsters with emotional or behavioral problems.
Parent Consultation Service -
provides a one or two session consultation for parents with specific questions or concerning about parenting practices or issues concerning the emotional, developmental, behavioral or social well being of their children.
Community Education -
Mental health seminars and workshops are conducted for the general public and professionals working with children, to increase awareness of issues affecting child development and enhance the emotional well being of children and families.
History:
Since the founding of the Child Guidance Center in 1954, the agency has been committed to serving the outpatient mental health needs of all youngsters with emotional, behavioral, developmental, social and family problems. Over the years new programs have been created in response to emerging community needs and new treatment approaches have been implemented based on the development of effective new treatment options in childrens mental health. To become more accessible for those with high-risk problems, we expanded services with an emphasis on 24-hour availability and mobile capacity. To make services more comprehensive and effective, we developed collaborative relationships with the Stamford police department and others, and currently provide leadership to four interagency teams.
Contact people:
Office fax number: (203) 353-1524
Address:
 |
196 Greyrock Place
Stamford, CT 06901
(See a map) |
Web Site: http://www.childguidancect.org
Miscellaneous Information
| Does your agency have weekend volunteer opportunities? |
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Yes
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| Does your agency have evening volunteer opportunities? |
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Yes
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| Does your agecny accept court ordered communituy service volunteers? |
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No
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| Does your agency accept and coordinate group projects for corporate volunteers? |
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Yes
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| Does your agency accept and coordinate group projects for youth volunteers? |
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No
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| Does your agency accept youth volunteers ages 8-13 with adult supervision? |
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No
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| Does your agency accept youth volunteers ages 14-18? |
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No
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