Nelson Youth Centre
by Roland McDougall
1. What services does it provide?
2. How are the services accessed?
3. How does it address equity, inclusion and awareness of cultural diversity
4. Therapeutic services to strengthen the abilities of children, youth and parents experiencing difficulties.
5. Delivers appropriate interventions that supports and develops social/emotional competencies. These include;
6. Reduces the use of intensive mental health services and supports healthy social participation in the community.
7. Counselling and Therapy services
8. Skills building and support for parents, children and families
9. Targeted prevention
10. Building community awareness of children's mental health issues
11. Families directly contact the facility
12. School referral through IRPC
13. Through family doctors or pediatrician
14. through CAS or Kids Help Phone
15. Programs offered include;
16. After school therapeutic program for ages 7-14
17. Reconnecting youth program for ages 14-17
18. Half day intensive program for students at risk of losing school placement ages 9-13
19. Saturday social skills program ages 8-12
20. Therapeutic summer camp
21. The After School Treatment program targets children who exhibit low self esteem, difficulty expressing emotions, poor peer relationships, lack of social/life skills, and behavioural difficulties in the home or school. These children often suffer from bullying and have difficulties in school, at home, and in social groups. At the Centre, the child will develop effective learning strategies to enhance their academic experience. They will also cultivate important social and behavioural skills by interacting with and learning alongside their fellow participants. The Parenting Program is an additional, mandatory course that runs for four weeks in conjunction with the After School Treatment Program. The use of family meetings, parent support, and parent training sessions encourage parents, who often feel isolated, to form closer bonds with other parents who share similar situations. This program aims to provide families with effective strategies which help create healthy relationships in a nurturing home environment and further aid the child’s development.
22. Therapeutic Summer Camp is a group-based program for children and youth who have attended the Half Day Intensive Program or the After School Treatment Program. The program is divided into two components. The first is Centre-based individual and group learning activities for enhancing development of effective social skills. The second component, taking place on Mondays and Wednesdays, is community-based with a focus on group activities to promote self esteem and constructive self-expression. A combination of therapeutic and recreational activities is used to foster these social skills and enhance peer relationships through involvement at the Centre and within community.
23. The Half Day Intensive Program focuses on a child’s learning and emotional needs as identified by their parents and school personnel. The program incorporates a therapeutic curriculum to address the needs of children with learning and/or behavior issues which interfere with their ability to be successful in school. During their placement, the child engages in skill-building activities tailored to their unique needs. These include one-on-one instruction, group work, and specialized computer programs for learning enhancement. In addition, the program provides many social opportunities that empower participating children to learn from each other. Parents, teachers and support staff are all a vital part of the programming and provide the support needed to help the child use their new skills outside of the program setting. Parents are provided with ongoing supports and interventions through family and planning meetings to address their child’s needs and to establish an effective working relationship with their child’s school.
24. The Reconnecting Youth Program is designed to support youth who are having difficulty coping at home, at school, and/or in the community. These difficulties often lead to poor decision making, conflict with authority figures, and difficulties in social groups. The program works with key issues that affect youth today such as low self-esteem, depression, peer pressure, anger management issues, academic stress and maintaining healthy relationships. Counsellors and therpist work individually with youth and their parents to aid the youth in the transition from adolescence to adulthood and to realize their full potential. Youth learn to set goals and are taught life skills. This motivates them to develop a plan for a successful future and to maintain and/or improve their school attendance and work completion as they prepare for graduation. The program also aims to provide families with effective parenting strategies which help create healthy relationships in a nurturing home environment.
25. Each week children participate in a predictive, organized schedule designed to foster skill growth through innovative activities. The schedule starts with supervised free play, giving children an opportunity to work on building friendships, communication skills, and fair play. Children then share their news for the week in front of the group with a question and answer period after. This is a social skills lesson that focuses on improving self esteem, communication, and interactive peer questioning. The late morning activity allows children to show their creativity through a variety of arts and crafts activities. Snacks and lunch are eaten together to encourage the children to communicate with peers and staff while enjoying a break from scheduled activities. Afternoons are often spent in the community where the children can practice their new and improved social skills. Typical outings include Nelson Pool and the local library or play gym.
26. What is it?
27. What is their vision?
28. What are their goals?
29. an accredited children's mental health centre that provides group based treatment programs for Halton's children and youth and their families
30. Services target children who are experiencing moderate to severe emotional, social, behavioural or learning problems, which result in difficulties at home, school and the community
31. Responds and contributes to the mental health needs and wellness of our community by enabling the emotional/social well-being of youth, resulting in strengthened families.
32. To provide services throughout Halton in a homelike environment where no child is turned away.
33. Nelson Youth Centres provides unique holistic client centered clinical treatments and support to youth between the ages of 7 and 18, with identified mental health challenges.
