Therapy is an important component of the recovery process for children and families. Psycho-educational groups for non-offending parents are provided. In addition, therapy for non-offending parents is vital to helping parents deal with the trauma of abuse and its effects on their children and family unit. Having one or more supportive adults that believes the child and tries to keep them safe is essential to recovery. Therapy services are provided at the Center and in satellite offices established in the far north and south parts of Miami-Dade County.
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Kristi House's Therapy program is staffed by Licensed and Master's level clinicians, as well as our consulting licensed psychiatrist Dr. Jon Shaw of the University of Miami, who is internationally recognized for his expertise in child trauma. To meet the growing the needs of our clients, Kristi House offers:
- crisis intervention
- individual therapy for children
ages 2 to18 years
- play therapy
- psycho-educational groups for
non-offending parents in English and Spanish
- family therapy
- group therapy for boys ages
4-7
- group therapy for boys ages
6-9
- group therapy for pre-teen girls
ages 11-14
- psychiatric evaluations and
medication management
- a pilot program of therapy for our clients' parents/caregivers who are survivors of untreated child sexual abuse.
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Individual Therapy
The Case Coordination and therapy teams make referrals
for individual therapy.
Group Therapy
Once a child victim has made progress through individual
therapy, the child is reevaluated with the therapy team
to assess further services. If it is determined the
child would benefit from group treatment, the therapist
makes the appropriate group referral.
Parents Group
The Parents Group is designed for non-offending parents
of child sexual abuse victims. The 6-week program focuses
on issues such as: how the abuse affects the family
unit, common feelings of parents, signs and symptoms
of sexual abuse, how to protect your children, and identifying
sexual offenders. Classes are offered in the evenings,
and are available in English and Spanish. Case Coordinators,
as well as therapists, refer parents for group therapy.
Family Therapy
During intake, the assigned therapist recommends
family therapy as an added, supportive structure
for the child. Participating members include the
child victim, siblings as necessary and non-offending
parents
Psychiatric Evaluations
During intake or at any point throughout the course
of treatment, a therapist may refer a child victim
for an evaluation to the in-house Doctor of Psychiatry.
Such a referral typically happens only when the
therapist feels the child would benefit from such
an evaluation. The psychiatrist assesses the client
and, if necessary, monitors throughout treatment
in conjunction with the multidisciplinary team. |
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Therapy Research
During intake, the client and non-offending parents
are administered the Achenbach System of Empirically
Based Assessment (ASEBA). The ASEBA offers a comprehensive
approach to assessing adaptive and maladaptive functioning.
These forms are directly administered to children ages
11-18, while parents complete the forms for children
under the age of 11. A teacher's report form is also
sent to the client's school to be able to document at-school
behaviors. The therapist and client review the Child
Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (TSCC) during
treatment. All of these measures are used by the therapy
department to monitor progress of treatment both on
going and at discharge.
For additional information, please contact Therapy@KristiHouse.org
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