Institute For Children's Aid - Counseling Center

Counseling Center

The Child and Family Counseling Services program is a very unique type of program. ICA has many years of expertise in assisting families and children, especially those children who come from trauma based circumstances. Many children come into a family through “blended” circumstances; many may have come from foster care; many have come from orphan institutional care and adoption; many have been in a life as a refugee, unaccompanied and fleeing from their native home for safety; many have come from a life of being trafficked and many have simply been raised by you from birth and you have hit a really difficult journey with them. We understand your issues and the challenges you are facing. Our goal is to help you unglue the situations and get back to a healthy functioning family. There are a variety of unique groups for children ages 10 & up using strength based therapeutic techniques. And there are groups for families and individual sessions. Monday– Saturday appointments available, day or evenings.

1-888-507-9360

Child and Family Counseling Services

ICA is proud to offer the following services to assist with your family’s well being. If you would like more detailed information about one of our programs, please give us a call at 951-695-3336 or email at info@4achild.org.

Children's Group Sessions

Most group sessions are 8 sessions long and require a commitment to all 8 sessions. It is important that your child attend ALL sessions as they build on one another. There are a variety of unique groups for children ages 10 & up using strength based therapeutic techniques. Our unique group sessions include:

Drumming

Expressive and Theatrical Arts

Connectedness

Topical (ie. Bullying, Depression, etc.), just to name a few

Anger Management

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Adoptive and Foster Family Psychological Assessments

Often times a licensed placement agency, county, state or country authorities require a home study to be conducted, including a psychological assessment. Our services can assist with that assessment including a written report. Some agencies require “Prepare & Enrich”, “Taylor Johnson Temperament Assessment”, MMPI or others. Whatever is required, our office can handle it. (For home study assessments see International Christian Adoptions.)

Services Prior to Adoption of Foster Placement

Many agencies require a psychological evaluation, assessments and training PRIOR to a child being placed with you. Taylor Johnson and PREPARE AND ENRICH assessments are available to you. Psychological evaluations required often depend on country requirements. ICA is available to conduct all testing necessary.

Child Assessments

ICA is able to assist with ALL levels of assessing children to help bring about the desired results. ICA has developed a comprehensive system including:

Observations and checklist (well defined behavioral checklists and observations).

Anecdotal Records (short, factual narrative descriptions of behaviors and skills over time).

Running Records (as mentioned above but over a longer period of time).

Portfolios (focus on child’s strengths and demonstrations of knowledge and skills).

Home Inventories (Seeing behaviors in the home).

Developmental Screenings (identifies developmental delays and serves as a guide for areas the child may be ready for).

Diagnostic Assessments (identifies strengths and weaknesses and suggestions for remedial actions).

Standardized Assessments (usually paper/pencil based, designed to capture the child’s response without administrative bias).

IEP Consulting

ICA can assist families with a plan so in turn you, as the family, can work with educators to help your child be successful in school and have all the support and referrals they need.

Mentors and Tutors

All ICA’s mentors and tutors are trained in our in-house service training. Depending on the need, some tutors are peers supervised by the ICA team. Most mentors are college age and above and also serve as tutors. Our concept is a “village” concept where it takes a “village” to raise a child. Each session is 2 hours in length. If the session is done at a home it is a requirement that an adult parent or an adult relative be present in the home while the session is taking place. Sessions outside the home will be discussed and agreed upon by the parent.

Connectedness and Attachment Therapy

Many children of adoption, foster care or other institutions come from trauma based circumstances. These children find it difficult to attach and bond to their new families or to others. They have been exposed to or subjected to child abuse, neglect multiple abandonments, sexual abuse, slavery, prostitution, homelessness and other circumstances. The healing process is a long journey which will take one step at a time. But, there is hope! Tools can be learned that will help to nurture significant changes and growth.

Behavioral Specialist

Oftentimes children need a Coach in the school system or in the home. ICA offers behavioral tools and answers to difficult issues.

Post Adoption Wrap Around Services

This is where ICA looks at your family as a unit, finds your strengths and wraps you around with the services you need to become stronger. Services include child behavioral modification, in home visitations which address issues as they surface and giving you tools for success, mentors, tutors, coaches, testing and assessments and outside referrals to name a few. You are valued and loved and we want to help you.

Community Services and Special Groups

Life Journeys Through Photography

You are unique and amazing. Your life is a piece of art where you are involved in painting your own picture. Through this SERIES of sessions you will learn the basics of a camera and some “secret” techniques in photography. You will take “selfies” to a whole new level! You will learn so much about yourself and the world around you. You will learn about life skills, choices and consequence.

Expressive Art

YOU will be so engaged in this process that what you create will even astonish you! Art comes in several forms. But here you will learn to create a painting or a drawing using oils, acrylics, watercolors, charcoal, pens, pencils….you choose! We will talk through subjects, look at videos, books and other art for inspiration and finally express our thoughts and feelings on a canvas. Be prepared because the canvas we choose may not be conventional!

Creative Artisans

Sometimes we don’t know what we might be good at. It is ok to TRY something new! In trying, you find out who you are! So here, you will learn how to make jewelry and you will learn how to build a business doing it. You will learn about Fair Trade and families with children who are trying to survive. In the end, you will be an Artisan premiering in an Exhibit along with Fair Trade Artisans worldwide…..Artisans With A Cause!

Out Of The Box

Does the expression of poetry, Spoken Word and typography sound amazing to you? Well, it is! You will learn about journaling and that it is not just a “girl thing” diary! It is gateway to your life! You will be inspired by others who have done this work. You will learn to use written, verbal and non verbal means of expression. And in the end of the sessions, YOU will inspire others as we will share what we have learned.

Different Beat

There is definitely rhythm and beat lingering in the air!! You don’t have to be an expert here. You may be a person that is trying to learn why you are the way you are. Maybe you have trouble with anger. Maybe it is hard for you to concentrate. Maybe you just like music. Well, here you go! You will learn drums….not traditional drums…but djembes, congas, bongos, doumbeks, tambourines, triangles, chimes and boomwhackers! You will really enjoy this!

Awaken My Soul

You will learn the basics of acting through Reader’s Theatre! Do you LOVE to read? You will love this! Books, scripts, you name it…..come ALIVE! Sometimes maybe people say you are not paying attention or you are not listening. You have to come to this. You will learn to listen differently, write and speak with incredible confidence.

Children's Peace Exhibit

This is a life changing, hands-on, interactive and rotating subject matter Exhibit. The Children’s Peace Exhibit is registered as a Children’s Museum. ICA schedules tours for school age children (ages 10 and up),teachers and other adults. The Exhibit is also a great place for teens to volunteer their time to get community service hours. Topics for 2014-2015 are Forgiveness (children and families who were persecuted, abused or neglected from war, trafficking or other events who have made the courageous effort to forgive); Orphans Hope Day; Christmas Celebration from around the world; Martin Luther King Day from a kids perspective; International Children’s Day and many other VERY interesting topics. Many meet core curriculum standards.

B-Day Parties ... With A Mission

ICA provides the cupcakes, candles and balloons AND we add a “mission” to this event that the birthday child chooses ahead of time! Instead of participants bringing a gift for the birthday child, they will be bringing a gift (ie. backpack full of supplies, etc.) for a child in need. There are opportunities to decide on the “program” of this magnificent event including special presentations, special music or other options. CALL US SO WE CAN BEGIN PLANNING.

Mission Camps

ICA offers opportunities in day and weekend outings where a team of students under adult supervision provide a needed act of kindness to someone or some group in the community. Please contact us for details.