Author: renee@centerforchildcounseling.org

2014 has been a year of tremendous growth with opportunities to help more children and families in our community. For example, as a approved Medicaid provider and partner in the Children's Behavioral Health Collaborative, we have expanded school and home-based services throughout the community, supporting more children and families with mental health needs. This has only been possible because of the tremendous passion and dedication of our board, staff, interns, and volunteers and the support of amazing individuals, community partners, and foundations who believe in our mission. 

 A very special thank you to...

Quantum Foundation...for your continued support. We are deeply grateful.

Palm Healthcare Foundation...for your generosity and vision in supporting behavioral health in our community.

Town of Palm Beach United Way...we are incredibly honored to be a new partner agency and look forward to working together to support young children.

The Church of Bethesda by-the-Sea...we are grateful for your support in expanding our program.

Ruth Hartman...for your generous contributions and support of our mission.

Kirsch Family Foundation Fund of the Community Foundation of Palm Beach and Martin Counties...for the generous grant to support our programs. 

Community Foundation of Palm Beach and Martin Counties...for the GreatGive! What an incredible day of giving to support our community.

Our Partners...we thank all of our community partners, especially Boys Town South Florida, Families First of Palm Beach County, NAMI of PBC, FAU Community Health Center, YWCA of Palm Beach County, Apostolic Child Development Centers, Aid for Victims of Domestic Abuse (AVDA), and Faith Lutheran Preschool.

In response to the County's request for proposals this summer, key leaders from Boys Town South Florida, Center for Child Counseling, Families First of Palm Beach County, NAMI of PBC, and FAU Community Health Center developed the CBHC. With five core partners, and agreements with over 25 other organizations, the collaborative was formed to help build healthy communities through a seamless, accessible, and recovery oriented system of care for children and their families in need of behavioral health services throughout Palm Beach County.

A New and Better Way to Find the Right Services for Children

 The Children's Behavioral Health Collaborative takes behavioral and mental health services to a new level in Palm Beach County by: 

• Making it easier for families to get the help their children need;
• Providing a comprehensive system of care that can help children succeed in school, at home and in the community;
• Ensuring children and their families have access to an array of services to meet their individual needs;
• Improving communication and cooperation between referral sources and service providers; and
• Improving communication and cooperation between parents, children and other family members. 

Participating Agencies and Primary Roles:

• Boys Town South Florida: Care Coordination Services
• Center For Child Counseling: Individual, Family, and Group Therapy
• Families First of PBC: Individual, Family, and Group Therapy
• Florida Atlantic University's Community Health Center: Psychiatric Assessment, Medication Management, Health Services and Research Report
• National Alliance on Mental Illness: Peer Support, Family Education and Support, Functional Skills training, Advocacy and Outreach

West Palm Beach, Fla. (June 28, 2014) --- The Center for Child Counseling hosted a special reception at the Palm Healthcare Pavilion, 15 Years of Healing Hearts, to celebrate the Center’s 15 year anniversary. Community leaders, professionals, and business partners attended this special event where the organization’s founder, Jane Robinson, was honored for her vision and dedication to helping the youngest children in our community.

Two mothers, Sybil and Jennifer, shared their personal stories reflecting on how the agency, founded as All ‘Bout Children in 1999, impacted the lives of their families. Jennifer Hardiman, mother of Alex and the Center’s volunteer Development Chair, spoke about her family’s journey after adopting Alex from an orphanage in Russia. “Alex played out his early experiences in the Play Therapy room…lining up the toys, just like the orphanage. Jane helped Alex work through that trauma in a safe environment and he is now thriving. We are so thankful.”

Guests attending included Palm Healthcare Foundation and Quantum Foundation staff, Don Chester, Assistant Administrator at St. Mary’s Medical Center, Tradrick McCoy, Legislative Assistant to Representative Bobby Powell, Dr. Ted Greeer, CEO at Center for Family Services, and Beth Walton, CEO of Town of Palm Beach United Way. Florida Community Bank and Fabuluxe Events sponsored the event.

We are so grateful to our supporters over the past fifteen years,” stated Renée Layman, the Center’s Chief Executive Officer. “We continue to expand Jane’s vision of helping the youngest children in our community who have experienced abuse, neglect, and violence. She started this work in our community before most of us knew you could work with such young children…now research shows that early intervention is critical. We are so grateful for the donors and funders who share our vision of developing healthier families and communities by investing in our youngest citizens.”

A special thank you to Ruth Hartman and her husband, Jon Fernans, for supporting the Center for Child Counseling's Institute for Clinical Training.

Through a generous contribution, we are fulfilling our dream of creating a state-of-the-art training facility as a part of our Institute for Clinical Training, which includes our Internship and Professional training programs.

The Hartman Training Center includes a two-way mirror for live supervision and Crowell Assessments, Smart HD TV for Skype conferencing and training, webcams and audiovisual equipment for recording sessions, and an array of educational materials to support learning.

The Center for Child Counseling is pleased to share the addition of outstanding leaders in our community to the Board of Directors. They will assist our new CEO, Renée Layman, in continuing to build the organization and making at impact for at-risk children in our community.

Our new board members include: Dr. Fox-Levine, M.D., Managing Partner at Palm Beach Pediatrics and current president of the Palm Beach County Pediatric Society; Eugenia Millender, PhD (c), RN, MS, PMHFNP, CCRN, Clinical Director for the FAU Diabetes Education and Research Center; Bill Lynch, President and Principal Engineer at Corradino Water and Environment, LLC; Karin Kurtz, Chief Executive Officer of SandyPines Residential Treatment Center; and Jessica Cecere, business owner, consultant, and active community volunteer as the newest members of our Board of Directors. Mr. Lynch, Ms. Cecere, and Ms. Millender are also active alumni of Leadership Palm Beach County.

Our Board members bring a wealth of expertise, knowledge, and passion to the Center for Child Counseling. Each of them is a leader in their field and have a strong desire to make our community a better place to live, which begins with caring for our children. Please join us in welcoming them!

Pictured above is Shannon Fox-Levine, M.D.

We are pleased to announce that on June 1, Renée Layman, LMHC became the new Chief Executive Officer of All 'Bout Children. Ms. Layman is a passionate advocate for children's mental health and has worked on bringing high quality services for some of the most pressing issues for at-risk children and families in Palm Beach County. Under her leadership, we look forward to building on the foundation of quality mental health services and training established by Jane Robinson in 1999 for children and their caregivers.

To reflect the expansion of our mission and scope of services to include older children, teens, and their families, All 'Bout Children's new name is now the Center for Child Counseling, Inc. Ms. Layman comes to the organization with 20 years of experience in mental health, 15 years specific to children's mental health, social emotional issues, and parenting. Over the past ten years, she has gained significant experience in the areas of program development, leadership, and non-profit management. In addition to her experience in the nonprofit sector, Ms. Layman works with children and families in a private practice setting, utilizing Equine Assisted Psychotherapy to help children and families struggling with trauma and loss.

In recognition of her work in the area of child and family wellness, Ms. Layman received Delta Sigma Theta Sorority's Women of Excellence: Health & Wellness Award in 2011. She is a graduate and active member of Leadership Palm Beach County. Ms. Layman earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Florida Atlantic University and a Master's Degree in Mental Health Counseling from Nova Southeastern University. She lives with her family in Palm Beach Gardens.

Our organization has been selected by Extraordinary Charities, Inc. to be part of their directory of 501(c)(3) extraordinary charities in Palm Beach County. Their goal is to raise awareness of unrecognized but deserving charities and open the door to new opportunities in local philanthropy. The directories will be distributed free of charge to help these remarkable charities connect with our local philanthropic community.