Center for Child Counseling Merges with KidSafe to Fight Sexual Abuse

Cara Hansen Fighting ACEs PBC, Latest News, News Releases October 6, 2022October 8, 2022Center for Child Counseling, KidSafe, Laura Aksowitz, Renee Layman, Sexual Abuse

NEWS RELEASE

October 3, 2022
For immediate release
Media contact: Cara Scarola Hansen
Center for Child Counseling Public Relations Counsel
cara@yourmissionmarketing.com

Center for Child Counseling Merges with KidSafe to Fight Sexual Abuse

Merger elevates kids’ safety in the fight against adverse childhood experiences, particularly preventing and treating sexual abuse.

Center for Child Counseling (CFCC) in collaboration with KidSafe Foundation announce the merger of the two not-for-profit organizations which both serve children and families with the shared goal of healthy families, schools, and communities. Effective October 1, 2022, KidSafe now operates under CFCC, knowing that the two entities will be stronger together in their education and prevention of child sexual abuse and childhood trauma.

Every nine minutes, a child is a victim of sexual abuse and assault (rainn.org). Of those children who are sexually abused, 90% are abused by someone they know and trust. Sexual abuse can have long-lasting physical and emotional effects, including: depression, eating disorders, self-blame, self-destructive behaviors, cyclical abuse, learning disabilities, drug abuse.

Since 2009, KidSafe Foundation has empowered over 60,000 children with personal safety education and has taught over 50,000 parents, guardians, teachers, and child-serving professionals how to keep kids safe. In addition to protecting children from sexual abuse, KidSafe teaches children safety tools and skills that help them make safe and smart choices in all areas as they become healthy, powerful adults.
Research has shown that unaddressed mental health problems among children can lead to lower educational achievement, greater involvement with the criminal justice system, and poor health and social outcomes overall.

Since 1999, Center for Child Counseling has supported thousands of children each year, preventing and healing the effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and trauma, while promoting resiliency and healthy relationships. CFCC launched its Fighting ACEs initiative in 2016 to promote a public health approach to preventing and healing the effects of early adversity and trauma on children to build healthier, safer, more nurturing families, schools, and communities.

As part of this initiative, CFCC CEO Renée Layman explains, “We are looking at each of the ACEs and how we can provide prevention and education to build caregiver and community capacity, in addition to treatment to help children and families heal after trauma. We don’t want to replicate what anyone is doing. When we started looking at a public health approach and prevention of sexual abuse, KidSafe already had everything perfectly in place.”

Under the leadership and direction of CEO Laura Askowitz and Co-Founder Cherie Benjoseph, KidSafe has gone from grass-roots to sustainable and has built an evidence-informed, research-based, innovative curriculum that educates and empowers children to advocate for their own personal safety–thereby preventing sexual abuse or a continuous cycle of abuse and a lifetime of health issues.

According to Askowitz, “This merger allows KidSafe programming to be even more accessible to the community. Our education absolutely reduces children’s vulnerability to exploitation, but at its core, it’s really about arming children with resiliency and preventing life-long trauma from ACEs. That’s why this was a natural fit: combining resources to serve more children and help them grow up to be healthy, powerful adults.”

The merger of the two organizations promotes continued growth of the KidSafe program under the infrastructure and support of CFCC’s larger staff. KidSafe’s six staff members will join Center for Child Counseling as key members of their 70-person staff, contributing to the continued program development of the agency’s fight against sexual abuse as well as their fight against all the other ACEs. As the new Director of Strategic Development for CFCC, Askowitz will help build sustainability for the agency and expand and grow its impact.

As members of the nonprofit sector, both Layman and Askowitz view this merger as a responsibility to their funding partners’ and the community’s limited resources–ensuring proper sustainability so that the education and care reach more children and families.

About Center for Child Counseling
Since 1999, Center for Child Counseling has been building the foundation for playful, healthful, and hopeful living for children and families in Palm Beach County. Its services focus on preventing and healing the effects of adverse experiences and toxic stress on children, promoting resiliency and healthy family, school, and community relationships.

For more information, visit centerforchildcounseling.org. Twitter: @ChildCounselPBC Facebook: @CenterforChildCounseling Instagram: @childcounselpbc

The following interviews are available related to this merger:

Renée Layman, Chief Executive Officer of Center for Child Counseling
Laura Aksowitz, Former Chief Executive Officer of KidSafe

Click here to view news release.

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Art therapy for LGBTQ+ teens launching January 2022

Cara Hansen News Releases December 9, 2021December 9, 2021Art therapy, Center for Child Counseling, Jeni Licata, LGBTQ, Lighthouse ArtCenter, mental health, Renee Layman

NEWS RELEASE

December 9, 2021
For immediate release
Media contact: Cara Scarola Hansen
Center for Child Counseling Public Relations Counsel
cara@yourmissionmarketing.com

Art therapy for LGBTQ+ teens launching January 2022

Center for Child Counseling (CFCC) is teaming up with Lighthouse ArtCenter to offer weekly group art therapy activities for tweens and teens to support their mental health, peer relationships, and overall well-being. The purpose of this program is to increase feelings of community and connectedness, build resilience and coping skills, and decrease feelings associated with anxiety, depression, loneliness, and/or stress. The program will begin with a free, eight-week series for LGBTQ+ middle school youth beginning January 4, 2022.

Chief Executive Officer of CFCC, Renée Layman, chose to begin with LGBTQ+ teens “because there is a need for every teenager, regardless of sexual orientation and identification, to feel support and accepted by both their peers and adults, and there’s a critical gap in these services in the northern county.”

The group will focus on exploring and promoting LGBTQ+ well-being while engaging in art using mixed media. Each weekly session provides therapeutic art activities, ranging from painting to pottery, facilitated by both a Center for Child Counseling mental health therapist and a Lighthouse ArtCenter art instructor. At the end of each group cohort, participants will receive their own Art and Mindfulness Kit to promote continued use of the skills and techniques learned during the group sessions.

Play Therapy has been the foundation of CFCC’s work for the last 22 years, underlying all the interventions used to help children and teens work through trauma, loss, grief, and other circumstances that impact mental health and well-being. Art is a type of play that requires imagination, creativity, and opportunities for exploration and expression beyond one’s physical surroundings. Center for Child Counseling and Lighthouse ArtCenter look forward to adding more group art therapy to the 2022 calendar in the near future.

“We are seeing significant increases in anxiety and depression in teens; so, as an organization, we are looking at ways to provide early intervention and support in addition to the treatment services we already provide. We know that Art Therapy works and are thrilled about this partnership with Lighthouse ArtCenter as a way to reach and help more adolescents in our community,” stated Layman.

Jeni Licata, executive director of Lighthouse ArtCenter added, “Our community needs more programs that support the mental health and well-being of young people. We are grateful and excited to collaborate with Center for Child Counseling to provide such a valuable program.”

The LGBTQ+ art therapy sessions will be on Tuesdays from 6-8 PM, January 4 – February 22, 2022, at the Lighthouse ArtCenter at 373 Tequesta Drive, Tequesta. Due to limited space, pre-registration is required and participants are asked to commit to attending each of the eight sessions.

For more information or to register for the LGBTQ+ art therapy program, visit: www.centerforchildcounseling.org/artclub.

This partnership is supported with support from the Max & Marjorie Fisher Foundation.

About Lighthouse ArtCenter
Lighthouse ArtCenter Gallery & School of Art is 501c(3) not-for-profit founded in 1964 by eight artists and Christopher Norton. The ArtCenter is dedicated to the visual arts whose mission is to inspire, engage and connect our community through a vibrant school of art, unique exhibitions, and diverse special events. The center has grown into a three-building campus consisting of a Gallery & 2D Studio, 3D Studio, and a Jewelry & Textile Studio. Supported by memberships, tuition, grants, and donations, Lighthouse ArtCenter serves over 20,000 visitors, 3,000 students, 45 faculty members, 400 summer art campers, and a comprehensive outreach program to benefit under-served populations. For more information visit https://www.lighthousearts.org.
Facebook: @lighthousearts.org Instagram: @lighthousearts Twitter: @LighthouseArtC

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Integrating Mental Health into Primary Pediatric Care

Cara Hansen News Releases October 21, 2021October 21, 2021behavioral health, Center for Child Counseling, mental health, Palm Beach Pediatrics, primary pediatric care, Renee Layman, Shannon Fox-Levine

NEWS RELEASE

October 11, 2021
For immediate release
Media contact: Cara Scarola Hansen
Center for Child Counseling Public Relations Counsel
cara@yourmissionmarketing.com

Integrating Mental Health into Primary Pediatric Care
Partnership between Center for Child Counseling and Palm Beach Pediatrics addresses the whole child to serve as best practice model of care

Center for Child Counseling (CFCC) in collaboration with Palm Beach Pediatrics (PBP) announce their partnership of integrating mental health care into primary pediatric care which began Monday, October 4, 2021.

An estimated one in five children will experience a mental health disorder at some point in their lives. Of those children diagnosed with mental health disorders, 75 percent of children are currently seen in primary care settings, demonstrating the growing role primary care settings have in addressing mental health issues. At the same time, it is estimated that 75-80 percent of children in need of mental health services do not receive them.

Research has shown that unaddressed mental health problems among children can lead to lower educational achievement, greater involvement with the criminal justice system, and poor health and social outcomes overall.

A recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study reported a 31% increase in the proportion of mental health–related emergency department visits for youth ages 12–17 years during 2020 as compared to 2019. The uncertainty, anxiety, isolation, and economic insecurity from the COVID-19 pandemic are traumatic experiences that, if not addressed, can cause long-term health consequences. Youth anxiety, depression, and suicide rates were at an all-time high before the pandemic. Social isolation, fear, and stress have amplified these issues and are impacting children’s and teen’s mental health.

The pandemic is adding a huge increase in the need for pediatric mental health services. There are critical shortages in health professionals to meet the current and increasing demand for services.

“Directly supporting trauma-informed and responsive approaches across systems that serve children and families, particularly pediatric primary care, can and will mitigate the negative impacts of overwhelming stress and help them thrive now and beyond the pandemic,” stated Renée Layman, chief executive officer of Center for Child Counseling.

For children and adolescents, many of the consequences of the pandemic will not be immediately visible, but they could be lifelong without immediate action to support their mental health and well-being.

According to the AAP: “Pediatric clinicians are on the front lines of caring for children and adolescents and, thus, have the greatest potential for early identification of and response to childhood trauma. Data indicate that, although pediatric providers intuitively understand the negative effects of trauma, they report a lack of knowledge, time, and resources as major barriers to providing trauma-informed care. Yet, experts believe that the complete assessment of child and adolescent behavioral, developmental, emotional, and physical health requires consideration of trauma as part of the differential diagnosis to improve diagnostic accuracy and appropriateness of care.”

Through this partnership, Center for Child Counseling, a local nonprofit, is embedding its services within Palm Beach Pediatrics to deliver an array of prevention, early intervention, and mental health services within the primary care setting.

Over the past twenty-two years, Center for Child Counseling has used an integration model for services, locating CFCC staff within childcare centers, schools, and organizations serving children. This approach will now be used to fully integrate into the primary pediatric care setting for the first time. A CFCC care coordinator and therapist will be embedded at PBP, working seamlessly as a part of the PBP team to provide mental health services, consultation, crisis intervention, referral and triage, education, and resources for patients, families, and staff.

Research shows that this holistic approach supports overall wellness, including short and long-term health outcomes.

According to Dr. Shannon Fox-Levine of Palm Beach Pediatrics, “This collaboration will promote a best practice model of care that addresses the whole child, supporting social-emotional, cognitive, and physical development to ensure that children, adolescents, and families receive immediate access to mental health services, education, and resources.”

This pediatric integration model and CFCC services to those who are not insured or under-insured are made possible thanks to grant funding through local funders such as Palm Beach Community Services, Quantum Foundation, Florida Blue Foundation, Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County, Palm Beach County’s Youth Services Department, and Health Care District of Palm Beach County.

For more information, visit centerforchildcounseling.org. Twitter: @ChildCounselPBC Facebook: @CenterforChildCounseling Instagram: @childcounselpbc

About Palm Beach Pediatrics
Palm Beach Pediatrics is one of the largest providers of primary pediatric care in Palm Beach County. With three locations spread throughout Palm Beach County (Royal Palm Beach, West Palm Beach, and Boynton Beach), they served 16,000 patients in 2020 and currently have 19,300 active patients. Palm Beach Pediatrics is committed to meeting the physical, emotional, and psychological needs of the children and young adults of Palm Beach County by providing the highest quality of care with compassion and honesty.

For more information, visit pbpediatrics.com.

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Raising Awareness During Child Abuse Prevention Month

Cara Hansen News Releases April 19, 2021April 19, 2021ACEs, Child Abuse Prevention Month, Renee Layman

NEWS RELEASE
April 12, 2021
For immediate release
Media contact: Cara Scarola Hansen
cara@yourmissionmarketing.com
561-632-6747

COVID Increases Risk for Child Abuse: Center for Child Counseling Fights ACEs and Raises Awareness During Child Abuse Prevention Month

In recognition of April as Child Abuse Prevention Month, Center for Child Counseling (CFCC) is raising awareness and building prevention methods for Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) in Palm Beach County.

According to the CDC, heightened stress, school closures, loss of income, and social isolation resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic have increased the risk for child abuse and neglect. Adverse Childhood Experiences, such as abuse and neglect, are a leading public health issue. In the absence of healthy and buffering relationships, childhood trauma and adversity can have a devastating impact on the minds and bodies of children and lead to a lifetime of issues for individuals, including mental and physical health difficulties and a shorter life expectancy.

“ACEs are the single greatest unaddressed public health threat facing our nation today,” said Dr. Robert Block, former president of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

While the focus has undoubtedly been on the pandemic, the resulting emotional fallout and other unexpected and unintended consequences are going to be part of the so-called “echo pandemic” for years and possibly decades to come. Children already living in tenuous circumstances have almost certainly fallen through the cracks when it comes to abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction. The rates of alcoholism and drug abuse have skyrocketed in American homes, as has childhood depression. According to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, from April through November of 2020, there was a 35% increase in children who needed mental health assistance compared to 2019 and an uptick in suicide attempts as well.

Center for Child Counseling continuously works to fight ACEs and promote solutions. Building a resilient community to support child-wellbeing is the overarching goal.

“If we ensure that every community is equipped to support people who have experienced traumatic events, we make resilience a real possibility. Abuse and neglect don’t discriminate and neither do behavioral issues or family dysfunction,” states Renée Layman, Chief Executive Officer at CFCC, which aims to fill critical gaps in the system of mental health care for young children and their families.

CFCC’s Fighting ACEs initiative includes an array of prevention and early intervention activities including direct services for children and families, clinical training and supervision, and educational workshops for caregivers and professionals–teachers, social workers, childcare workers, police officers, attorneys, nonprofits, foster care homes, pediatricians, etc.–who work with children on how to recognize signs of Adverse Childhood Experiences and combat toxic stress in children. The ultimate goal in preventing abuse and mitigating long-term effects is to create a system-wide network of adult ‘buffers’ who are trauma-informed and ‘ACEs aware.’

“Fighting ACEs is at the core of our mission. Mental, emotional, social, and physical well-being are directly linked to what happens in early childhood. We are able to provide multi-layered interventions and support for families and caregivers who are dealing with the effects of ACEs,” says Layman.

In addition to intervention, CFCC also recognizes the importance of prevention as a key solution. During this period of uncertainty and change, many children are craving reassurance and support from the adults in their lives–parents, family members, caregivers, and educators. Adults are also likely finding the need for extra support to navigate the chaos of a pandemic-driven world. One way that Center for Child Counseling is building a resilient community is through free online trainings and workshops that offer practical advice and coping techniques to meet the expressed needs of our communities. Topics range from ‘Resilience Building – A Guide for Educators’ to ‘How to Manage Sibling Rivalry’ to ‘Supporting Children During COVID-19.’

To nurture children’s potential and to promote greater health and wellbeing throughout Florida, one of the most impactful things community members can do is address Adverse Childhood Experiences. National Child Abuse Prevention Month recognizes the importance of families and communities working together to strengthen families to prevent child abuse and neglect. Through this collaboration, prevention services and supports help protect children and produce thriving families. Join CFCC in building resilience and raising awareness and prevention of ACEs, like abuse, by participating in one of the free trainings through the Institute for Clinical Training. For a full listing of courses and to register, visit: www.centerforchildcounseling.org/training/.

Since 1999, Center for Child Counseling has been building the foundation for playful, healthful, and hopeful living for children and families in Palm Beach County. Its services focus on preventing and healing the effects of adverse experiences and toxic stress on children, promoting resiliency and healthy family, school, and community relationships. For more information, visit: centerforchildcounseling.org. For schools, organizations, and individuals interested in learning more about the effects of toxic stress and ACEs, please contact info@centerforchildcounseling.org. The Fighting ACEs initiative is made possible with the generous support of the Quantum Foundation and private donors.