Children's Services
Children and Family Services provides unique counseling to individuals who are in need of individual and family counseling as well as case management services. Services are structured to be strength based and tailored to meet the specific needs of each family. Therapy can be scheduled in the homes of the families, in the schools, daycare settings or at the Human Service Agency. Therapists not only work to help the family use their strengths to reach goals identified by the family, they also help children and families navigate their way through the legal system, talking to court service officers, correctional agents or social service case workers if necessary.
The Human Service Agency also provides groups for adolescents who are in danger of becoming involved with the legal system. Both the Anger Management Group and High Risk Group meet weekly for a minimum of 12 weeks. The goal is to teach participants accountability and how to utilize individual strengths to meet his/her personal goals. The Anger Group is for young adolescents who have difficulty controlling his/her anger. This group teaches skills to help individuals better cope with anger producing situations and also identifies anger triggers, body reaction cues and how to reduce daily stress. The High Risk Group works with older adolescents who have demonstrated a pattern of engaging in risky behaviors such as drug/alcohol use, bullying or other criminal behavior.
Elementary age children demonstrating difficulty controlling their anger are encouraged to participate in our Children's Anger Control Group. This group utilizes the curriculum from the Kelly Bear Violence Prevention Program. It addresses body cues to anger, emotional triggers, daily stress and learned anger coping skills. Children learn how to interact with one another as well as learn and practice skills to coping with feelings they don't yet understand but demonstrate as anger: frustration, embarrassment, fear, disappointment, jealousy, and sadness.
Intensive Case Management is for families who find themselves in the center of multiple providers such as social services, court services, special education instructors or legal involvement. The family identifies individuals they would like on their "team" and the intensive case manager works to bring all of these providers and participants together to focus on family strengths to meet the identified goals.
If you have any of the following concerns about your child's behaviors, call HSA today for a consultation:
- Oppositional behavior
- Isolation; withdrawing from peers and previously enjoyed activities
- Talking about suicide
- Refusing to follow direction
- Legal involvement
- Suspicion of drug use
- Truancy
- Family conflicts
Our qualified staff includes:
Shane Larson, MS
Pam Luecke, MS
Dawn Sikkink, BS
Jennifer Anderson, BS (Milbank)
Kari Johnston, LPC
Gertrude Larsen, MA
SERVICES ARE PROVIDED AT NO COST TO QUALIFYING FAMILIES.
