Contributions support professional mental health services so that children and adolescents can achieve their optimal potential. At the Child Guidance Center, we are helping children, adolescents, and their parents feel differently about themselves and their possibilities.

Parents who were confounded by their child’s mental illness have gained a better understanding of their child’s needs and strengths, becoming more competent, confident, and loving in their parenting. Adolescents who were suicidal, are now seeing themselves and their futures in a more positive light, recognizing their opportunities and believing in their dreams. Children who were victims of abuse and neglect, are overcoming the trauma they faced and getting back to the simple pleasures of childhood...playing, learning, and making friends.

Your support helps the Child Guidance Center keep its commitment to provide services to children and adolescents based on clinical need regardless of the family’s financial resources or an HMO’s willingness to pay. Currently 97% of our patients require financial subsidy.

Please donate to the Child Guidance Center and help children like Caitlin, Jose, Jennifer and Tyrone have a brighter future. (Names and identifying information have been changed to protect the confidentiality of our patients.)

Many children and families in our community are struggling with serious emotional problems.  Listed below are brief descriptions of a few of the children referred to our Child/Family Therapy and Crisis Intervention Programs.

Caitlin
The mother of a 15-year-old called the crisis line. Her daughter, a diabetic, is not doing well. She stopped seeing her nutritionist, began drinking and smoking pot. Caitlin told her mother she has been thinking about killing herself. She has thought about running into the middle of the road or jumping off a high building.

Jose
A 6-year-old boy has been making suicidal statements for the past two weeks and tried to poison his dog. Three years ago his father was violently killed, and the murderer was never apprehended. The child is saying he wants to be with his father. Last night he filled up the bathtub and tried to drown himself.

Jennifer
The parents of a 17-year-old called asking for help with their daughter. She is very bright, scored 1250 on the PSATs last year, then dropped out of school. She was diagnosed with depression by the family doctor and medication was prescribed, but she stopped taking the meds. She stays around the house all day and is frequently out late at night. Her parents suspect that she may be experimenting with drugs. They have given her several ultimatums but admit that they are unable to follow through on disciplining her.

Tyrone
A 10-year-old boy was referred by the school psychologist because he had set a fire in the school. In the initial interview it was revealed that he had set other fires in the community. His mother died a year ago, and he lives alone with his father. Both father and child minimized the problem, and the youngster did not seem remorseful.

Untreated, these youngsters face a bleak future, pose a threat to society and drain the resources of the community. At the Child Guidance Center we work with the youngster, the school and the family to systematically resolve problems and help the child develop inner resources and the capacity to reach his or her optimal potential.