Resource: The Family Centre, Services at Schools

We have partnered with over 80 schools in Edmonton to ensure students, their families, and the school employees receive supports to:

• Improve classroom behaviours by addressing underlying issues
• Provide tools and techniques for teachers and families to keep children in school and to understand children who have gone through trauma
• Foster a positive school experience, and build confidence and skills for academic success
• Support children to attend school more regularly, achieve higher results, avoid high-risk behaviours, make effective decisions and goals, and see a positive future for themselves
• Engage families in participating in their child’s learning, the school environment, and family activities
• Guide children and youth to make positive decisions using role models, mentors, advocates, and affordable community supports
• Reduce the stigma and other barriers to therapeutic supports

SUCCESS COACHES

Success Coaches help youth who have been hurt emotionally, are disengaged, and have lost their confidence in others. Coaches foster a positive school experience and build confidence and skills for academic success. With the support of a success coach, children attend school more regularly, achieve higher results, avoid high-risk behaviours, make effective decisions and goals, and see a positive future for themselves.

How will students benefit?

Success coaches develop relationships with children and youth to:

• Promote a healthy view of education, and facilitate success in school by exploring future career opportunities
• Encourage participation in healthy physical activity
• Support transitioning to a new grade or school
• Build resiliency skills to cope with challenging situations
• Develop stronger social, academic, and communication skills
• Be more equipped to solve problems, deal with anger, and make positive decisions
• Increase their community network of supports
• Provide opportunities for healthy peer interaction

MENTAL HEALTH THERAPISTS

We believe children should not be judged solely on their misconduct or grades; we should aim to understand and support the underlying reasons for their behaviour. Those who access our therapists sometimes face multiple stressors, such as poverty, abuse, or addiction, and would not typically access therapy services otherwise. Other times, they may have experienced a trauma or are struggling to meet expectations.

In addition to supporting students, mental health therapists work with their family, community, and teachers to help the m better understand children who have gone through trauma. This includes educating the community about the impact of trauma on the developing brain. We believe reaching children and youth while they are in school is the best way to encourage future success.

Mental health therapists provide a combination of counselling and group work, customized for the child and their family. They work collaboratively with other service providers in a ‘circle of support’ model for children and their families.

To help young people and families overcome the barriers and challenges that inhibit learning and development, and stop kids from completing high school, we focus on:

• Children engaged in high-risk behaviours
• Bullying and conflict resolution in school and peer environments
• Chaotic, unhealthy home environments
• Dysfunctional and dangerous relationships
• The debilitating stress of living in extreme poverty
• The effects of fetal alcohol syndrome
• Children experiencing the effects of abuse and trauma
• Parental dysfunction and child neglect

WHO CAN ACCESS THESE SERVICES?

Students and their families at participating schools. Please connect with the principal for more information.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

There is no cost to families.

HOW CAN WE GET THESE SERVICES IN OUR SCHOOL?

Please contact us for more information

For more information on the Family Centre please click here