Clinical Services

Groups Program

The Groups Program at the Children's Health Council provides therapy groups for children dealing with various developmental or behavioral challenges. Many of our groups serve children with developmental disabilities, behavior and/or attention difficulties, learning challenges, anxiety, depression, or communication/speech and language issues. Groups are formed based on age, gender, and problem area.

Click here for a full listing of the current Groups avaliable
between January to May 2008

For information on attending any of the Groups contact: 650.688.3625
or intake@chconline.org

The Power of Groups

by Peter Adler, Ph.D., School-Age Group Program Director

At CHC, we offer groups for children from preschool to eighteen.
We use state-of-the-art approaches. For example, children with anxiety work with Cool Kids workbooks developed at Macquarie University. Children with Asperger’s watch each other on video tape and see how to be a Think-About-Others person. Expressive art projects using pastels, paints, or clay, help children learn about and express their emotions. There are structured lessons in turn-taking, sharing, problem solving, and anger management.
But the real power of groups is what the children give each other.

Click here to read the full article - The Power of Groups

Teen Counseling Groups - Ages 14-17

by Richard Stolee, MFT

Teen counseling groups provide an opportunity for junior and senior high school students to discuss the challenges they are experiencing in school, at home, and
in their peer relationships.

Click for more information on the Teen Counseling Groups

School Age Groups (Ages 6-17)

Social skills are critical and necessary throughout life. Many children struggle
with these skills, but they can be taught. The Social Skills Groups at CHC can show children how to join groups, compromise, communicate effectively, deal with rejection and teasing, and control anger. Through role-playing, modeling, games, videotaping and expressive art projects, therapists can help a child learn valuable social techniques.

CHC offers the following six groups for boys and girls (ages 6-18):

Anxiety
Depression
ADHD
Aspergers / PDD Spectrum
Social Awkwardness
Externalizing & Internalizing Symptoms

Click here for a printable School Age Groups flyer

Preschool/Young Child Groups (Ages 3-8)

CHC offers the following five groups for young children:

Speech and Occupational Therapy (SPOT)
Kindergarten Readiness
Speech and Language/Slingerland Group
Social Communication Group
Social Skills Group

Click here for a printable Pre-School /Young Groups flyer

Click here for a printable SPOT Groups flyer

Art Therapy

Art Therapy is a type of psychotherapy that combines traditional verbal (“talk”) psychotherapy with nonverbal communication through the creation of artwork.
Art therapy is important because it is a portal to understanding how a child experiences their world and the world around them. Art directives help release complex feelings that can often be difficult to express. A key aspect is that no
artistic talent is required or necessary and mistakes are encouraged. Art therapy can serve as an adjunct to existing, ongoing treatment(s) or on its own as the primary psychotherapeutic modality. The CHC Art Therapy Program offers groups and individual sessions structured to meet the needs of each child. The program
is unique in that it serves both clinic clients and EBC school students.

The following criteria describe the types of children who might benefit from a referral for art therapy services:

Young children whose verbal skills are not fully developed and are experiencing emotional difficulties
Children who are experiencing physical or emotional pain and have
difficulty talking about what they are going through
Children who are developmentally delayed and have difficulty
verbalizing their feelings
Children with poor social skills and in a need of a non-threatening, nonverbal means of communicating with peers

Click here for a printable Art Therapy Groups flyer

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Children with Complex Medical Problems (CCMP)

The Program for Children with Complex Medical Problems (CCMP) serves children who have experienced life-threatening injuries or medical conditions and who, because of the injury or condition, its treatment or its long-term effects, are at risk
for psychosocial and educational problems.

Program Goals

To work with primary care pediatricians, pediatric groups and pediatric departments in the Bay Area to address the psychosocial and educational needs of children with complex medical conditions.
To facilitate children's return to school or community activities after
extended or frequent absences.
To address the concerns of children and families with complex medical conditions and chronic illnesses, including contact and networking, information and counseling needs.
To provide ongoing support to children as they continue in school, with support made available via assessment, treatment and advocacy services.
To provide education to children and families about health promotion, including self-management skills, adherence to medical regimens and
health-protective behaviors.
To work closely with the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital staff, including the H.E.A.L. program, in order to assist in children's transitions from
hospital-based care to home and community.

Assessment, treatment and advocacy services are available through CCMP.
Financial assistance is available.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, please contact Access, Information and Referral at (650) 688-3625. If appropriate, the access counselor
will schedule an initial clinical assessment with a CCMP clinician, who will review
the child and family's concerns and recommend the most suitable services to address the child's needs.

Behavior Management

CHC offers two services to help children control their emotions and behaviors in more positive ways.

Behavioral Specialist Outreach Program (BSOP)
This program provides behavioral specialists to K-12 public and private schools.
The behavioral specialists partner with teachers and therapists to encourage children to make positive behavior choices and to establish a classroom environment that is conducive to learning.

The Behavioral Specialists:

Assist schools in meeting state special education mandates.
Allow teachers to maximize classroom time for academic learning by minimizing behavioral disruptions.
Teach children and families lifelong positive behavior support strategies.
Develop behavior support plans and train staff on the execution of interventions in the classroom.
Provide training for students in social skills, conflict resolution and anger management.
Provide crisis support for students and school staff.
Provide transitional support for special education students who are transitioning to less restrictive environments.

Behavioral Consulting Program

This program provides parents and schools with professionals trained in Applied Behavioral Analysis. These professionals will conduct an assessment and develop
a behavior plan and interventions based on a child's individual needs.

Behavioral Consultants offer:
School Consultations - where they assess classroom instructional methods
and activities; conduct functional analysis assessments; develop individual and classroom behavior intervention plans and assist in plan implementation and
staff training.

General Consultations - where they provide general support to school districts/ SELPAs regarding assessments, compliancy issues, and federal and state laws.

Home-Based Assessment Services - where they conduct a "single discipline" assessment upon referral from a clinician or participate as a member of a CHC interdisciplinary assessment team. These services are designed to assist parents
of children with behavior issues in the home and to develop home behavior plans.

Implementation and Follow Up - where they train staff and/or parents on how
to implement school-based or in-home behavior plans while also offering ongoing professional support, data collection, and hands-on training.

In-Services/Trainings/Seminars - where they train professionals and/or parents in specific areas of applied behavioral analysis, behavior management, current laws, and crisis management.