For children in crisis, our first priority is securing their safety. Next is providing trauma-informed mental health care critical for healing.

Shelter’s Clinical Program provides counseling to young people who have experienced trauma from abuse, neglect or other family situations. The Clinical Program breaks down the barriers to receiving quality mental health care by increasing access and coordinating care.

Many of the children and families in Shelter’s programs are under-insured or on Medicaid. Finding mental health service providers is often difficult. By accepting Medicaid and other insurance, Shelter can offer therapy to children and their family members whose mental health impacts their well-being. 

Shelter’s therapists have flexibility to accommodate school and work schedules, and services may be provided through home visits or at other convenient locations eliminating the need for childcare and transportation. Making mental health therapy accessible to children in crisis results in more successful outcomes and fewer life-long effects from trauma. Without intervention, child abuse’s life-long effects may include multiple mental health disorders, chronic illness, suicide, drug addiction and more.

Because youth in Shelter’s programs receive personalized case management, all support services and care are coordinated between internal programs and external providers and stakeholders such as school counselors and family physicians. Case management takes a whole-family approach, offering comprehensive healthcare that can break the cycle of abuse for generations to come.