Mental Health Department
The Mental Health Department at the CCAC provides mental health services to sexually abused children and their families ranging from 3-17 years of age. The therapeutic services focus on the treatment of symptoms children experience as a result of sexual abuse and their well-being throughout the healing process. The therapists work from an integrated theoretical approach with a focus on the treatment of abuse related issues.
Each client receives a thorough trauma assessment that includes a clinical interview, observations of the client and his/her family, administration of psychological self-report measures, and review of relevant documents. The therapist, client (if age appropriate), and the caregiver/parent will meet to review the results of the assessment and complete a treatment plan that includes identification of specific issues and goals and a timeline to complete the goals. The treatment plans are randomly selected quarterly and reviewed through a utilization process to ensure quality treatment.
In addition to the general treatment program in the Mental Health Department, more specialized programs meet the needs of specific populations. They include the following:
Expressive Therapy Program:
Expressive Therapy is a unique and specialized field of mental health that helps clients heal through the therapeutic use of the arts. Expressive therapists are trained in both the arts and therapy in order to integrate the use of the visual arts, dance, music, and writing with mental health practices. Although similar to other forms of counseling and psychotherapy, expressive therapists use specialized creative processes as the primary modality to help clients heal and grow.
The Expressive Therapy Program helps children process their feelings and thoughts about the abuse using non-verbal and verbal means. Children who are most appropriate for this program are children who have difficulty expressing themselves verbally, due to age or degree of trauma, developmental level, and/or children with developmental delays.
Adolescent Counseling Program:
The Adolescent Counseling Program provides services to adolescents 12-17 years of age, with an emphasis on exploring and treating the effects of sexual abuse at their developmental level. This program also treats young women who are pregnant and/or parenting and have a history of sexual abuse. Following a thorough assessment, the program offers individual, group and options counseling, parenting education and court advocacy to teen clients.
Services, Treatment, and Options Program (STOP):
This program is a small program in the Mental Health Department that provides risk evaluations for children 12 years old and younger who have demonstrated sexual behavior problems. Children in this program are referred internally from the multidisciplinary partners or the CCAC staff. The evaluation process can take up to six sessions and includes administration of psychological self-report measures, clinical interviews, review of documents and observations. Following the evaluation, the child and his/her family are referred for appropriate treatment and services.
Groups:
Groups are conducted continuously throughout the year. They are based on the needs of the clients presenting to the Mental Health Department and are very helpful for those who seek interactions with others who share similar experiences. Our abused-focused therapy groups occur in the spring and fall of each year and involve a group for the child and his/her caregiver that run simultaneously. Other groups offered as needed, include a sibling art therapy, parent, Spanish speaking, parent education, and expressive therapy groups.
Group Treatment:
Groups are conducted throughout the year. They are based on the needs of the clients and are very helpful for those who really seek interactions with others who share similar experiences. The groups include child, sibling and parent groups in English and in Spanish. The group members are thoroughly screened to ensure that they are appropriate to participate in group treatment.
Psychiatry Services:
The psychiatry services are limited at the CCAC, and include psychiatric evaluation, medication evaluation, and medication management. Any client who receives services at the CCAC is eligible to receive psychiatric services.
Crisis Program:
Children and/or family members who express suicidal and/or homicidal ideation, or demonstrate psychotic feature(s) during their visit at the Center, or if a multidisciplinary partner or staff member expresses concern regarding their well-being, they will receive a crisis screening. The client is screened for well-being or risk concerns by their CCAC Family Advocate and/or mental health clinician, and be provided an appropriate disposition. The disposition can range from a referral for outpatient therapy to inpatient psychiatric hospitalization. The goal of crisis intervention is to provide stabilization during the crisis. The Family Advocates follow up with the clients to help facilitate linkage to an appropriate treatment provider.
Other Services Offered by the Mental Health Department
Training:
The CCAC is a wonderful training site for graduate students pursuing careers in the social services/mental health field. We have psychologists, licensed social workers, licensed counselors, and a registered art therapist who can provide training for students in their respective fields. The Mental Health Department trains psychology students for therapy practicum as well as social work, counseling, and art therapy students for internships.
Network of Treatment Providers-Child Sexual Abuse (NTP-CSA):
The CCAC facilitates the NTP-CSA. The mission of the Network of Treatment Providers-Child Sexual Abuse (NTP-CSA) is a partnership of Chicago area agencies and private therapists working together to support abused children, their minor siblings and non-offending caregiver having access to professional and specially trained mental health providers. Its mission is to provide linkage to mental health services that are needed as a result of a child abuse investigation and to coordinate as needed with the Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center (CCAC) and other agencies involved in the child abuse investigation.
