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January 14, 2008
Child Guidance Center of Southern Connecticut
Our children are our future.
It’s a cliché...I know. You’ve heard it a thousand times and possibly more. It bears repeating, however, because it allows us to take a moment and consider the responsibilities this mantra suggests. It is so easy for us, as adults, to become wrapped up in our own lives…our own situations …our own worries…yet, it can be even easier for the experiences, concerns, and issues of the children in our lives to seem unapparent or to be dismissed as trivial in comparison. Without proper acknowledgement and treatment, these issues can grow to become psychological, behavioral, developmental, social, or family problems; they not only interfere with daily functions, but they also threaten long-term development.
In such instances, can our children really have a fair shot at a promising future?
Of course, we’d all like to believe that every child we encounter in our daily routine is carefree and has a perfect, blissful childhood. We know, however, that this is not the case, and that there are youngsters in every community that need the guidance of professionally-trained adults to make it through tough circumstances, achieve personal happiness, and reach optimum potential.
Luckily for the residents of Darien, Greenwich, Stamford, and New Canaan, Child Guidance Center of Southern Connecticut (CGC) is reaching out with helping hands and is committed to providing the support necessary to assist our children to rise above troubled times and thrive.
The CGC is an outpatient mental health center for children and adolescents, birth to age 18, and cares for youngsters experiencing depression, anxiety, eating or sleep disorders, hallucinations, promiscuity, risky behavior, child abuse or neglect, the death of a parent or loved one, suspension from school, a sudden distressing event, or being a witness to violence in the home, school, or community. Centers are located in Darien at 92 Post Road, as well as in Stamford and Greenwich.
The center’s clinical staff of psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and marriage and family therapists provides a variety of services that are tailored to the needs of each patient. Here are just a few to be aware of:
Child, Adolescent, and Family Therapy:
Obtain individualized mental health assessments, treatments, and evaluations for non-emergency situations such as divorce, peer and academic pressures, self-esteem, depression, and learning disabilities. Appointments are requested, but the center does accept drop-in patients, as well.
Emergency Mobile Crisis Services:
Call 203-323-9797 for immediate mental health assessments and stabilization for children and adolescents who are experiencing psychiatric symptoms as a result of a traumatic event. With a special focus on youth suicide prevention, mobile services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to stabilize emergencies at home, school or in the community.
Community Education:
The center provides workshops and seminars to educate members of the community about mental health issues that youngsters may be experiencing and the avenues that can be taken to help them. Remember, you always have the ability to refer a child to CGC.
CGC is a non-profit organization committed to assuring access to quality mental health services for all children and families in need, regardless of ability to pay. Often, even those patients who have insurance are not covered for all necessary treatment, leading CGC to provide subsidy to 97% of patients. There are several ways to lend support to a center that has and will continue to make critical differences in the lives of our youth. Make a donation! To attend Come Play!...It's Camp, an annual fundraising gala be held on May 10, 2008, contact Jeannine Egdorf at 203-517-3320 or Jeannine.Egdorf@Childguidancect.org. Or to volunteer your time, contact Sherry Perlstein at 203-324-6127.
For more information about CGC of Southern Connecticut, contact Jeannine Egdorf at 203-517-3320 or Jeannine.Egdorf@Childguidancect.org. For information that is specific to the Darien office of CGC, contact Susan Jasko at 203-662-9380.
Now that we know about CGC and the wonderful services it provides, the future looks incredibly bright, doesn't it?
Posted by EricaB at January 14, 2008 02:12 PM
Comments
Your site was so interesting and informative I had to call a friend to tell her about it. Great work
Posted by: Assissotom at January 17, 2008 07:32 AM