Children & Youth Services
The Children & Youth Services Department is administrated by the Director of Children & Youth Services and consists of Support Therapists, Day Treatment Therapists, Community Support Specialists and a MAP Team Coordinator. LIFECORE Health Group’s services are provided in the seven counties of Pontotoc, Lee, Union, Chickasaw, Monroe, Itawamba, and Benton.
The Children & Youth programs were established to provide a system which would enable children to understand and control their emotions and behaviors. We believe that children can be directed to think and plan sensibly. Our purpose is to allow “at- risk” children and youth the opportunity to explore options which empower them to self-manage. Our philosophy is that children are more alike than they are different.
Support Therapy
Support Therapy is offered to any individual enrolled in the public schools served by LIFECORE Health Group and determined to be “at-risk” due to deviant behaviors and/or emotional problems. There are approximately 70 schools which are working with LIFECORE Health Group to provide the school based program. Our purpose is to provide alternative strategies and techniques which will enable the individual to live more successful in the home, school, and community.
Day Treatment
The Day Treatment is designed for individuals who require a more intensive treatment . It is the most intensive of the nonresidential services and is designed for children with serious emotional and/or behavioral problems. The purpose of day treatment is to modify the individuals behavior to the greatest extent possible while remaining in the community.
Day Treatment utilizes counseling, behavior modification techniques, social skills training, education and family interventions a minimum of two hours, two times a week. Operational appearances of day treatment programs vary depending on the need of the individuals receiving services.
Some day treatments are classroom designs which are comprised of a teacher, assistant and therapist. These classrooms are intensive therapeutic designs which demand a therapist to provide five hours of therapeutic support in the classroom setting.
Others may be designed to offer two-hour sessions to individuals who may or may not be contained in one setting in the school.
The minimum number of individuals for either of these designs is four and the maximum is ten.
Community Support
Community Support is a system in which a single accountable individual at the local level takes responsibility for and provides services for the child and family. The Community Support Specialist’s goal is to establish a comprehensive service program which will enable an individual to reach his/her optimal level of functioning. The purpose of community support is to assist the child/youth to achieve and maintain the highest possible degree of personal growth and social performance moving toward developing an adequate degree of autonomy as an adult.
Community Support is the provision and coordination of services which are an integral part of aiding eligible recipients to gain access to needed medical, social, educational, and other services. Community Support services provide access to all available resources and ensures that available services are received.
Juvenile Outreach Program – Community Support
Community Support is also available in our local Juvenile Detention Center. The Community Support Specialist at the detention center runs weekly groups with the clients there and also makes referrals for therapy both through our Support Therapy program and through our Chemical Dependency program.
MAP Team
The MAP Team is made up of individuals from local community agencies that work with children/youth and adults. The MAP Team reviews cases concerning children and youth who have a serious emotional and/or behavioural disorder or serious mental illness and who are at risk for an inappropriate placement due to the lack of access to or availability of needed services and supports in the community. LIFECORE Health Group has a MAP team in all seven counties we serve. The MAP Teams are run by the MAP Team Coordinator and are held once a month.
About our Staff:
All Support Therapists and Day Treatment Therapists have a minimum of a Masters degree in a social service filed
All Community Support Specialists have a minimum of a Bachelors Degree in a social service field
All staff are certified in MANDT Crisis Intervention
All staff are clear of child abuse and criminal convictions
Partially funded by DMH