Group Counseling for Children

Youth & Family Services offers time limited groups for children, often on site at local schools. These groups generally meet during school hours. Subject areas that children are addressing in these groups include, but are not limited to:

• Theraplay - an active structured group for young children to promote positive relationships among classmates

• Anger management

• Divorce and separation

• Self esteem

• A journey group designed for young adolescents to explore their identities and goals

Parent Education and Support Groups

The following groups are offered periodically:

• Parent/child relationship building group (12 weeks)

• Parenting teens: survival skills (10 weeks)

• Parenting kids: survival skills (10 weeks)

• Single parent support group (4-6 weeks)

The following 1 or 2 evening workshops are offered periodically:

• Separation/divorce: helping the children adjust

• How to talk so kids will listen, and listen so kids will talk

• Talking with your teen about sex

• Sibling rivalry

• Enhancing the parental relationship (for couples)

• Keeping our teens safe

Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention

Crisis Intervention:  During office hours, we provide crisis intervention by giving appropriate referrals and telephone counseling to those in need.  After the agency is closed, our voice mail system provides the telephone number of the Prince George's County Hotline and Suicide Prevention Center 301-864- 7161.  This number provides 24-hour assistance for individuals in crisis.

Suicide Prevention:  We respond immediately to this serious concern.  An appointment or the appropriate referral is given to families requesting help with a suicidal child or teen.

Substance Abuse Assessment and Referral

A screening assessment for substance abuse, including risk factors, is made for every formal client. When warranted, clients are referred to a specialized substance abuse treatment agency.  We then work in conjunction with those agencies as we address the issue of substance abuse within a family context.

Community Involvement, Outreach and Special Events

Youth & Family Services works closely with the community, providing a wide variety of services, including:

• Responding to requests from local schools and other professionals for assistance in working with parents and children

• Providing staff support to the City's Education Advisory Committee

• Serving as liaison with community groups interested in service opportunities

• Hosting 2 family community events, 1 on the Saturday before Halloween and 1 on the Saturday before Easter week.  Both events are held at Duvall Field on Rhode Island Avenue from 10 a.m. to noon.  Rain site is the Youth & Family Services facility at 4912 Nantucket Road.

Advocacy for Youth and Families

In addition to providing direct services to children and families, Youth and Family Services staff also serve as advocates for children and their families in local, county and state settings.

Youth Job Bank

We maintain a database of College Park youth interested in providing babysitting services and those interested in performing odd jobs such as yard work, car washing, shopping, etc.  Youth interested in providing any of these services may call 301-474-1210 for a required application.  Citizens interested in hiring youth to provide these services may also call.

Information and Referrals

Information about community resources, as well as referrals to appropriate agencies, is provided upon request.

Program Highlights

• Quality counseling services that achieve high satisfaction ratings from participants

•  Services provided by experienced post-graduate level staff

•  State-of-the-art facility

•  Specialization in play therapy

•  Professional training for 2nd year graduate interns

•  Effective community partnerships