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THRIVE Child and Youth Trauma Services releases "Partners in Prevention" online parent/caregiver resource
January 25, 2017
The Partners in Prevention Resource Tool is a site developed by Thrive Child and Youth Trauma Services as a resource for parents and caregivers in our community.
Thrive Child and Youth Trauma Services had the pleasure of hosting The Partners in Prevention Symposium; a symposium for parents and caregivers about keeping young people safe from sexual harm, in April 2016. Both parents and professionals in the field came together to learn more about how we can help keep young people in our community safe from sexual harm.
The forty participants heard Dr. Janet Rosenzweig, author of “The Sex-Wise Parent” present on practical advice to help parents promote their families’ sexual health and safety. Her “Rosenzweig’s Rules” provided easy to understand parent guidelines for nurturing healthy sexuality in their families. The participants then had the opportunity to participate in two break-out sessions led by local experts from THRIVE, the Hamilton Wentworth District School Board, the Hamilton Wentworth Catholic District School Board, the Children’s Aid Society of Hamilton and the Hamilton Police Services. Participants had the opportunity to direct questions to local experts and to learn about the many resources available to them in the Hamilton community.
But we did not want to limit the information presented only to those who attended the symposium. With the help of the Ministry of Education, we are able to make this information accessible to all parents and caregivers of children and youth in our community and beyond.
This online parent tool features resources on cyber safety, resilience, concerning sexualized behaviour and how to start conversing with your child or youth about sexuality and safety.
The resources on this website are compiled by trained professionals in the field and feature presentations by experts in the fields of child safety and child welfare.
To visit the site, go to www.parenttool.thrivechildandyouth.ca.
For more information, contact: Katie Gorrie 905-523-1020 ext. 210
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Check out the article about THRIVE's implementation of the ABACUS Grant in the latest issue of Urbanicity!
UPDATE: CBC Hamilton feature about THRIVE's OASIS Program focuses on mental health for arriving refugees - click here.
#WELCOME REFUGEES INFORMATION FAIR: Hamilton City Hall, Tuesday, March 1, 7 - 9 pm. - click here.
As Canadian communities prepare for the arrival of Syrian refugees, our OASIS Program team is busy making sure we are ready to assist as many young people as possible when they arrive in Hamilton with symptoms of trauma. The OASIS Program is Hamilton's specialized treatment program for child and youth trauma among refugees and immigrants. Requests for this service are made by settlement services, schools, family doctors, and others who may identify a need for assessment and mental health supports within a newcomer family. We have been working with community partners to help them better understand and identify the signs of trauma, but many newcomer families will need time to address immediate needs (shelter, primary health, school registration) as a first priority. We have increased program capacity to help those newcomers who do need this support, and will continue to work with our partners in settlement, health, education, children's services, and government to enhance service levels appropriately. One-time funds from the Ontario Ministry of Children and Youth Services will help boost capacity until March 31, and a significant investment from the Hamilton Community Foundation's ABACUS granting program will support in-school classes to help newcomer students prepare for an unfamiliar learning environment. We welcome community assistance as we ready for what could be a substantial influx of children and youth needing our help throughout 2016 and beyond. Private sponsors wanting to connect newcomers to our OASIS Program may do so by calling Contact Hamilton at 905-570-8888. More information about the OASIS Program can be found on this web site (Programs and Services tab at top) or by scrolling down on this page to OASIS Program Brochure (on right).
Ontario will likely be a major point of entry for incoming refugees over the next few months and we need to ensure the health system is ready, willing and able to assist. Refugees typically face greater settlement and integration challenges than other newcomers. Many refugees have experienced prolonged periods in refugee camps, trauma, violence, and limited access to health care and education.
Dr. Eric Hoskins, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care
Those wanting more in-depth information about the health needs of refugees might want to visit www.kidsnewtocanada.ca (Canadian Paediatric Society).
(Photo by Mary-Jo Land, Kabul, Afghanistan, 2009)
Childhood trauma isn’t something you just get over as you grow up. Pediatrician Nadine Burke Harris explains that the repeated stress of abuse, neglect and parents struggling with mental health or substance abuse issues has real, tangible effects on the development of the brain. This unfolds across a lifetime, to the point where those who’ve experienced high levels of trauma are at triple the risk for heart disease and lung cancer. An impassioned plea for pediatric medicine to confront the prevention and treatment of trauma, head-on.
We encourage professionals, parents, and community members to view this informative and insightful presentation in order to better understand childhood trauma, its consequences, and the need for more prevention and education efforts as well as effective treatment responses - click here for TedTalk by Dr. Nadine Burke Harris (running time 15:58).
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have become more and more recognized as predictors of trauma and (left unresolved) future problems that can persist throughout a lifetime. Now, resources are emerging to help primary care providers understand the importance of ACEs and trauma-informed approaches specific to healthcare.
These resources draw from the latest research and evidence to inform physicians and other primary healthcare providers about effective ways to engage patients, identify trauma symptoms, and respond appropriately. Prevention and early intervention are also featured as part of an overall trauma-informed primary care approach, along with recommendations that include the need for a public health approach to child maltreatment and other ACEs.
For more information about these resources, visit:
http://www.acesconnection.com/blog/four-major-aces-related-offerings-from-the-medical-community-1