Who We Serve

Children's Center is open to the children and families of Clark County, Washington. Issues that bring families to our agency include domestic violence, physical or sexual abuse, parenting issues, school-related behavioral problems, adoption issues, and emotional problems including chronic mental disorders such as bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. Professional staff experienced in working with youth provide treatment interventions and offers these children and their family members hope for a future.

The Agency offers an extensive outreach program through the Evergreen and Vancouver School Districts providing on-site services at many schools to children and their parents.

• In the twelve-month period of July 2005 through June 2006 Children’s Center served close to 1500 children and families of Clark County.
• 93% of the families served live in poverty.  Services to these children and families were subsidized through Medicaid and State/Federal grants.
• 8% of the children served in were treated for issues related to sexual abuse.
• 22% of the children served were victims of crime, including physical abuse and/or domestic violence.

Children's Center is committed to serving the mental health needs of the children of Clark county within it's resources.

Our programs:

1.      POST-ADOPTION RESOURCE CENTER:  In support of specialized services to adoptive children and their families.  The goal of this project is to prevent disruption of special needs adoptions.

2.      CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE TREATMENT PROGRAM: Specialized treatment to child victims of sexual abuse and non-offending family members.  This program includes school and community-based services to ensure access and availability to families. Additional funding provides for Spanish and Russian speaking therapists.

3.      MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES: A county contract for assessment, case management, individual, group and family treatment, and psychiatric services to children and youth who meet the State’s criteria of acutely and severely emotionally disturbed.  These include among the most difficult and challenging children and youth within the community.

4.      SCHOOL-BASED MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM: Mental health services on-site of selected schools in the Evergreen and Vancouver School Districts.  Intensive intervention is provided for children and youth identified as having behavioral or emotional problems that impact their ability to function successfully in school and in the community.  These services are currently offered in sixteen (16) schools throughout Clark County.

     5.      COACHES PROGRAM:  Funded by Legacy Health System, this program allows us to expand services to methamphetamine exposed preschoolers, our most vulnerable population that we serve.  This program provides specialized training to mental health therapists, parents, guardians, foster parents, school personnel and day care.  This program also provides psychiatric services at no cost to the family for those children requiring medical intervention.

    6.        THE ART OF RECOVERY PROGRAM: The “Art of Recovery” project helps children and their parents overcome the traumatic experiences of domestic violence and abuse.  Children participate in art therapy activities that focus on recovery, personal safety, and empowerment.   A Parent Support group, offered in tangent with the children’s group, helps the parent gain skills to move on from the domestic violence and to create meaningful lives for themselves and their children.  Outcomes are measured one child at a time and success is a matter of both recovery from trauma and a return to normal developmental levels. This project is possible thanks to the generosity of the Children’s Trust Fund of the Community Foundation of SW Washington. 

 Quotes from Consumers:

Send mail to jevanw@thechildrenscenter.org with questions or comments about this web site.
Last modified: December 31, 2007