Honorary Members of the George Hull
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
ANNUAL REPORT 2006-2007 The George Hull Centre for Children and Families 600 The East Mall, Third Floor, Toronto, Ontario, M9B 4B1 Telephone: 416 622 8833 Email: [email protected] Website: www.georgehullcentre.on.ca The George Hull Centre Registered Charity No. 10808 2918 RR0001 The George Hull Centre Foundation Registered Charity No. 88864 7740 RR0001 Accredited by Children’s Mental Health Ontario From the Board Chair and Executive Director Mental health problems cut across differences in race, education, economics, culture and gender. Left untreated, the human costs are horrifying. Young people without timely care often drop out of school. They lose hope. They turn to drugs, prostitution and gangs. They can descend into chronic lifelong mental illness. Families come to us for help and the healing process begins. Over the last year, The George Hull Centre provided essential clinical treatment to two thousand children, youth and families. Their problems ranged from moderate to severe. They were of significant concern to family, school and community. The Centre is most appreciative of the advocacy of The Honourable Mary Anne Chambers, Minister of Children and Youth Services. Through her efforts, provincial funding for children’s mental health services was increased by five percent in the spring of 2007. The need continues to grow. We are most appreciative of our donors and corporate supporters. With your help, we can make a difference in the lives of vulnerable children, youth and families. Brigid Murphy Elizabeth Ridgely, M.S.W., R.S.W. Board Chair Executive Director We were concerned about things that have been happening to our child. They helped us. They gave us hope and guidance of where to go from here. ...we were told we were not alone ...they took the time “to explain things to us. They helped us tremendously. Parent ” Artwork throughout courtesy of clients. THE GEORGE HULL CENTRE FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES 1 The Year In Review The George Hull Centre served 5,404 children and families in 2006-2007. COMMUNITY SERVICES Preschool Speech & Language Services provided speech and language assessments and treatment to 366 preschool children. The Best Start Program provided assessment and treatment to 153 families with young children. “The sincere compassion and understanding towards the situation at hand involving my little girl… This service is definitely top notch.” Parent 545 parents and children participated in 11 Early Years Groups and Workshops. Ontario Early Years Centre “It really helps some of us moms to get out and have our children discover things we wouldn’t do on our own… a thousand thanks.” 1,586 children participated in OEYC programs. There were 17,501 child visits and 14,561 parent/caregiver visits to the Ontario Early Years Centre. “After this program, I would change myself in some ways, I will try some new things for my children.” Parent Highfield Community Enrichment Project is located in Highfield Junior Public School. “I learned new methods of dealing with my child’s difficult behaviours and how to deal with the different stages of her development.” Parent 1,810 children served. 103 parents attended training/workshops. 4,185 visits to the Family Resource Centre. “I’m glad you have this Summer Enrichment Program. Last year, it was amazing how quickly my students adjusted to the class and I just knew it was because of your program.” Highfield JK teacher 18,000 breakfasts, 18,000 hot lunches served, 210,535 snacks served. “You cook so well you should open up a restaurant.” Highfield Grade 4 student 2 THE GEORGE HULL CENTRE FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES Etobicoke Brighter Futures Coalition The George Hull Centre serves as trustee for the Coalition, which is a collaborative group of forty-one agencies in Etobicoke serving families with children from birth to age six. The Ontario Trillium Foundation recently granted the Coalition $295,000 over four years to engage in outreach and community development in three Etobicoke communities: the Amos Waites neighbourhood in South Etobicoke, the Scarlett community on the eastern edge of Central Etobicoke, and the Steeles and Martingrove neighbourhood in North Etobicoke. The funding enabled the Coalition to hire community development workers to connect to and build programming in these neighbourhoods where services for families with young children are limited or non-existent. Many families in these communities are newcomers, young parents, and/or lone parent families living in inadequate housing and poverty. The focus is on delivering proven programs that increase social supports for families, improve parenting capacity, and improve healthy parent-child relationships, as well as give children access to early learning opportunities that improve their social, emotional and cognitive development and provide opportunities for early identification and referral for children with special needs. A highlight this spring was the opening of an early years drop-in program in the Village of Humber Heights, a new seniors’ long-term care facility in the Scarlett neighbourhood. The seniors have welcomed the program and its participants with open arms. Family Group Conferencing 150 children served. The Family Group Conferencing Project, launched in 1998, is run by a unique child welfare-children’s mental health partnership: Children’s Aid Society of Toronto, Catholic Children’s Aid Society of Toronto, Native Child and Family Services of Toronto, The Etobicoke Children’s Centre, The George Hull Centre for Children and Families and Yorktown Child and Family Services. The project is funded by the Ministry of Children and Youth Services, with additional financial support from Hedge Funds Care. The main objective of family group conferencing is to give the family group (nuclear and extended family, as well as friends) a voice in the decision-making process to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children who are at significant risk or in need of protection for a variety of reasons including abuse, neglect, mental illness or an ill parent. In November 2006, family group conferencing was mandated as a mechanism for Alternative Dispute Resolution in Ontario. All child welfare agencies in the province are now required to consider family group conferencing in dispute situations. The George Hull Centre was asked to lead a provincial training initiative in family group conferencing, as well as to maintain a roster of qualified family group conference coordinators. Research continues to demonstrate that 85% of children planned for in a family group conference remain with or are returned to their families. We had the opportunity to express our concerns and questions in a positive constructive way. I am pleased we had (this day) to do this. It was very much needed. “Family member ” THE GEORGE HULL CENTRE FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES 3 Community Clinic “They were able to get my daughter to speak freely about her feelings and always offered assurance and HOPE for better days ahead.” Parent The Community Clinic provided assessment and treatment to 514 families. Groups and workshops were attended by 280 parents. Workshops on parenting teens were offered in middle and secondary schools. “The parenting group reduced my fears/anxieties and isolation in having to parent a challenging child.” Parent Daniel’s parents said ‘he has too much anger and frustration’. Threats of wanting to kill or harm himself, feelings of self-doubt and viewing himself as a failure, a ‘good for nothing’, caused him and his family despair, frustration and hopelessness. The multi-disciplinary team arrived at a new understanding of this young adolescent, which included identification of a cognitive developmental difference. This had greatly affected his relationships with family and friends and the way he viewed himself. Life changed! Now understanding his differences, Daniel’s brother could respond to him in a new way. Parent and child could work through conflicts with less blame and irritability and therefore arrive at better solutions. A new beginning with family, school and society – the family said ‘it’s changed everything’! RESIDENTIAL AND DAY TREATMENT SERVICES Residential treatment was provided to 14 boys, ages 12-16, in the Boys House and to 12 girls, ages 12-17, in the Girls House. “I liked how people & staff were understanding and supportive. I liked some group stuff. I liked the support to everyone.” Adolescent Client The School Program, in partnership with the Toronto District School Board and the Toronto Catholic District School Board, provided therapeutic academic programming to 47 clients. “I like the school because of the small and welcoming environment and it’s focus not only on academic development but also on personal and emotional development and treatment.” School Program Client Clear Directions, in partnership with Breakaway and the Toronto District School Board, provided an adolescent substance abuse day program to 16 clients. “I like the fact that you can talk openly about things and not have to worry about my classmates or teachers judging me.” Client 4 THE GEORGE HULL CENTRE FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES RESEARCH AND PROGRAM EVALUATION The George Hull Centre is committed to research, program evaluation and continuous quality improvement in an effort to ensure the delivery of high quality and effective services to the children and families it serves. Client feedback questionnaires are distributed to Community Clinic clients, and workshop and group participants throughout the year. Over 90% of families receiving service at the Community Clinic felt that they received useful solutions to their problems and the majority of clients reported that the service was helpful or very helpful in assisting their child and reducing family stress. Workshops and groups offered on a variety of child development and family issues received consistently positive feedback. 98% of participants indicated they would recommend the workshop to a friend and 97% indicated they would consider attending another workshop themselves. 86% rated their experience as either very good or excellent, with only 1% rating it as less than satisfactory.