The Way the Child & Family Team Work:
Dóchas Family Centre has a team of Child & Family Case Workers who facilitate weekly sessions with children and provide a series of therapeutic interventions through a range of activities to help children with their emotions, self-esteem, behaviours and traumatic events. Parents invest in weekly contact and participate in mirrored training/workshops to enable the organisation facilitate and support meaningful change. This work is based on the individual child need which has been identified through the an initial assessment process. Dóchas Child & Family Workers provide holistic support for up to 25 families.
As a community based therapeutic support service we have a preferred informal approach to service provision, which is accessible to children & parents. We promote a relaxed atmosphere and are striving to become a trauma informed organisation. We empower families to work through issues using a reflective model as the experts on their lives. We are introducing Outcome Stars which will enhance our person-centred, outcomes focused, strengths based, trauma informed approach.
‘ I got to open up with other parents that were going through the same stuff and I don’t feel alone’
The Case Workers provide essential support through key work, which includes the following:
- Child & Family Support
- Therapeutic activities
- Linking in with mental health, addiction and other supports
- 1:1 & group work with Children
- Helping children transition from primary to post primary school
- Creation of individual ‘Support Plans’ for each child
- Linking children into youth services
- Supervised Summer trips
- Home & Centre visits with Key Worker
- Advocating on the families behalf
- Workshops with children
- Workshops with parents
- Attend Inter Agency meetings e.g. family conferences
- Review meetings with families to re-shape goals
’ If there’s something wrong with him he comes and tells me now thanks to Dóchas’
This Supports Children & Families in the Following Ways:
- Empowers children to manage BIG feelings
- Improves communication at home and school
- Reduces anxiety
- Improve school attendance
- Supports positive mental health & well being
- Alleviate and cope with feelings that are overwhelming
- Cope with family changes e.g. bereavement, separation & traumatic events
- Resolve family relationship difficulties/conflicts
- Supports children in the care of extended family
- Provides opportunities for parents to learn new skills
‘For me and my child, Dóchas has always been with us 100%’