Tri-Cities children who are dealing with the effects of sexual abuse, neglect and other trauma are not having to wait so long to get counseling services thanks to a $20,000 grant from Telus.
Act 2 Child and Family Services, which has been providing individual and group counseling as well as play therapy to children as young as two in the Tri-Cities and Maple Ridge for 35 years, saw a dramatic drop in its waiting list from nine months to three months last year. With the Telus donation, more than 400 children were served and the seven counsellors were able to help more kids deal with some terrible situations.
"Good things are happening," said Brad Watson, the longtime director of the organization, which is funded by the Ministry of Children and Family Development.
According to Watson, timely intervention can make a difference for troubled youth dealing with issues such as sexual abuse and the traumatic loss of a parent. Children who complete Act 2's therapy are often able to move on in their lives and as many as 90% achieve the goals they set out for themselves during counseling.
"One mom told us their child doesn't have nightmares anymore," Watson said, which he said was a good outcome for the child.
Unfortunately, the waiting list is creeping back and 150 families are waiting for service.
Vicky Tedesco, a counsellor and team leader, said the number of children needing services has climbed over recent years because the region's population has grown and people are more aware of the devastating effects of trauma on children.
"We deal with any event that may cause overwhelming feelings of helplessness and hopelessness," Tedesco explained, noting that Act 2 counsellors have helped children who were sexually abused by family members and even a child whose mom was murdered.
Only the most challenging cases come to Act 2, typically referred by the Ministry of Children and Family Development and Child and Youth Mental Health and Tedesco and Watson are optimistic that with more funding, such as the Telus donation, more children might get the help they need, A six-month wait for help is a long time for a child, Watson noted.
