What We Do
At Christ Child House, we adhere to a youth-guided, family-driven approach to care, where our clinicians prioritize the following key objectives:
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Building Coping Skills: Our focus is on equipping youth with effective coping mechanisms to navigate challenges and stressors they may encounter.
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Fostering Social and Emotional Resilience: We aim to strengthen the emotional resilience of our residents, empowering them to overcome adversity and thrive in their environments.
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Emphasizing the Importance of Attachment: Recognizing the significance of healthy attachment, we work to cultivate secure and nurturing relationships between youth and their caregivers.
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Strengthening Forever-Family Relationships: We are committed to nurturing and preserving lasting family bonds, facilitating reunification with biological families or establishing permanency with adoptive families whenever possible.
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Addressing the Impact of Separation, Grief, and Loss: We acknowledge and support youth in processing the complex emotions associated with separation from their families, offering guidance and support as they navigate grief and loss.
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Supporting the Need for Permanency: We advocate for the stability and permanency of each child's living situation, recognizing the importance of providing a sense of security and belonging.
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Our inclusive approach extends to families, including incarcerated parents and placement caregivers, who are involved extensively in the care process. Additionally, our clinical team provides aftercare services for up to six months post-discharge, facilitating the reestablishment of family equilibrium and ensuring ongoing support during the transition period.
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Throughout their stay at Christ Child House, each young resident follows a path to hope and healing guided by a multidisciplinary approach to care. This comprehensive approach ensures that their physical, emotional, and relational needs are addressed, setting the foundation for a brighter future.
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We offer the following services broken out below through our residential component of care:
Psychiatric and Therapeutic Services
QRTP certified
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Residential Care:
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Christ Child House provides two contracted residential programs:
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General Residential Services
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Mental Health Behavioral Stabilization (MHBS)
The MHBS program offers intensive services tailored to the evolving needs of our patient population. To meet these needs, we have adjusted our staff-to-children ratio to 1:3 during the day and 1:10 at night. MHBS encompasses a comprehensive range of services, including psychiatric and clinical assessments, along with corresponding interventions aimed at stabilizing and treating mental health and behavioral instabilities. Service intensity levels are customized based on the youth's needs, diagnosis at intake, and ongoing progress in the program.
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A central aspect of our residential intervention is to engage and support family members, caregivers, and identified permanent connections. We provide them with the necessary skills and connect them with appropriate resources to facilitate the child's successful integration into the community. For children lacking permanent family connections, our immediate and primary focus is on achieving permanency through placement with a "forever family."
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At Christ Child House, we have adopted a trauma-informed approach to care, recognizing and addressing the complex trauma experienced by youth in foster care, which can significantly hinder individual and familial development.
Our specialized residential treatment component is continuously refined and developed to meet the ever-evolving challenges posed by the severely at-risk children under our care.
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For boys aged 6 to 12, we employ a developmental and nurturing approach, focusing on achieving developmental milestones, resolving separation anxiety and trust issues, and enhancing social skills.
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For boys aged 12 to 16, we offer a unique learning program aimed at fostering age-appropriate social and life skills development. Our dedicated staff utilizes a holistic approach encompassing treatment, nurturing, recreation, education, and advocacy to serve our emotionally impaired youth.
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The duration of stay for children in our care averages twelve months, contingent upon their individual treatment requirements. Presently, approximately 50% of the boys in our residence are temporary wards of the state, while the remaining 50% are prepared for placement with a "forever family" once an adoptive placement is identified.
QRTP:
As a Qualified Residential Treatment Program (QRTP) certified facility, Christ Child House provides an extensive array of specialized services to meet the unique needs of our residents.
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With an emphasis on trauma-informed care, our clinical staff, including a Clinical Therapist, Case Manager, Clinical Director, and Transitional Care Coordinator, are trained to offer comprehensive support to both youth and families. This includes engagement upon entry into the program and ongoing assistance throughout their placement and transition.
Under the leadership of our Educational Coordinator, we ensure seamless coordination between youth, schools, and families to provide comprehensive educational support. Additionally, our aftercare program facilitates continued support through visits, meetings, and transportation as needed.
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Our commitment to trauma-informed care is evident in our integration of evidence-based practices, such as Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) model. Our staff undergo extensive training in trauma interventions and treatment, and we prioritize ongoing professional development to enhance our capacity in this area.
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To address potential secondary trauma among staff, we provide training, debriefing, and support initiatives, fostering resilience and compassion within our workforce.
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Through continuous review and enhancement of policies and protocols, transparent communication, and collaboration among our treatment team, we strive to create a safe and supportive environment for our residents as they journey towards healing and recovery.
Psychiatric and Therapeutic Services:
Christ Child House offers comprehensive on-site psychiatric and therapeutic services to meet the diverse needs of our residents:
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Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist: Our facility is equipped with a child and adolescent psychiatrist who provide personalized assessments for each boy. These assessments determine the necessity for medication and/or additional therapeutic interventions.
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Individual Therapeutic Services: Each resident at Christ Child House receives intensive individual therapy sessions focusing on various topics, including Trauma, Anger Management, Conflict Resolution, Self-regulation, Grief and Loss, Life Skills, and Sexual Development.
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Clinical Therapists: Our team of Clinical Therapists, all holding Master’s degrees, lead individual and group therapy sessions utilizing diverse behavior modification methods and strategies. These sessions incorporate modalities such as play therapy, music therapy, art therapy, and adventure therapy.
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Youth Specialist-led Skill-building Groups: Our Youth Specialist staff members facilitate skill-building groups tailored to the specific needs of our residents. These groups may cover topics ranging from current events to independent living skills and basic life skills.
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Independent Living Activities: For children aged 14 and older, we offer independent living activities designed to foster essential life skills. These activities include, but are not limited to: budgeting and money management, employment seeking skills, communication skills, relationship building, health and hygiene practices, household maintenance, educational assistance, preventive health services, parenting skills, and accessing community resources.
Educational Support:
At Christ Child House, we recognize education as an essential component in preparing our boys for successful adulthood.
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Under the guidance of our Educational Director, we meticulously address the educational needs of each child. Tailored educational plans are devised to ensure suitable school placements that cater to a spectrum of requirements, ranging from regular education to intensive special education day treatment. These needs encompass emotional impairment, cognitive impairment, autism, learning disabilities, and developmental delays.
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To meet these diverse needs, we collaborate with Detroit public schools and provide access to private schools on a scholarship basis. We work with additional private schools and charter schools not within our district to meet the needs of all the youth placed at CCH.
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Our educational support programs extend beyond traditional classroom settings. Through initiatives such as Art Therapy and Music Therapy, we foster holistic development and provide avenues for creative expression.
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Recognizing that education is a year-round endeavor, we offer a comprehensive education and remediation program on campus throughout the summer, ensuring continuity in learning and academic progress.
Recreational Program:
At Christ Child House, we prioritize offering a diverse range of recreational activities to enrich the lives of our boys.
On-site, our facilities cater to various interests, providing opportunities for softball, biking, basketball, baseball, volleyball, and kickball. These activities not only promote physical fitness but also foster teamwork and camaraderie among our residents.
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One of our unique offerings is an immersive horticulture experience led by a Master Gardener, accompanied by her therapy dog. Engaging the boys in gardening and plant-based activities, this program enhances their connection with nature and promotes emotional well-being. Together, they cultivate and maintain multiple gardens, including a rose garden, a butterfly garden, and a vegetable garden, ensuring continuous blooms throughout Michigan's growing season. The boys actively participate in caring for these living expressions of growth and renewal.
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Acknowledging the challenges posed by Michigan winters, we complement on-site activities with organized off-site outings through our Cultural & Educational Enrichment program. As members of Greenfield Village, the Detroit Zoo, and the Charles H. Wright African American Museum, we provide opportunities for cultural exploration and enrichment. Additionally, thanks to the generosity of our supporters and donors, our boys enjoy attending Detroit Lions, Pistons, and Tigers games.
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Moreover, our boys participate in a farm therapy program with the Clinical team each summer, spanning six weeks. We also partner with We Care Foster Care to provide additional enrichment opportunities. To oversee these activities and ensure their success, we have appointed a full-time Activities Director, whose role is generously funded by the Ronald J. Woods Foundation.
Are you interested in contributing to any of these programs?
Here are some ways you can donate: