WELCOME TO THE CHILDREN'S BUREAU OF NEW ORLEANS

Founded in 1892 by the Reverend Alfred E. Clay, Children's Bureau of New Orleans is a private, non-profit United Way partner agency offering a variety of services to children and families. On its centennial anniversary in 1992, the agency renewed its promise to the community with the following mission statement:

"Children's Bureau is committed to improving the quality of life for children and their families through innovative programs that focus on child welfare and rights. Children's Bureau helps families give children love, roots and ultimately wings."

2006-07 Annual Report

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Children’s Bureau Project LAST featured in column by Times Picayune’s Chris Rose

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Reflections of Hurricane Katrina

Currently we are providing group and individual/group therapeutic services to children who have experienced a traumatic event (i.e. Hurricane Katrina); children and families who have had a loved one killed, and have witnessed or are a victim of community violence; children and families who have experienced a non-criminal death (i.e. AIDS, suicide) of a loved one; and children who have been exposed to domestic violence. We are also providing Family Preservation services to children and families referred through the Orleans Parish public mental health system and clinical services, and youth referred through Jefferson Parish’ Juvenile Justice system. Children’s Bureau is also providing services to families who are requesting non-trauma related counseling services, including those families with children who had pre-existing mental health issues that may have been exacerbated by their experience of Hurricane Katrina or families who are unable to reinitiate the mental health resources that were available to them before the storm.

Children’s Bureau has served over 230 identified child-clients (representing approximately 750 total household members) since November 2005. Three quarters of these child-clients received trauma-focused therapeutic services.

During the period of March 1 through June 30, 2006, Children’s Bureau provided 3,317 hours of group and individual direct clinical services. Based on our outcome data for this same period, of those clients who presented with trauma-specific symptoms/reactions and whose cases were closed during this period, 82% of the children showed a reduction in trauma-specific symptoms/reactions (a mean decrease of 13.43 points on the UCLA Post Traumatic Stress Index), 86% showed an improvement in mental health after experiencing a trauma, and 92% of children/families returned to/improved towards their pre-trauma behavior pattern. This data is based on pre and post-test measurements.

Early in our assessments of children following Hurricane Katrina, it became apparent that many children and families were presenting with multiple traumas, most often including their experience of Hurricane Katrina, violence and/or traumatic death. To explore this further, Children’s Bureau began keeping track of the types of traumas with which children and families are coping with.

Below is a chart which shows the stressor(s)/trauma(s) which were identified by clients being seen from 4/1-6/30/06 as being the reason for seeking services (data includes all family members).