PROGRAMS

Children's Bureau is keeping it's promise through it's mission of "innovative programs which improve the quality of life for children and their families." One of the goals for this agency is to position itself so it can offer stronger roots and wings for families and children as it enters the new millennium. With more than twenty board certified and master level social workers on our staff, Children's Bureau offers a complete and impressive cross-section of valuable counseling services to the children and families of the New Orleans Community.

As one of the city's oldest and most established United Way agencies, we offer a wide range of programs and services to our community's youngest constituents.

COUNSELING

Individual, family, and group therapy is offered for children from birth to 17 years of age and their families. Areas of concern include but are not limited to anger management, school behavior problems, parent-child relational difficulties, and the effects of abuse, domestic violence, or other traumatic events. Fees are assessed on a sliding scale based on family income and household size. Families seeking trauma counseling including domestic violence may be eligible for grant funded services at no cost to the family.

Counseling is available for pregnant women and teenagers who want to plan for their expected child. Services include linkage to prenatal medical care, parenting education, lifeskills development, and exploring the adoption option. There is no fee for services to prospective parents.

INFANT MENTAL HEALTH

An infant mental health specialist is on staff to provide developmentally sensitive assessment and treatment services to children birth-6 years and their families. Interventions are relationship based and are offered at the agency and in the community.

FAMILY PRESERVATION

This specialized service offers intensive therapy and counseling in the homes of children and families referred through the mental health system. The primary objective of the program is to prevent out-of-home placement while also ensuring the safety of the children and families. The Metropolitan Human Services District supports family preservation services to families in Orleans, St. Bernard and Plaquemines Parishes. Referrals must come through the public mental health clinics.

PROJECT LAST

Children’s Bureau’s Project LAST is designed to meet the special needs
of children and families impacted by grief and trauma, including the
loss of a loved one by natural cause, accident or violent death;
exposure to natural disaster; and being a witness or victim of violence
or abuse. Project LAST offers individual, family and group
interventions that are valid and proven to be effective. Our social
workers are trained in our own evidence-based 10-week Grief and Trauma
Intervention (GTI). GTI was designed after many years of working with
New Orleans area children and youth, and has been repeatedly shown to be
effective in reducing traumatic stress and depressive symptoms in
children who have completed the intervention.

Children ages birth to 17 are eligible. Project LAST services are
community-based and take place in homes, schools and other community
locations.

COUNSELING

Individual, family, and group therapy is offered for children birth to age 17 and their families. Areas of concern include but are not limited to anger management, school behavior problems, and parent-child relational difficulties. Counseling services can be provided in the office or are community-based, meaning that services are provided in homes, schools and other community locations. Many of Children’s Bureau’s Counseling services are grant funded so that there is no cost to the family.

As a former adoption agency, Children’s Bureau provides professional counseling services to adult adoptees, birth parents, and adoptive parents who received their adoption services through this agency, and are requesting post-adoption counseling.

COMMUNITY EDUCATION

Children’s Bureau of New Orleans offers education to parents, teachers
and community professionals. Topics include: grief and trauma
reactions of children at various developmental stages, helping children
cope after a disaster, and training school staff to support the social
and emotional development of children and youth in their schools.
Specialized training for clinicians is also available on the Project
LAST Grief and Trauma Intervention (GTI) model.

CRISIS INTERVENTION SERVICES

Children’s Bureau provides crisis intervention services through a team of clinical social workers who have been trained in the LAST Model and are experienced in grief and trauma work. The crisis team works in collaboration with area public schools, and responds upon request of the area school systems. Our trained clinicians can provide group or individual crisis intervention, assessment and follow-up services to support children who have witnessed or been subjected to violence in the school, the home, or who have lost a classmate through suicide, accident, or community violence.

MENTAL HEALTH CONSULTATION TO CHILDCARE CENTERS

Children’s Bureau is providing Mental Health Consultation Services to child care centers in the New Orleans region as part of the Quality Start program, a State initiative to increase the quality of child care in Louisiana. Through this program, mental health consultants, with specialized knowledge of young children, work with child care centers to enhance their ability to contribute to the emotional, social and academic development of children in their care.

MENTAL HEALTH REHABILITATION

The Mental Health Rehabilitation program at Children’s Bureau offers services for children 0 to 17 who are having emotional or behavioral problems at school or at home. The program also assists families as they cope with the difficulties they face in helping their children recover. The goals of the program are improving children’s ability to function during a crisis, ability to function at home or in school in spite of emotional or behavioral issues, ability to respond well in different life situations, reduce or prevent psychiatric hospitalizations, and increase the chances that a child will remain in school and follow the rules. The child must be enrolled in Medicaid or order to receive Mental Health Rehabilitation services.

For more information on the numerous programs offered by the Children's Bureau, Click here(pdf)