Therapeutic Groups

Club Connects:

These 10-week treatment groups are designed for children/youth with a diagnosis of Autistic Spectrum Disorder (High-functioning Autism, Asperger’s Disorder, or PDD-NOS). They are offered in three sessions in the Fall (September – December) and Winter (February – April), and Spring (April – July). These groups are designed to assist children/youth better understand their roles in social situations and to provide a safe and therapeutic environment in which to practice new skills. Group members are placed in age/ability groupings following a brief screening group prior to the beginning of each new session.

Club Connects Group Philosophy: To provide an emotionally safe environment where in members can;

Address their own social difficulties and experience those of their peers

Identify common goals and issues with peers

Reduce feelings of social isolation

Develop empathy for and an awareness of others

Experience supportive leaders who facilitate positive peer interaction

Be provided with feedback for themselves in their interactions with others

The two group leaders provide a safe and collaborative environment in which the eight group members are encouraged to share direct feedback on their social interactions and receive supportive feedback from the therapists.

We are currently taking referrals for children and youth aged 8 to 21. Once referrals have been collected, participants will be grouped according to age, gender and developmental concerns.

Referrals may be made by interested parents/guardians, school personnel, medical or mental health practitioners.

In an effort to better understand the impact of Club Connects, the Westcoast Child Development Group has partnered with Dr. Grace Iarocci and the Autism and Developmental Disorders Lab at Simon Fraser University, Department of Psychology. Dr. Iarocci and her team are internationally recognized researchers in the field of autism and we have a number of theoretical and research issues in common.

We are building up to a full research project designed to measure the effectives of Club Connects and to try and tease out the most useful social competence skills. Unfortunately, there are few published research papers on this topic so we will need to create some tools for measuring social competence. The research is beginning in April 2007 and is being funded through a grant with the Laurel Foundation.

http://www.sfu.ca/autism-lab/index.html

Club Connects Intake Form (pdf format)

If you are interested in having your child attend one of the Club Connects
groups, please complete the Intake Form and fax to 604-732-3232 or mail to
our offices.

The Winter Groups 2008 will run for 10 consecutive weeks. The groups will begin October 2008.

If you are interested in registering your child for the Winter Club Connects
program, please contact us at 604-732-3222 or complete the intake form and email to info@childdevelopmentgroup.com or fax to (604) 732-3232 or mail to our
office as soon as possible so that we can consider the groupings and reserve a space for your child.

The total cost of the 10 hour program is $525.00. We have increased the fees
in an effort to respond to increased administration costs. Cheques are made
payable to Westcoast Child Development Group Inc. and can be mailed or
dropped to our office with your registration form. Please see Dr. Worling if
we are required to invoice the ministry.

We are currently in the process of manualizing our Club Connects format. A Club Connects package will be available shortly that will provide staff
training, manuals, and consultation.

Adolescent Depression Group:

Dr. Worling in conjunction with Dr. Merv Gilbert is currently putting together a group treatment curriculum for adolescents with mild to moderate levels of depression. This group will utilize basic Cognitive Behavioural Therapy approaches to assist group members in attempting to make changes to negative thoughts and to use the group format to provide peer feedback and support.

For more information on this group please contact Dr. David Worling at 604-732-3222.

Click here for a link to the Dealing with Depression Manual for teens:

http://www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/mental_health/current_initiatives.htm

Pre-vocational Group:

Connects – Works

Description:
An 8 week pre-vocational group for adolescents and young adults who would benefit from a structured, protected environment in which to learn job-seeking skills.

Objective:
To increase participants’ competence and confidence in recognizing personal skills and interests, evaluating available volunteer and work opportunities, and completing the introduction/application process with potential supervisors.

When:
To be announced.

Description of Sessions:
Week 1 Group welcome, looking at personal leisure and job interests
Week 2 Skills – looking at personal strengths and aptitudes
Week 3 Matching interests, skills and volunteer/work experiences
Week 4 What’s out there? – checking out volunteer/work opportunities
Week 5 Introductions – asking for and filling out applications, writing introductory letters/resumes
Week 6 Continuing with introductions, meeting the manager (role plays)
Week 7 Practice makes better – trying out the skills
Week 8 Work/volunteer place situations and problem solving, wrapping up

Contact:
Please contact Patricia Lyon for further information or to receive an intake package at:

Phone:604-732-3222
Fax: 604-732-3232

pdf file available here.