For National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week, “livemom.com” is featuring an interview with ACGC Executive Director Russell Smith. See the story at: http://www.livemom.com/
Posts Tagged ‘mental health issues’
ACGC featured on Livemom.com
Monday, May 2nd, 2011Help the Pace Pals, Help Haiti
Thursday, January 28th, 2010Do you want to help children navigate life and help the relief effots in Haiti? Join Austin Child Guidance Center’s Pace Pals for Kids in the 2010 Austin Marathon! Due to the disastrous event in Haiti on January 12, 2010, ACGC has expanded its goals for this year’s race. Keeping in mind our mission and dedication to improving the lives of children and families, we are extending our mission overseas to those children and families suffering in Haiti by contributing 20% of our total donations from the Austin Marathon campaign to the American Red Cross International Relief Fund in the efforts to provide aide to Haiti.
YOU can help by: (1) donating online (www.active.com/donate/austinchildguidance or www.austinchildguidance.org) or (2) volunteering at the water stop on race day, February 14, 2010 (sign up at www.doitsports.com/volunteer/join-protected-group.tcl?event_id=159567 - use the password “26″ to log in and sign up).
By contributing to this event, whether financially or with your time, you can help children and families that are struggling through some of life’s most difficult times, in both Austin and Haiti. The goal of treatment at Austin Child Guidance Center is to relieve the mental health issues faced by children and youth, with the help and support of their parents, siblings, grandparents, teachers, and friends. Current relief efforts in Haiti are focused on basic needs, such as food, shelter, and medical attention; eventual support will be needed to address the issues of grief, loss, and trauma. Austin Child Guidance Center addresses similar issues as we continue to work with survivors experiencing Post- Traumatic Stress from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. We have seen the overwhelming and devastating effects of disaster, but also know that change and healing are possible. By contributing 20% of our Austin Marathon donations to the Haiti relief efforts, we invite you to help us reach out to those families affected in Haiti’s tragic earthquake, while also helping the children and families in our community.
Questions? Check out the 26 Miles for 26 Charities website for more information about the charity arm of the Austin Marathon (http://www.youraustinmarathon.com/26for26), or contact Zack Flores at (512) 451-2242 or zflores@austinchildguidance.org. We look forward to your support!
Third Annual “Charting A Course Of Hope” Luncheon Raises More Than $100,000
Thursday, September 17th, 2009
Charting A Course of Hope Luncheon
September 27, 2007 marked the third year in a row that Austin Child Guidance Center hosted its annual luncheon at the Austin Country Club. Silicon Laboratories and LCRA Employees’ United Charities generously underwrote the cost of the luncheon (pictured are Linda Garrett with Silicon Laboratories and Beverly Seffel with LCRA). The event, attended by close to 300 people, raised $103,748 in donations and pledges over five years.
This year’s guest speaker, Malinda Jones, told an extraordinary story about her young child and how his behavior at school and inability to learn appeared to predict a lifetime of frustration and failure. Ms. Jones spoke passionately about how the multi-faceted services at Austin Child Guidance Center helped her son overcome mental health issues that had at one time seemed insurmountable. Her child, who was once considered “slow,” is now a confident adolescent with an above-average IQ and a facility for math.
The program also included sixteen-year-old Christina who at age 12 had been removed from her mother and placed in a children’s shelter due to drugs and neglect within the household. With the help of counseling at Austin Child Guidance Center, Christina learned to cope with the loss of her mother, her feelings about being adopted, and her depression and anxiety. Now a confident, mature young lady, Christina read movingly a heartbreaking poem that she had written at the beginning of her recovery period.
Both guest speakers at this year’s luncheon helped audience members better understand the relationship between mental health and academic performance. Children suffering from mental health issues are at a much higher risk of dropping out of school, juvenile delinquency and anti-social behaviors. As described in the testimonials from both Ms. Jones and Christina, the mental health professionals at Austin Child Guidance Center teach children how to deal with the emotional issues that impede their ability to learn.
Helping propel the amount of money raised at this year’s “Charting a Course of Hope” luncheon were new members of Austin Child Guidance Center’s multi-year giving society, the Navigator Society. The new members are:
Captain
Pat and Bob Ayres
Sailors
David and Lore Bigham
Bob Boney and Anne Nelson
Mike and Kelli Craddock
Kaye and Mark Fiest
Kathy Ikard
Jim and LaVada Steed
David and Laura Wieland
Austin Child Guidance Center sincerely thanks the 163 people who made donations or multi-year pledges at the 2007 luncheon.
Helping Children Navigate Life
Wednesday, September 16th, 2009
Since 1951, Austin Child Guidance Center has been helping youth under 18 and their families gain the emotional skills to meet life’s challenges. Our sliding fee scale helps children and families from all income levels access the professional, high-quality services they need and deserve.
• 50% of students age 14 or older who have mental illness will drop out of school;
• Children with mental illness are more than 3X as likely to be arrested in their youth than those without mental illness; and
• Children with mental illness fail more classes, earn lower GPAs, miss more days of school, and are retained in their grades more often than students without mental illness (SOURCE: Frequently Asked Questions About Child and Youth Mental Health Issues, CAN, September 2009).
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Charting a Course of Hope Luncheon
Thursday, September 27th, 2007“A child’s emotional well-being is intimately tied to that child’s ability to learn, grow, and thrive.”
~ Keith W. Caramelli, M.D., Board Certified Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist
As parents and as a community we want our children to have the best education possible. Yet academic success may elude a child who…
…suffers from depression
…is the victim of abuse
…struggles with ADHD
…lives in poverty
…wrestles with a learning disorder
Children suffering from mental health issues are at a much higher risk of dropping out of school, juvenile delinquency, and anti-social behaviors. The mental health professionals at Austin Child Guidance Center teach children how to deal with the emotional issues that impede their ability to learn.
Join us on Thursday, September 27, 2007 to hear the story of an extraordinary woman whose young child’s behavior at school and inability to learn appeared to predict a lifetime of frustration and failure. This mother will share how Austin Child Guidance Center helped her son overcome mental health issues that seemed insurmountable.
“Charting a Course of Hope” Annual Luncheon
Thursday, September 27, 2007
12 noon – 1 p.m. (early registration 11:30 a.m. – 11:55 a.m.)
Austin Country Club
There is no charge to attend; however, RSVP is required.
Call Kaleena at 512-451-2242 for more details.
The luncheon is generously underwritten by:
Silicon Laboratories
LCRA Employees’ United Charities
Job Opening
Friday, February 2nd, 2007Position: Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Specialist
Time: 50% position (20 hours per week)
Date Posted: 02/02/2007
Date Closed: 02/14/2007
Note: This is a one year, grant funded position with no guarantee of continuation.
Requirements:
LPC or LMSW licensure and experience in infant and early childhood mental health issues.
Duties:
- Provide a variety of services to day care/child development centers as follows:
- Provide early screening assessments to identify preschool children with potential school adjustment problems and aid center teachers in implementing classroom procedures to prevent and remediate adjustment problems;
- Identify children needing psychological and neuropsychological assessment to aid families in finding the “best fit” in school placement;
- Provide educational trainings addressing children’s developmental and emotional needs and provide clinical support to staff and parents;
- Attend center staffings regarding children’s emotional/behavioral needs;
- Provide clinical assessments, clinical intervention including family therapy to children and their families;
- Provide parent groups in various formats including “parents only” and parent and child play groups.
Salary:
Range of $15,000-$16,500 based on experience. No medical or dental insurance coverage provided.
To Apply:
Email cover letter and resume by 02/14/2007 jmartinez@austinchildguidance.org, fax to 512-454-9204 or mail to ACGC, 810 W. 45th Street, Austin, TX 78751.
Want To Be On TV?
Monday, November 7th, 2005Do you want to be on TV? Now you can by becoming a sponsor of the 8th Annual Holiday Classic TV Special hosted by Austin’s WB and Austin Child Guidance Center. This event encourages families to spend time together watching a warm family-oriented holiday movie to be aired on KNVA-TV, Channel 54. It includes public service announcements providing viewers with information on mental health issues. This year’s event takes place on Sunday, December 25, 2005 at 2:00 p.m. and will feature All Dogs Christmas Carol.
Corporate and individual sponsors are available. The money raised through sponsorships of this “stay at home” family event allows Austin Child Guidance Center to work with children and their families to work through the pain and stress caused by trauma, abuse, neglect, depression, anxiety and attention-deficit/hyperactive disorders suffered by Austin children.
Sponsorship Opportunities:
- Director $5,000 – Helps provide mental health services to 140 children and their family members. Recognition on KNVA-54 during Holiday Classic Movie and at Austin Child Guidance Center ’s (ACGC) Annual Meeting. Recognition in ACGC’s newsletter, annual report, website, and listing on Holiday Classic card*.
- Movie Star $2,500 – Helps provide mental health services to 70 children and their family members. Recognition at ACGC’s Annual Meeting, in newsletter, annual report, website, and listing on Holiday Classic card*.
- Cinematographer $1,000 – Funds a 10-week parenting class for 10 parents. Recognition in ACGC’s newsletter, annual report, website, and listing on Holiday Classic card*.
- Make-Up Artist $500 – Provides 1 full psychological evaluation or 2 psychiatric evaluations. Recognition in ACGC’s annual report, website, and listing on Holiday Classic card*.
- Stunt Person $100 – Provides 2.5 hours of group therapy sessions. Recognition in ACGC’s annual report and listing on Holiday Classic card*.
* The Holiday Classic card will be mailed to 5,000 individuals and businesses. The deadline for the card is November 15, 2005.
To become a sponsor, contact Josie Kluth at 512-451-2242 or jkluth@austinchildguidance.org.
