Programs

Prevention and intervention of child abuse

Intervention

Since the autumn of 2000 physically, emotionally or sexually abused children are provided with the services of multidisciplinary team (including psychologist, psychiatrist, social worker and lawyer). Abused children are reffered to Secure Child Center by pediatricians, social workers, teachers and are brough to the Center by parents, relatives, foster parents or children's home personel. The help according to the needs of the child takes the form of short or long term counseling, play therapy (for children) and art therapy (for adolescents).

Prevention

Psychoeducational courses for parents and other caregivers are aimed at prevention of physical and emotional violence toward the child inside the family. During 12 hours program adults are trained in effective communication skills, constructive conflict solving, methods of non-violent discipline and recognition of psychological needs of the children of different ages.
The set of 12 booklets for parents was prepared and published with concise information on problematic areas of child rearing. The booklets were presented at and delivered through out-patient clinics and schools of Kaunas.

Training

Lectures and seminars about child abuse prevention, intervention and postvention are organised for pediatricians, nurses, juvenile police officers, volunters working with street children.
Twice a month the continuous child abuse case analysis ( supervision) group for psychologists, psychiatrists and social workers from different institutions takes place.
Center's resource library is used by students and working professionals for getting information in child abuse treatment and prevention field.
This program is supported by Open Society Fund-Lithuania and Open Society Institute.
 
Mental health education in Kaunas children's homes

The cooperation between Secure Child Center and 4 Kaunas children's homes (orphanages) evolved into the educational program for children and personel.
During year 2001 8 seminars for personel took place in each of 4 institutions; each seminar was aimed at helping the personel deal with different problems in their work with traumatised, neglected and abused children. Every seminar had theory part and case analysis part.
Workshops for children at the same 4 institutions were conducted in the small groups. During 8 workshops children were trained in safety and resilience skills as well as provided with qualified sexual education.
This program is supported by Health Fund of Kaunas City Municipality.
 
Ensuring safety of children in the community: enhancement of psycho- social resiliency through safety skills training

The board game called "Coming Home" is created for safety skills training of children from 6 to 10 years old. The game provides the child with an opportunity to discuss various dangerous situations, including sexual abuse, drugs, violence etc. and effective ( safest) ways of acting and reacting in these situations. The game is intended to be used by a prepared teacher with a small group of children, for this reason it will be presented and delivered during seminars at 30 kindergartens and primary schools of Kaunas County.
This program is supported by Baltic-American Partnership Program and Open Society Institute.
 
Introducing the rehabilitation-oriented approach to the probation of juvenile offenders in Kaunas County

Concern about juvenile criminality developed into the program that includes:
1) training for the officers, working with juvenile offenders at correctional inspection, police, and juvenile prison;
2) educational courses conducted by psychologists, psychiatrist, social worker and lawyer for parents or caregivers of delinquent adolescents;
3) individual or family counseling of delinquent adolescents by psychologist.
This program is supported by Local Intiative Grants Program which is funded by Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State (ECA) under authority of the Fulbright-Hays Act of 1961 as amended, and administered by the American Council for International Education: ACTR/ACCELS.