Thanks to our partnership with Community Advanced Practice Nurses (CAPN), youth who come to Covenant House Georgia receive a complete physical upon entry into our program. For some, this is the first physical they have received since they were a young child – for some, their first physical ever.
Any health care needs that are identified through the physical are then met through partnerships with area health providers.
We also work to ensure the long term health of our young people by teaching them good health and hygiene habits. Twice a week, the youth attend physical fitness classes. They also have weekly outings to Piedmont Park, local area basketball courts, and other facilities to encourage physical activity and health. Nutritional speakers are brought in to teach our youth about healthy eating, and vegetables are harvested from our organic garden to include in the evening meals of the youth!
Youth who have lived on the streets typically have a history of trauma and abuse that led them to flee to the streets, but once on the streets, many youth continue to experience trauma at the hands of another abuser. Our behavioral health team is experienced in trauma-informed care and provides a variety of treatment services for our youth.
Our counselors provide the much-needed support to put our youth on the road to healing. Every youth who enters our doors receives an assessment and an individual case plan. After the initial assessment, that youth starts evidenced-based behavioral health therapy (DBT, CBT, Trauma and Solution Focused Treatment, Strength Based, or Insight Oriented brief treatment) according to their case plan so that they can begin to deal with the trauma that prevents them from coping and functioning independently.
Group Counseling sessions are provided for youth who have similar backgrounds. During group sessions, youth are encouraged to talk about their situations and share their experience with other group members. Through sharing, trust and bonds are created and healing can begin.
Helping our youth heal from the wounds of their past is what Covenant House Georgia’s experiential and Non- Traditional therapy programs are designed to do. We provide an array of non-traditional and recreational activities to help our youth heal and regain their emotional and functional stability. Art Therapy, Low Ropes Course activities, Gardening, Performing Arts, Music, and Drumming are all utilized to help our youth achieve both emotional and behavioral goals.
Interventions and supports are provided to youth and their families when the option of family reunification is a potential housing goal. This type of intervention assists families and youth to develop greater coping skills, manage stressors, and help to explore unresolved grief and loss issues. Family therapy uses the power of relationships, resources, and significant connections to regain/reinforce a family’s stability.
