Department of Children and Families Link
General Description |Location |Access |Hours of Operation |Clinic Services |Specialized Services |Home-Based Services
Clinic School |Clinic Referrals |Assignment of Therapists |Appointments |Access to Therapists |Emergencies |Medication
Duration of Treatment |Confidentiality |Mandate to Report to DCF |Fees |Insurance Coverage |Missed Appointments
Weather Days |Some types of problems treated
ABOUT THE CLINIC
The Community Child Guidance Clinic is a private, non-profit mental health agency offering diagnostic, treatment and consultation services to children up to the age of 18 and their families. The Clinic serves families whose children or adolescents are experiencing emotional, social, behavioral or academic problems.
Founded in 1959, the Clinic's professional staff includes child psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, psychiatric social workers, and marriage and family therapists. The Clinic also serves as a training center for interns in these professions.
The Clinic is located on North Main Street in Manchester, CT, near the corner of Main Street, and is served by the Connecticut Transit Bus Company that stops at Depot Square, one block from the Clinic.
Ample parking, including space for the handicapped, is available at the rear of the building that is accessed via North Street.
The Clinic is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM with additional hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays until 8:00 PM. The Clinic is closed on weekends and major holidays.
The Clinic provides a range of diagnostic and treatment services. Psychiatric evaluation, medication evaluation and psychological testing are available as needed. Treatment services include individual and family therapy, group therapy, and play therapy. Consultation is provided for schools and other agencies involved with the child and family.
The Clinic provides a number of specialized programs to address specific problems.
The Clinic's Sexual Abuse Treatment Team (SATT) provides assessment and treatment for families in which sexual abuse is a presenting problem. SATT services are coordinated with those of other community agencies involved with the family.
The Birth to Five Early Intervention Program (BTF) provides mental health services to families with children aged 0-5 years who exhibit emotional, behavioral, and/or developmental problems. A comprehensive range of diagnostic and treatment services is available.
The Firehawk Children's Program is a prevention program to assist children engaged in fire-setting or fire-play. Children are assessed in collaboration with the Town of Manchester Firehawk Intervention Team. Recommendations are made for mental health services, fire safety education and other community interventions.
The Victims of Crime Assistance Program (VOCA) provides support, therapy, advocacy and referral to children and families who have been victimized by violent crimes such as physical and sexual abuse, homicide, robbery, assault and domestic violence. Both in-home and office-based services are provided by a clinical social worker.
The Clinic provides home-based services through seven programs: WATCH (Wrap Around the Child) provides an in-home social worker and/or mentor to prevent residential placement. The goal of INTENSIVE FAMILY PRESERVATION PROGRAM is to maintain children and adolescents in their homes and communities. The REUNIFICATION PROGRAM provides a three-state program which planfully returns children home from out-of-home care. Included in the home based services department is the Intensive Safety Planning Program. It is a new initiative in the state that provides intensive in-home support to parents just after the children have been removed. If the parents are quickly able to work on the causes for removal, the children may be returned home before the state takes commitment of the children and that is in everyone's best interest. The service runs for 24 days.
The North Star Intensive Outpatient and Partial Hospital Program provides structured clinical services within a therapeutic milieu to children ages 6-12 and their families who are experiencing behavioral and emotional crisis. These services include intensive individual therapy, family therapy, multifamily therapy, group therapy, behavioral management, structured therapeutic and psycho-educational groups, medication management, and collaboration with schools or other community providers, all focused around a therapeutic milieu.
Extended Day Treatment is a cooperative program between our clinic and the Village for Families and Children. The after school program provides comprehensive, intensive clinical treatment services for children ages 6-12 who exhibit emotional and behavioral problems. Five days a week the children attend a structured, intensive, therapeutic milieu with integrated clinical treatment services.
The Clinic School was established in 1974 and is a State-approved private special education facility serving children ages 3-15 in two separate programs. Developmentally disordered students learn functional and cognitive skills within a highly structured classroom program. Behaviorally disordered or emotionally disturbed children learn academic as well as social skills.
Classroom instruction is accompanied by extensive interdisciplinary efforts including home consultation, parent counseling, individual therapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy. The combination of special education with clinical services provides a comprehensive program for children and their families. Referral is through the child's local Board of Education.
Families may contact the Clinic on their own or they may be referred by a variety of sources such as pediatricians, family physicians, schools, day care providers, the Department of Children and Families, courts, police departments, private mental health professionals, and other agencies and programs.
After a referral is made, the parent calls the Clinic for an appointment. A brief session with one of the Clinic social Workers is scheduled soon after the initial call. This appointment provides an opportunity for the parent to describe the problem and to determine whether services are needed or appropriate. Parents are asked to sign releases for collateral information and to complete a Child Information Packet that provides the Clinic staff with background information on the child.
If Clinic services are indicated, an appointment is scheduled for the entire family to meet with a therapist. Priority is given to serious problems or crisis situations. Upon completion of an assessment, a treatment plan is made for each child and family which includes recommendations for therapy.
Therapy assignments are based on the nature of the presenting problem or any special needs of the child. One or two therapists may work with a family, and others may be consulted for particular problems. Clients have the right to request information about the educational and professional background of their treating therapists.
Treatment is usually scheduled on a weekly or bi-weekly basis for a one- hour appointment. Younger children may be seen for a shorter period of time. Appointments for a parent and child are scheduled at the same time whenever possible. Parents or guardians are expected to accompany children to the Clinic for their appointments. They should register with the receptionist and wait in the waiting room until the therapist comes to pick them up. If the child is to be seen individually, the parent or guardian is expected to remain in the waiting room during the child's appointment. Treatment will usually involve a combination of individual and family sessions. At the end of the appointment, unless a fee is being paid, it is not necessary to check with the receptionist prior to departure.
Therapists are available for telephone contacts between appointments. Clients can reach therapists by calling the Clinic at (860) 643-2101. Should the assigned therapist be unavailable, another member of the therapy team or a supervisor will be available for the family.
In case of patient emergencies, a 24-hour answering service is available. Efforts are made to refer the call to the family's therapist; if the therapist is not available, the call will be taken by another member of the Clinic staff. Clients can access the answering service by calling (860) 643-2101.
The Clinic psychiatrist may recommend medication as part of a child's treatment. This will be done with the permission of the parent or guardian, and the potential benefits and possible side effects will be explained. While the Clinic may prescribe medication, it does not administer medication. Administration of medications is the responsibility of the child's parent or guardian.
The length of treatment will be determined by families and their therapists. Brief treatment is considered to be from one to four months, and long-term treatment from four months to one year or longer. Termination is appropriate when a mutual decision has been made that problems have been resolved.
Most information shared with the Clinic will be considered confidential and will not be shared with parties outside the Clinic without written permission of the parents. Confidentiality requirements are described in Section 17A-28 of the Connecticut General Statues. Exceptions to this policy are child abuse or neglect situations, which are mandated by law to be reported to the Department of Children and Families. Suicidal or homicidal behavior, and other circumstances where the best interests of the child will be served by disclosure, are also situations not considered confidential.
Chapter 301, Section 17a-101 of the Connecticut General Statues requires us to report the suspicion of physical or sexual child abuse to the Child Abuse Hotline of the Department of Children and Families (DCF). The Regional DCF office in which the abuse was disclosed is charged with the responsibility of investigating the complaint to determine whether or not abuse has occurred and whether steps should be taken to protect the child in question.
The Clinic's fees for services are determined by a sliding scale based on the family's income. Fees may be modified according to a family's special circumstances, and adjustments are made when a family's situation changes. Services are never denied because of an inability to pay. The Clinic accepts State medical cards and private insurance. All families are encouraged to discuss with their therapists any problems they may have with the established fee.
Families who have private health insurance are asked to provide a signed insurance claim form and their insurance card in order for the Clinic to apply for benefits. Their fee is based on the amount not paid by insurance and is adjusted to family circumstances. If a family is insured by an HMO which has its own providers and does not cover the Clinic, the family may still elect to seek Clinic services. However, in such cases, a flat fee rather than a sliding fee will be charged. Families with Title XIX coverage are asked to provide their Title XIX card, their medical card and their social security card for billing purposes.
Families are asked to give 24 hours notice when canceling appointments. Appointments cancelled with less than 24 hours notice or appointments which are missed without notice are billed at the rate of the family's usual fee. Exceptions are made in cases of emergency or sudden illness.
The Clinic usually does not close during bad weather. However, when weather makes driving hazardous, it is advisable for clients to call the Clinic to make sure that the Clinic is open and that therapists are available. Whenever possible, the Clinic will contact clients ahead of time to cancel appointments due to weather problems. In case of a power outage or other unusual emergencies, our answering service will provide the client with that information.
Some types of problems treated are:
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academic underachievement |
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adolescent adjustment reactions |
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anxiety |
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attention deficit disorder |
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bed wetting |
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behavioral problems |
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depression |
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developmental delays |
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eating disorders |
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encopresis |
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family conflict |
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fire setting |
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hyperactivity |
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learning difficulties |
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low self-esteem |
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lying |
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poor peer relations |
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post traumatic stress reactions |
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reactions to separation/divorce |
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school phobia |
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serious emotional disturbance |
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sexual abuse |
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sleep disturbance |
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stealing |
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stepfamily issues |
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substance abuse |
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suicidal behaviors |
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violence |
