How do I make a referral/request services with Secure Child & Virginia Attachment Center?
- You can make a referral or request information about our services by emailing us at info@securechild.center, submitting a request through our website’s “Contact Us” page, or by calling 434-242-2521.
- Our Referral & Intake Coordinator will follow-up with you within 2 business days to schedule an intake interview. This is a chance for us to hear more about the child and family, discuss appropriateness of our services, and answer any questions you have about our services.
- Many of the families we work with are connected with a case manager or social worker who initiates the referral process and helps access community funding. If you are a caregiver or parent and you do not yet have a caseworker, we can help you figure out where to start.
What evaluation services do you offer?
- During the initial intake interview, our Referral & Intake Coordinator will talk about the differences between our Attachment-Caregiving Evaluation and Intervention Assessment to help you decide which service is most appropriate for your referral.
- Attachment-Caregiving Evaluation: This evaluation is recommended when there are questions regarding the best interests of the child and help is needed with decision-making. It may also be recommended in cases where there are significant complicating factors, such as violence in the home or substance use. This evaluation includes assessment of the child’s attachment/relationship patterns and emotional needs, the parent’s caregiving patterns, and information about the health of the parent-child relationship. Results can also be used for intervention purposes, but intervention is not always recommended. This evaluation includes a written report of the results and recommendations regarding the child and caregiver, and a meeting with the caseworker and/or the parent to discuss results. *We no longer conduct evaluations for private custody cases.
- Intervention Assessment: This assessment is completed when the referral source is requesting the Secure Child Intervention Service and there are no questions about placement. It is focused specifically on the child’s attachment and relationship patterns. Results inform intervention goals in order to help caregivers shape the child’s emotional and behavioral functioning toward health. This assessment does not address issues of placement, custody, reunification, or goodness of fit and is not suited for court proceedings. A brief summary of results regarding the child is offered to the referral source, and it is the job of the therapist to review the results with the caregivers as the therapy progresses.
How are services funded?
- Our services are funded through the Children’s Services Act, Adoption Subsidy, or other private means, often requiring approval from the local Family Assessment and Planning Team (FAPT) and Community Policy and Management Team (CPMT). We can provide support to you in making this request as a part of our intake process.
- We do not accept insurance or Medicaid.
What is the format of the therapeutic intervention?
- The therapeutic intervention begins with an assessment process including both the child and caregiver(s)-either an Attachment-Caregiving Evaluation or an Intervention Assessment.
- Our therapists work directly with the caregiver(s) to provide a relationship-based therapeutic intervention that helps them to better recognize, understand, and respond to their child’s emotional and relational needs. Our therapists integrate psychotherapy and psychoeducation to help parents learn about their child’s patterns of attachment, emotion regulation, and caregiving needs, with the goal of shaping the child’s emotions and behavior toward health. Therapists usually meet twice weekly for 1.5-2hr sessions (in person or virtually). Therapeutic services typically last 9-12 months and sometimes longer depending on the needs of the family.
Do you provide outpatient therapy for children / play therapy?
- We offer outpatient therapy for children and adolescents whose caregivers are already participating in our intervention service. This combination provides attachment-based, trauma-informed support for caregivers as well as the child or adolescent, allowing for cohesive therapeutic approach.
- This service is appropriate for youth 3-18 years old and is informed by the developmental needs of the child, presenting concerns, and results from the attachment assessment.
Why do Secure Child therapists work with caregivers?
- Research in attachment and developmental science support the basic conclusion that secure attachments contribute to healthy development for children. Our focus is less on outward behavior and quick, temporary fixes, and more on making lasting change and improving the quality of life and relationships within the family. Addressing the emotional and relational challenges that cause difficult behavior is supported by research as the most effective way to help children heal, and will lead to a decrease in the difficult behaviors themselves. Our therapists work directly with caregivers and parents to support them in making changes to their interactions with their child. Through this process children become more and more open and accepting of their parents’ guidance and wisdom, and caregivers begin to feel more confident about what their child needs and how to meet those needs in a way that leaves everyone feeling healthier and more connected.
What kinds of presenting problems can be addressed by the Secure Child Intervention?
- Research shows that attachment and trauma informed therapy has an impact on a wide range of presenting problems and is not limited in effectiveness to only relational issues. While we do work with families whose child may have a Reactive Attachment Disorder diagnosis, it is far from the only concern that the intervention services can address. Below are a list of diagnoses and concerns that would make this service relevant and helpful:
- The child has a history of relational trauma, including neglect, abuse, loss of a caregiver, or removal from their biological family
- The child has had multiple placements, is at risk of going into foster care, or the current placement is at risk of disrupting
- The child has general behavioral or emotional difficulties
- The child has a diagnosis of anxiety, depression, or other mood disorders
- The child is disruptive, has difficulty with impulse control, or has a diagnosis of a conduct disorders (such as Oppositional Defiant Disorder)