ANNUAL REPORT 2003 - Los Angeles Child Guidance Clinic

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The Los Angeles County Mental Health Commission was pleased to honor the Clinic’s Building Blocks Program with its 2002 Outstanding Program of the Year Award. The Commission believes that providing early intervention for at-risk children is a critical element in ensuring these children’s future successes, and we applaud the Clinic’s efforts in this arena. — Ilean Rabens, Chair, Los Angeles County Mental Health Commission MISSION POSSIBLE | 6
PROMOTING EARLY INTERVENTION First Steps Infant/Toddler Home Visitation Program Beginning at birth through the age of 36 months, factors such as poverty, low maternal education, community violence, abuse or neglect, separation from parents and prenatal drug exposure can impede successful child development. Infants exposed to these factors are at risk for later mental health problems, which can hamper school performance and future life successes. The focus of the First Steps program is to enhance parentchild attachment relationships. Through healthy attachments, an infant’s social/emotional knowledge is expanded, brain functioning is stimulated and cognitive growth is enhanced, thereby reducing mental health risks. A treatment team composed of a therapist and a home interventionist works with families of at-risk infants in their homes to train parents in skills that facilitate attachment, such as learning how to read their infants’ emotional cues and responding appropriately. A generous grant from the Dwight Stuart Youth Foundation supported the pilot year of the First Steps program. While our young clients have been exposed to risk factors that we cannot change, through First Steps we can improve children’s relationships to their parents, helping to protect them against future mental health problems. The focus of the First Steps program is to enhance parentchild attachment relationships. MISSION POSSIBLE | 7
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Page 3 and 4: our mission comes to life Letter fr
Page 5: Serving the Uninsured In an effort
Page 9 and 10: SPECIALIZED EDUCATION SERVICES Burt
Page 11 and 12: TRANSITION SERVICES Life Learning P
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Page 15 and 16: Our Service Year 2003 in Review The
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Page 19 and 20: OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS The Los Ange

ANNUAL REPORT 2003 - Los Angeles Child Guidance Clinic

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