The House of the Child: Day care center of customized clinical mental health services for therapeutic treatment and psychosocial rehabilitation of children and adolescents victims of any form of abuse or bullying
The Day Centre "THE
HOUSE OF THE CHILD" is a community unit providing customized clinical mental
health services for therapeutic treatment and psychosocial rehabilitation of
children and adolescents victims of abuse, neglect or domestic violence, as well
as children or adolescents involved in cases of bullying. The Day Centre was
founded by the non-profit voluntary Organisation “THE SMILE OF THE CHILD”. The
Centre was established within the framework of the Operational Programme "Human
Resources Development" of the NSRF 2007-2013, co-financed by the Ministry of
Health and the European Social Fund.
“THE SMILE OF THE CHILD” was established in 1995 implementing many different
constantly expanding activities in the general field of child protection. In the
recent decades interest has been focused particularly on the phenomenon of child
abuse and neglect given also the reorientation of the attitude of the
international community towards this phenomenon. It has been shown that in
abused children who feel isolated, alone or stigmatized or children who have not
sufficiently developed social skills because of early abandonment or isolation,
providing care from mental health specialists can deliver maximum benefits.
Evidence based contemporary research has also documented that provision of
appropriate and specialized mental health and psychosocial care in children
victims of abuse or neglect with acute or late-onset psychopathological
manifestations or behavioural disorders is extremely important for their
development and their wider psychosocial wellbeing. “THE SMILE OF THE CHILD”
undertaking the initiative to create the particular Day Centre expands its
activities by providing comprehensive support services for children in need.
The Day Centre’s services are addressed to children and adolescents up to age of
18 who live either in residential care or in the community having a documented
history of exposure to violence of any kind. Services are free of charge and are
expanded to the following areas:
- Early intervention-evaluation-counselling.
- Diagnosis and treatment of the full range of child psychiatry disorders and issues of clinical attention.
- Diagnosis and treatment of specific learning deficits and provision of speech therapy, οccupational therapy and special education support when needed.
- Counselling for parents and carers of victimized children and adolescents.
- Registering and statistical analysis of psychosocial rehabilitation needs arising from the child abuse incidents.
- More general activities for raising awareness and sensitivization of the wider community in order to prevent all forms of child abuse and victimization.
The Day Centre’s
personnel comprises from a psychiatrist–scientific coordinator, three child
psychiatrists, three clinical psychologists, a special educator, a speech
therapist, a social worker, an occupational therapist and two administrators.
This interdisciplinary therapeutic team undertakes a comprehensive diagnostic
evaluation and therapeutic intervention scheme to address the complex disorders
and wider psychosocial needs of children - victims.
For more information on “THE HOUSE OF THE CHILD” you can call the National
Helpline for Children SOS 1056 or contact at
sos1056@hamogelo.gr
