Youth & Family Services
HELP of Door County Offers:
Youth Advocacy – Face to Face meetings with children who are witnessing abuse in the home. Advocates provide the youth with the knowledge that the abuse is not their fault and allow them a safe, and confidential place to talk about what is happening at home if they so choose to reveal “the family secret” They are taught safety planning skills, ie knowing how to call 911 and the HELP hot line, where to go if abuse is happening, and are reminded not to get in the middle of the argument.
Children and Teen Education and Support Group - Weekly sessions for youth designed to provide stability and consistency in an otherwise chaotic life. Groups allow for personal sharing, an educational lesson, a project pertaining to the topic, food, fun and friendship that is sometimes non-existent for child victims of domestic abuse.
Visitation and Exchange - monitored or supervised visits, monitored exchanges, monitored telephone visits, and supportive parenting assist in maintaining parent/child relationships where family conflict, abuse, or other factors have made these relationships difficult to maintain.
Parent Education and Support - Advocates work closely with parents to give them practical advice for how to provide children the love, support and positive role models they need even in the midst of abuse.
Community Education and Outreach – Our youth staff regularly provides schools, churches, and civic organizations with presentations on issues such as the effects of domestic violence on youth, family communication skills, strategies for dealing with bullying, and other similar topics.
Violence Free Relationships for Teens – For many years HELP has been active in middle and high schools providing classroom training on healthy dating relationships and non-violent conflict resolution.
Referral to Open Door Youth Services: If you call the HELP hot line with runaway youth in crisis issues, we will refer you to Family Services of Northeast Wisconsin, Inc. This agency serves all youth in crisis in Door and Kewaunee Counties including runaway issues, suicide prevention, and more. Their services are available free of charge, 24/7.
