Children, Family and Community Service
Working together to build healthy, safe communities and strong futures for our children.
Strong homes and families are the building blocks of strong, caring communities. For nearly 50 years, Catholic Social Services has supported families throughout northeast and central Alberta through services for children, youth, parents, and seniors.
Programs include, counselling for pre-marital couples, families, and individuals, open adoption and kinship programs, training and mentorship for parents in need, support for children and families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, resources and care for elder adults experiencing abuse or neglect. Other programs offer temporary homes to “at risk” youth, as well as children affected by sexual exploitation and group care to emotionally and behaviourally disturbed children.
East Central Alberta Region
Children with Disabilities - Family Support Program
This program provides in-home, community, and other family support services to children with disabilities and their families.
Children with Disabilities - Host Family Program
This program provides both respite and extended care to children with developmental disabilities. Approved and trained families provide this care in their own homes.
Counselling - Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP)
This confidential service allows employers to purchase a range of counselling services and psycho-educational services for their employees and specified family members, through a contract with Catholic Social Services.
Counselling - Individual and Family Therapy Program
Provides therapeutic counselling to individuals, couples, and families by clinical counsellors (registered psychologists or registered social workers). Services are offered on a sliding fee scale and are confidential. A premarital assessment, therapeutic and educational service is offered to couples planning marriage on a fee-for-service basis.
Family Capacity Building Program
Family Capacity Building provides a process to help families in crisis, or in the middle of challenging decisions, to create a plan that will enhance the strengths of the family and help resolve their issues.
Family Intervention Services Program
The Intervention Services Program provides support to address issues impacting family situations. Services can include three components: in-home support, respite services, and supervised visits.
Family Living Program
This program offers professionally directed educational workshops and courses that provide instruction and support on a variety of issues, including couple's communication, boundary setting, divorce, abuse, and managing anger.
Student Health Initiative Program
This program focuses on the needs of the child or youth by providing structured family therapy to enhance the child’s personal growth.
Edmonton Region
Adoption Support, Information, and Referral Program
Counsellors are available to support and counsel birth parents and adoptive families seeking to explore their options. Families wishing to adopt are directed to community adoption resources.
Bridging the Gaps Continuing Education Program
A collaborative project with Grant MacEwan University that offers continuing education workshops for children's mental health practitioners in the Edmonton Area.
Counselling - Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP)
This confidential service allows employers to purchase a range of therapeutic counselling service and psycho-educational services for their employees and specified family members, through a contract with CSS. This service facilitates the identification and resolution of a wide range of personal problems that may be adversely affecting an organization’s employee productivity, including marital, family, work-related, substance abuse, and critical incident stress.
Counselling - Genesis II
Genesis II provides counselling and referral services to youth with substance abuse issues and their families.
Counselling - Individual and Family Therapy Program
This program provides therapeutic counselling to individuals, couples, and families by Clincal Social Workers or Registered Psychologists. Services are offered on a sliding fee scale and are confidential.
Counselling - Play Therapy Services Program
A trained play therapist uses the therapeutic powers of play to help children and families prevent or resolve psycho-social difficulties. The play therapist assesses the child’s play and uses it to help the child cope with difficult emotions.
Counselling - Premarital
This program provides confidential assessment, therapeutic and educational counselling services to heterosexual couples planning marriage.
Counselling - Psychological Assessment Program
This program provides a variety of psychological, psycho-educational, and neuro-psychological assessment services for children and adults. Services include assessments of behaviour, cognitive defects, adaptive functioning, emotional state, and academic skills.
Elder Abuse Intervention Team
In collaboration with the City of Edmonton Community Service, the Edmonton Police Service, and the Victoria Order of Nurses, the Elder Abuse Intervention Team provides intervention, support, and referral services to older adults who are at high risk of abuse or are experiencing abuse. This service also provides a public education service around the issue.
Elderly Adult Resource Service (EARS) Program
This program provides support, counselling, education, and referral services for older adults who are at risk of or are being abused and neglected.
Family Based Interventions Program
This program provides in-home services to meet the family’s need for support, including parenting skills, problem solving skills, and building boundaries. The goals of this program is to help families create a safe home environment, prevent children from being taken into care, and eliminate behaviours which may place family members at risk.
Family Covenant Program
This program provides parent-centred, in-home services that focus on supporting parents to enhance relationships in the community and within their family by building on current strengths and values for all faiths and cultures.
Family Links Program (Kinship Care)
This program provides assessments, support, and training to extended family members or significant others who care for children and youth who have been apprehended from the parental home.
Family Living Program
This program offers professional psycho-educational workshops and courses that provide instruction and support on a variety of issues, including couples' communication, handling anger, setting healthy boundaries, overcoming depression, and building self-esteem.
FASD - Coaching Families Program
Coaching Families helps families learn about and respond to the needs of their children (up to age 18) who are affected by or are strongly suspected of being affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).
FASD - First Steps Program
The First Steps Program offers mentorship to women who are at high risk of giving birth to a child with FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder). This includes women who are pregnant or who have recently given birth and have used drugs or alcohol during the pregnancy. Mentors work with women for 3 years.
FASD - McDaniel Youth Program
Provides mentorship supports to youth aged 14 to 19 years who are affected by FASD (Fetal Alcohol Specturm Disorder) to help them access community supports and make a successful transition into adulthood. Mentors work with youth for a period of up to 3 years.
FASD - Step By Step Program
Step By Step addresses the needs and issues facing mothers and fathers who have been diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and who are parenting children (with or without FASD). Mentors work with families for 3 years.
Foster Care Program
This program recruits, trains, and provides support services to foster parents who are selected to care for children and youth, up to age 18, who are in need of protection and nurturing.
Group Care (Long Term) for Children/Youth with Disabilities
Long term group care is provided in community homes that focus on creating a “home-away-from-home” environment for children and youth with disabilities. Families are supported as their children are offered a stable, structured group care environment where they can develop adaptive skills, build positive relationships with their peers, and integrate as well as possible into community life. Through the teaching of life skills and the active collaboration of families, children/youth are supported t
Group Care for Children Affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
Group care treatment provided in a community home to help children affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) to increase their capacity to effectively manage social relationships, life skills, school participation, and community integration. Support services for the families of the children/youth are also provided, with the goals of family re-integration whenever possible.
Group Care for Children/Youth with Mental Health Concerns
Group care treatment is provided in community homes for children and youth whose primary concerns are related to mental health challenges (ie; Asperger’s Syndrome, attachment disorders, anxiety disorders, post traumatic stress disorders, etc). The primary focus of the program is to increase the capacity of these children/youth to effectively manage social relationships, life skills, school participation, and community integration. Support services are also provided for the family of these childr
Group Care for Sexually Reactive Children
Group care treatment provided in a community home for children involved in abuse-reactive behaviours. Individual service plans incorporate a risk assessment, the development of a safety plan, individual and group therapy, and psycho-educational group activities focusing on social skills and personal development. A clinical therapist is involved with each child, and supports are offered to the family.
Jasper Avenue Complex (JAC) Program
A housing option that serves as an additional resource for clients of Catholic Social Services for whom safe, affordable housing is an issue. JAC is a drug and alcohol free site and has live-in staff who provide supervision and support. The program also offers social opportunities to reduce isolation.
La Salle Program
La Salle is a second stage women’s shelter for mothers and their children who have left abuse and are transitioning from a front-line crisis agency. The program provides accommodation in nine furnished suites for up to a year. During that time clients receive support and counselling as they access educational, employment and training opportunities.
Miracle Fund and Academic Enhancement Program
Made available through the Children’s Aid Foundation of Ontario, the Miracle Fund provides up to $250 per applicant for disadvantaged children and youth who could not otherwise access items or opportunities to enhance their personal well-being.
Parent Teen Mediation Program
The Parent Teen Mediation program is an early intervention program that assists families who are experiencing conflict between parents and teens. With the aid of trained mediators, the family learns the necessary skills to deal with conflict before it becomes unmanageable. Based on understanding built in the sessions, agreements are created that will work for all family members.
Parish Relations
Parish Relations creates a stronger bridge between Catholic Social Services and the parishes of the Edmonton Archdiocese by fostering a better understanding of the Agency, its programs, and its role in the Archdiocese.
Safe House
Safe House is a voluntary, temporary residential shelter for youth who are at risk of sexual exploitation or who are being sexually exploited through their involvement in prostitution. This program provides a safe refuge for a maximum of 8 individuals where they can access residential support and services to facilitate the transition to healthy community living.
Safe House - Community Follow-Up Program (PSECA)
Provides follow-up community services for “at risk” youth identified under the Protection of Sexually Exploited Children Act (PSECA). Outreach workers provide support, informal counselling, and facilitate the youth’s access to community resources as well as work with the youth through their accomplishments and relapses. This program is provided through a partnership between Catholic Social Services and Metis Child and Family Services.
Safe House Outreach Program
Outreach support services are provided to both “graduates” and previous clients of Safe House. Staff offer support, counselling, and advocacy, as well as facilitate client access to community resources. The program also offers prostitution awareness and one-to-one support to individuals and families affected by sexual exploitation.
Safe Passages Program
An extension to the Safe House and Safe House Outreach programs, Safe Passages provides independent, safe, and subsidized accommodations in designated apartments to “graduates” of either program. Clients tend to be young, single mothers who have a history of “at risk” behaviours including involvement in prostitution and are now transitioning into independence within the community. The outreach worker offers financial, emotional, community referal, and social support services.
North East Alberta Region
Family Diversion Program
This program provides an array of preventative services to encourage families to build natural supports and community support networks.
West Central Region
Children with Disabilities - Host Family Program
This program provides both respite and extended care to children who have developmental disabilities by approved and trained families or individuals in their own homes.
Children with Disabilities - In Home Support Program
This program provides in-home support to assist families in meeting the developmental and/or behavioural needs of their child resulting directly from the child’s disability. Additionally, the program assists families with parental relief supports and community involvement for their child.
Children’s Specialized Support Home
Provides a long term residential option for children and youth who have intense and complex needs. The setting promotes stabilization, which in turn, enhances the child’s quality of life, functioning ability, and opportunity to transition to a less intrusive environment. The home may also be a permancy option for the youth, who are elegible for funding, as they turn 18 years of age.
Counselling - Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP)
This service allows employers to purchase a range of therapeutic counselling services and psycho-educational services for their employees and specified family members, through a contract with CSS. This service facilitates the identification and resolution of a wide range of personal problems that may be adversely affecting an organization’s employee productivity, including marital, family, work-related, substance abuse, and critical incident stress.
Counselling - Individual and Family Therapy Program
Provides therapeutic counselling to individuals, couples, and families. Services are offered on a sliding fee scale.
Family Care
A psycho educational program aimed to help reduce excessive feelings of anger. Participants will learn healthy strategies to implement in their relationships at home, school, or work.
This program is preventative in nature. Intervention is provided in the form of counselling which is designed to reduce the amount of anger a person feels and to replace damaging, sometimes violent behaviour with healthy self-esteem building behaviour.
Foster Care
The program recruits, trains, and provides support to foster parents who are selected and licenced to care for children and youth, ages 0 to 18 years, who are refered by the Child and Family Services Authority Region 4.
Wetaskiwin Camrose Region
Children with Disabilities - Youth Residential Program
This program provides group care treatment in a community home for youth between the ages of 9 and 14 who need specialized out of home care.
Counselling - Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP)
This confidential service allows employers to purchase a range of therapeutic counselling service and psycho-educational services for their employees and specified family members, through a contract with CSS. This service facilitates the identification and resolution of a wide range of personal problems that may be adversely affecting an organization’s employee productivity, including marital, family, work-related, substance abuse, and critical incident stress.
Counselling - Individual and Family Therapy Program
This program provides therapeutic counselling to individuals, couples, and families by Clincal Social Workers or Registered Psychologists. Services are offered on a sliding fee scale and are confidential.
Family Capacity Building Program
Family Capacity Building is a strengths based process of empowering families and individuals by the use of voluntary family group conferencing. Coordinated by a conference facilitator the family comes together with kin, close friends, the professional community (social workers, police, teachers, and others) to develop a plan to resolve issues regarding a child, youth, or adult requiring intervention services.
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Program
This program provides direct support, community outreach, advocacy, and information sharing to assist children and families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). This program also provides training and workshops to other professionals, agencies, and organizations about FASD.
Group Care Program
This program provides group care treatment for male and female youth in a community based home that teaches independent skills and behaviour management.
Group Care Program - Mom and Tots
The Mom and Tots program provides supportive mentoring and teaching of parenting/life skills in a culturally appropriate group care framework.
Group Care Program - Siblings
This program provides a home for a group of siblings with structure and safety to ensure the children develop to their fullest potential. The program also provides necessary counselling and therapy to meet the children’s needs.