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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1977-10-13, Page 22HERE TO HELP WITH PROBLEMS 7- At some time in life most people need someone to listen to their troubles and help them, The new Huron Centre for Children and Youth, downstairs at 160 Huron Street, Clinton, has a staff of trained listeners, who are already privately helping over 150 people in Huron county — children, teen-agers and parents. Their services are free. Staff members, shown here are; front, left to right: Jane Harris, Phil Warren, Shirley Hackman and Marianne McCaffrey. Behind them are Arch Andrew (left) and Don Keillor. Staff photo Reception and Dance for LYNDA CREIGHTON and BRIAN WILDS Sat., Oct. 15th 9 - 1 CREDITON COMMUNITY CENTRE Musk by COUNTRY UNLIMITED Lunth Provided Everyone Welcome Reception and Dance for PATTY NEEB and DOUG WEBBER (Bridal Couple) Sat., Oct. 15 4. 1 a.m. SOUTH HURON RECREATION CENTRE Music by MOZART'S MELODY MAKERS Lunch Provided Everyone Welcome '4‘ Denfielcl Centennial Film Show & Dance Fri., Oct. 14 ILDERTON CURLING RINK 8 p.m. Children Free (Film Only) Adults & Students $2.50 Refreshments & Lunch FISHERMAN'S COVE GRAND BEND 63 RIVER ROAD FISH & CHIPS CHICKEN & CHIPS SHRIMP & CHIPS LIGHT LUNCHES Eat In or Take Out Grand Bend 63 River Road 238-2025 -yr FIREMAN'S DANCE Sat. Oct. 22 EXETER LEGION Music by ROYAL AIRES 5.00 per couple Dancing 9 - 1 Limited amount of tickets left. FRIDAY NIGHT SPECIAL 4 p.m. - 8 p.m, ONE STEAK $3.50 EXTRA DINNER $1.00 SCOTT & ALICE'S RESTAURANT Formerly Les Pines Restaurant LA k PL,AYTHERAPY-DIRECTOR of the Huron Centre for Children and Youths, iDon with social worker Jane Harris and secretary Marianne McCaffrey demonstrate how play therapy works with puppets. A reticent child may answer a lot of questions by bringing out his problems In play acting with the puppets. His agression, otherwise held back, could be redirected in the puppets. Join Us At The Christmas Workshop (Making Christmas Decorations & Novelties) CLASSES Nov. 1st-Dec. 9 Afternoons & Evenings to register & for more information 235.1484 Your Hostess Joanne McKnight L ty10....'n..1••aOMIP••••••••••••••.••wnamo•Mo•ar.on........‘ Reception and Dance for LINDA JONES and BILL RUSSELL (Bridal Couple) Sat. Oct. 15 (9 - 1) PINERIDGE CHALET Music by JOE OVERHOLT Lunch Provided Everyone Welcome Special invitation to friends & neighbours DERBY DIP Fall Hours Thurs 11 am - 8 pm Fri 110m - 12 pm Sat 11 ane - 12 pm Sun 11 arn - pm DERBY DIP Drive - In Restaurant South end-Highway 4 Exeter J Huron board gives tentative approval The Huron County Board of Education gave approval in principle to a request from Goderich District Collegiate Institute teacher John Smallwood to take part in a one year educational exchange program in the United Kingdom. Smallwood asked the board in a letter Monday if it would grant him permission to take part in the program and the board did so with some concessions. Director of education John Cochrane explained to the board that the exchange program hinged on Smallwood's ability to find a teacher in the United Kingdom willing to spend a year teaching here. Along with that the Huron County Board would NEW YEAR'S EVE TICKETS for New Year's Eve Dance at KIRKTON WOODHAM COMMUNITY CENTRE $18.00 per couple Limit 3 per person Tickets available Sat., Oct. 15 at 10 AM. at Community Centre. have to pay that teacher's wages for the year and the board Smallwood worked for in the United Kingdom would pay his wage. Cochrane added that the ministry regulation required that the Huron Board set aside $500 to cover any differences in the pays and that the board there make the same amends. Goderich trustee Dorothy Wallace told th'e board that she had discussed the project with Smallwood and understood that he was aware of the $500 and was prepared to pay it himself if the board was unable or unwilling to. The board left the monetary decisions to the education committee to work out with Smallwood. ROLLS SKATING EVERY FRIDAY, SATURDAY and SUNDAY 8 pan.. 11 p.m. ADMISSION $1.00, RENTALS 50c ZURICH ARENA 4,1114-10 OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK EXETER 2352311 GRANDMA'S SUBMARINES "A Breath of Scotland" Starring Billy Marshall & Ron Coburn With'Full Supporting Cast Centennial Hall, London Oct. 16 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets $4.50 Children Under 12 Years — 1/2 Price OCTOBERFEST DANCE South Huron Recreation Centre Sat., Oct. 29, 1977 9- 1:00 a.m. THE TOPPERS (German Band from Kitchener) Warm Buffet $10.00 per Couple Precious Blood P.T.A., Exeter Tickets at Jerry MacLean Automotive viel.manwommogna.. LUCAN LEGION ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION DANCE Lucan Community Centre Friday, October 21, 1977 Music By Joe Overholt & The Standbys Dancing 9-1 vavairimimme DASHWOOD HOTEL "Huron County's Fun Hotel" Picture Lounge Live entertainment coming soon Tiffany Dining Lounge Hours Open Mon. through Sat. 12-1:30 p.m. Only Reserve Now for Banquets & Holiday Parties $6.00 per couple By KIM DADSON Mrs. Smith is worried. Her six- year-old son is behind in his school work. The neighbors' boy has already advanced to the next class. 1-fer ten-year-old daughter is popular with classmates, finds her school work easy and has a uleaeant nature. But Johnny — he seems rebellious. His lack of interest in school is becoming more ap- parent. Perhaps he is, after all, just incurably lazy, without the necessary spark to make him move ahead in life. Still, Mrs. Smith is worried. Mrs. Jones is at her wits' end. Two-year-old Susie continually defies all efforts at toilet training, to the embarrassment of her mother. Yet, the more Mrs. Jones tries, the worse the situation becomes. Seventeen-year-old Bill is having a rough go of it. He wants to leave home, strike out on his own and all he is getting is one big hassle from his parents. "Where can I turn?" is the question on each mind. In Huron County there is an answer, It is the Huron Centre for Children and Youths. The names and incidents here are all fictitious, but they are typical of problems handled by the centre. The work is in the area of mental health, but the people who come for help are not psychologically crippled. The director of the centre, Don Keillor, explains the role of the service as that of a mediator, a means of channeling people in the right direction when all sense of direction has been lost in con- fusion. The centre concentrates its objectives on problems from infancy to eighteen years. "But we don't always know who our clients will be," says Mr. Keillor. "If a child has a problem, then his parents have one as well." Family centred "Our basic motive of operation is to work with the family. We work mostly with the family, seldom with the children alone." The centre has been officially in operation since January, and as it grows, so does the need for its services. It is staffed by Mr. Keillor and four social workers who work within the centre or in the homes of those it serves. In a Reception and Dance For Erich and Kaethe FREITER in honour of their 3011-1 WEDDING ANNIVERSARY Fri, Oct. 21 (9- 1 A.M.) DASHWOOD COMMUNITY CENTRE Music by THE BLUE HEAVENS Everyone Welcome Best Wishes Only Please No Blue Jeans short time a psychologist will be added to the regular staff. "The idea of forming the service centre came up at a public meeting," says the director. "With the closing of the Goderich Psychiatric Hospital people were concerned by the lack of facilities for children and young people who had problems." The meeting was held about a year ago and a steering com- mittee was formed, The centre was originally funded by the Ministry of Health but with the shift in ministries itis now funded by the Ministry of Community and Social Services. "We are directly responsible to a local board of directors," Mr. Keillor emphasizes. "Board members come from many points in the county. The centre's location at Clinton is central, and thus we have a fairly even distribution of people using its services from across the coun- ty." Broad experience The director talks about the centre and its work in a relaxed manner. The longish, dark hair, with a dash of grey at the temples gives him an easy-going ap- pearance. He is also a man who knows his business. Mr. Keillor was director of a learning centre for the Etobicoke board of education, operated for children with learning disabilities as well as those who were emotionally disturbed. He was also a professor at York University, Toronto, for three years, teaching as a member of the faculty of education and before that principal of an elementary school. His interest is in special education skills, Explanations of the problems outlined at the beginning of this story are given by Mr, Keillor. Johnny has a problem because his family finds it difficult to cope with his slow learning. Johnny, in turn, is disturbed by his own shortcomings and reacts in a rebellious manner and may eventually become withdrawn. A social worker at the centre helps, through sessions with the family, to make Johnny's parents realize their son needs extra support and love. As soon as Johnny realizes he is accepted by his family, no matter what his inability, he will probably be motivated to do his best, Mrs. Jones may need help in disciplining her daughter. Jane Harris, a member of the staff at the' centre, has had special training with children. As the only child care worker at the centre her responsibilities lie mainly with the problems of children, while the other social workers deal with the adults. Chamber of Commerce Lottery Draw $1,000 BILL DRAW ON Sat., Dec. 3 Tickets $5.00 Each .500 to be Sold Tickets Available Mont Any C of .0 Member Spoosoredily Zurich & District Chamber of Commerce tic. #2343'6 ( Miss Harris teaches parents methods of disciplining their children and stresses that con- sistency is a major factor. Dislike change Bill, the 17-year-old, has an age-old problem. Every adolescent goes through a dif- ficult period in life when body and mind are changing, Most people don't like to see changes in others, the director explains. It upsets the normal pattern of life, The centre helps the teenager's family to accept the youth's in- stinct for independence. If he is really determined to leave home it is preferable that he leave on good terms with the family. Often, however, says Mr. Keillor, the youth wouldn't go if he really had an opportunity. He is just testing himself and his family. "We like working with young people in this area, and encourage parents to understand their children's natural instinct for independence." As children are given in- creasing responsibility they learn to appreciate in- dependence, as do their parents. The whole objective of paren- thood should be to develop in- dependent, well-adjusted adults. "We help families deal with problems," says the director, "we don't solve problems. Our contribution is to get families together to talk." There is a big room at the centre which contains toys for the children as well as a two-way mirror, through which Mr. Keillor can observe behaviour from his office. Families often meet in this room, particularly the larger families. They know that someone is watching from behind the mirror and that the session is being taped. Sometimes as many as three social workers are talking with the family. "Family dynamics are so complex," says Mr. Keillor. "The tape helps if we have missed something that was said, something that is the key to the problem. We play the tape back to the family as well, so they can Toys have purpose Even the toys have a meaningful purpose. There are puppets and a small stage where real life drama may be portrayed by a reticent child. The child may well be hesitant to tell a social worker the exact nature of the problem, For instance, he or she may enact a male and female puppet arguing, as the parents of the child do at hdme. After in- vestigation it may be discovered that the child is frightened by family arguments, perhaps believing himself to be the cause of unhappiness. Other social workers at the centre, in addition to Miss Harris, include Philip Warren, Archie Andrew and Shirley Hackman. The latter holds amas ter's degree in sociology and worked in children's mental health centres previously, Mr. Andrew also holds a master's degree' and has worked with the John Howard Society for criminal offenders who need assistance in adjusting to society. He has also worked for the Alcohol and Drug Addiction Research Foundation in Toronto, (There have been no major drug problems at the Hurd') centre yet, but alcohol has been evident as a relating factor in several in- stances.) Mr. Andrew was trained at King's College, London, and specializes in play therapy for children, such as the puppet theatre. Another important staff member is Marianne McCaffrey, who answers the phone and is the first contact with a troubled child, youth or family. Mr. Keillor says she is an excellent choice for the job, with her warm and understanding manner which comes through on the telephone. Mrs. McCaffrey says she usually makes appointments as soon as possible, but if the person calling is extremely agitated she puts the call through to a staff member immediately. She has had teachers call her after up- setting experiences with children about whom they are concerned, There is a good liaison between the schools, the parents and the centre when a problem is being handled. There is no long wait for an appointment as yet. Mr, Keillor says the capabilities of the centre are growing at a steady rate with the need. When the last social worker joined the staff at 9 a.m. she was working with a family an hour later. At present 24-hour service is available in all cases of emergency. Miss Harris says that ap- pointments can be arranged, even though parents cannot come during the day. Arrangements can be made to accommodate those who work on shift work or who have other special cir- cumstances. Rarely is it necessary to hospitalize a child; the family can usually provide for the needs with the assistance and guidance of the centre, Mr. Keillor says that some parents fail to realize their children are individuals, with very real sensitivities, likes and dislikes. There is a tendency to lump all "kids" together and consider them all the same. If a youth comes to the centre alone he will not be turned away, but the staff members will try to involve the family. If under 16 the centre prefers to have the parents' consent at least. There are no fees for services; the centre is a non-profit public service. Will expand The next development will be branch offices in the county if there is an appreciable number of families in need of assistance in the outlying areas. Such an office would, perhaps, be staffed by one person and open one or two days a week. "We all have vulnerable times in our lives," says Mr. Keillor, The death of a member of the family or a divorce or just the problems of adolescent years ere among the factors which can create crises. Miss Harris says that at these times parents are often blinded to the good qualities in their off- spring. They see only the bad traits and as a result magnify them unduly. A third, uninvolved person is needed to put things into perspective. The centre is open five days a week, with evening appointments as well. It is located at 160 Huron St., Clinton. Those who believe that smaller communities lack the facilities available in the city should consider the foresight of a group of citizens who saw a problem and took immediate action. There are people with adequate credentials who are willing to settle in a small town and make good use of their abilities. Pase 22 Times-Advocate, October 13, 1977 Answering youth problems in Huron