Piece of Mind
by Wendy von Wiederhold, PhD
A HOME WITHIN SEEKING HEARTFELT VOLUNTEER CLINICIANS
One child, one therapist, for as long as it takes...
Foster care psychological services agency A Home Within is looking for a few good therapists.
A Home Within's volunteer clinicians appreciate the extent to which the external and internal worlds of foster children often lack stable, consistent, caring relationships; most of the psychological treatment available to this vulnerable population takes place at training sites staffed by interns who annually move on to their next placements, thus creating even more ruptured relationships in lives already full of loss. A Home Within asks therapists to volunteer one hour of professional time per week to work with a current or former foster youth. Freedom from budgetary and systemic constraints mean those served are never in danger of losing their therapists due to funding shortages; experienced clinicians in private practice promise more stability and consistency and a higher caliber of treatment for a challenging, complex population.
The psychotherapy provided by A Home Within's volunteer clinicians mitigates the considerable negative effects of trauma, neglect, loss, and disruption that so profoundly shape the emotional lives of children, adolescents, and young adults who experience foster care. Each clinician is matched with one client at a time. The average length of treatment is more than three years.
For more information, or to volunteer, please contact rfay@ahomewithin.org.