About McKinley Childrens Center – San Dimas
McKinley Children’s Center in San Dimas, California, helps youth, families, and communities become stronger and healthier through programs that promote positive choices, healthy lifestyles, and effective life skills to overcome challenges and set goals for success. They have educational programs, residential programs, adjustment support for post release refugee children, a family resource center, foster care services and supports, and mental health treatment for children, youth and families.
All treatment programs at McKinley Children’s Center run from a trauma-informed perspective. They want each child, adolescent and family to feel trust, empowerment, support, and collaboration as they work with their health care team. Each member of staff is trained and qualified to provide compassionate and evidence-based treatment and emotional support to individuals from diverse situations and facing a sundry of mental health, environmental and life issues.
There are community and school related services that can be incorporated into a child’s educational pursuits and endeavors. Children will receive therapeutic services for a few hours each day throughout the week, and the rest of the day is spent on schooling and traditional educational courses.
They also have outpatient services for mental health and behavioral issues in children and adolescents. Psychological assessments and evaluations help mental health professionals and consulting psychiatrists develop the right therapy care plan to meet a person’s individual needs. Clients can get help, whether they are struggling from learning disabilities and social challenges or from behavioral and psychological difficulties that are stifling or interfering with their full potential.
Trauma-informed therapeutic behavioral services as part of treatment help replace maladaptive behaviors with new, more positive and effective habits and behavior choices. This technique of therapy is used in conjunction with cognitive behavioral therapy and the Seeking Safety treatment model to help those who are plagued with PTSD after traumatic events in their lives.
Residential care is available for young men who need more support than they can get in a home or community environment. Boys between 10 and 18 years of age can find continuous support and supervision through a safe and stable environment until they can find a stable and loving home to return to or be placed in for long term success. They are offered support, substance abuse treatment, recreational and social events, groups on stress and conflict management, emotional and spiritual support and physical activities such as swimming, biking, and team sports to promote physical and emotional health. Every three months a care plan for each individual will be reassessed to ensure that it is still meeting their ever-changing needs.