Safe from the Start
Therapy & Clinical Coaching Services
Safe from the Start - Therapy Services
Safe from the Start provides therapy services to children 0-5 years of age to help them heal after exposure to violence or experiencing trauma.
Trauma or exposure to violence can occur when a child is:
A first-hand victim of abuse, neglect, or maltreatment
A witness of physical, emotional, or sexual violence or another violent crime
A witness to or victim of community violence, bullying or the loss of a loved one
Both direct and indirect experiences can have lasting effects on the typical development of a child.
Safe from the Start is the areas only community-based provider serving children specifically ages zero to five and their families. In addition, we work with local agencies, community leaders and childcare providers to identify children who need help to heal the wounds caused by exposure to violence.
If you are concerned about what your child has seen, heard or felt, Safe from the Start is here to help.
Safe from the Start can help in the following ways:
Assessments to identify the effects of violence on your child
Therapeutic services for children, siblings, and non-offending caretakers
Opportunities to learn more about age appropriate behaviors, discipline and other helpful parenting skills
Contact us today
For more information, or to refer a child for Safe from the Start - Therapy Services, please call us at 309-736-7170, ext. 131, or email BrittanyL@foreverychild.org.
All services are free and confidential for families in the Quad Cities area.
Safe from the Start - Clinical Coaching Services
Early childhood mental health consultants are professionals with mental health expertise that play a critical role in cultivating the social-emotional development of very young children.
Safe from the Start’s Clinical Coaching Services take place in two forms; through Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation and Child-Teacher Relationship Training Cohorts.
Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation is an effective evidence based strategy to promote positive social emotional development and behavioral health and to prevent, identify, and reduce the impact of mental health problems among young children and their families.
Consultation includes bi-annual classroom observations, monthly reflection meetings, leadership capacity building, educator support, and parent training.
Child-Teacher Relationship Training (CTRT) uses the powerful relationship between children and their teachers as the foundation for change.
During a multi-week training series, our trained therapists work with small groups of Early Childhood Educators to help them build confidence, connections, and culture in their classrooms.
In the first phase, six teachers attend an intensive two-day workshop before spending up to eight weeks applying the training’s principles and their newly honed skills with a child in their class during one-on-one play sessions observed by program staff.
The second phase includes up to six-weeks of classroom observations and coaching sessions. Ultimately, teachers learn to foster healthy connections with students, enhance classroom culture, and set the stage for their students’ long-term well-being.
If you are a teacher or childcare center administrator and you are interested in learning more, please contact Brittany Littrel.
Thank you to our partners
This project is supported by funds awarded through the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority. Points of view or opinions contained within this webpage are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority.