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Adolescent Counseling Services expands programs amidst troubling economy
Written by Town Crier Report
Adolescent Counseling Services, a community-based non-profit agency dedicated to the social and emotional development of teens, has expanded its services to include the Adolescent Counseling Program, which serves the community at large, including Los Altos, Los Altos Hills and Mountain View.
The mission of the Adolescent Counseling Program is to provide affordable outpatient assessment, treatment and education for teens and their families in and around the greater Silicon Valley community, including individuals not previously eligible to receive treatment from Adolescent Counseling Services. Until now, a child who was not part of the Palo Alto Unified School District, Sequoia Union High School District or dealing with substance abuse would have been referred to local private therapists or other agencies.
Recently the Adolescent Counseling Services staff have begun to observe symptoms resulting from a troubled economy that often go unmentioned by the media and unnoticed by families in financial turmoil.
With the unemployment rate in Silicon Valley recently hitting a four-year high and consumer prices continuing to soar, many parents are coping with the burden of providing for their families on a strained budget. As the constant juggling of investments and financial portfolios takes center stage in the media and dominates dinner-table conversations, the potential damage these issues inflict on mental health is frequently overlooked while increased stress levels in parents are unintentionally transferred to their children and teenagers. Parents may exhibit signs of depression, anxiety and stress and as a result, children are often impacted and act out their behavior at home or at school.
The Adolescent Counseling Program strives to help local families deal with some of these problems. The program is coordinated and overseen by On-Campus Counseling Program Director Margaret Murchan and ACS Executive Director Dr. Philippe Rey.
If a local student between the ages of 12-19 years old is having difficulty with academic stress, family conflict, anxiety, depression, domestic violence or substance abuse, he or she can call the counseling program offices and Murchan will assign the student to a counselor. Parents are also welcome to use the program’s services.
“There aren’t many adolescent counseling services around this area,” Murchan said. “If (a student) is willing to come in, we would see them.”
ACS counselors are trying to encourage parents to recognize the far-reaching effects on children that can stem from periods of economic loss.
“It can be difficult for parents, in pressing financial situations, to recognize changes in the behavior of their children, but it is crucial in terms of development to confront these issues as they arise,” Murchan said.
The program is scheduled to operate during evening hours to allow student, family and parent involvement in counseling.
“We are really pleased to be starting the Adolescent Counseling Program this fall,” Rey said. “It is something that we believe is needed in the community and something that we have been planning and working on for quite some time.”
The counseling program will reach out to local teens by addressing issues of importance and intervening to restore healthy functioning when possible.
“With many families in this area seeking general counseling for the first time, privacy, along with affordability, is a huge concern with the clients we serve,” Rey said. “People in the areas surrounding Palo Alto are willing to travel to our offices during evening hours for a sense of increased confidentiality.”
During the 2007-2008 school year, 47 percent of On-Campus Counseling Program clients were clinically depressed. Of those, 79 percent demonstrated decreased signs of depression in post-screening evaluations.
“Depression is one of the most daunting problems facing teens today, and the Adolescent Counseling Program will strengthen our efforts to address the issue,” Murchan said.
Using various treatment modalities, including psychological testing, family systems and psychodynamic approaches, the Adolescent Counseling Program will provide a range of therapeutic interventions, including psychological assessments, crisis intervention, individual and family therapy, peer and parent groups, and consultation and training.
The program will be a fee-for-service offering, with scholarships available on a demonstrated-need basis.
“Our mission is to see every teen,” Murchan said, “regardless of money.”
Another area of mental health that can be influenced by times of increased stress is substance abuse. Brenda Stern, program director for the Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment Program through ACS, said she is concerned with the potential consequences that the economy may have on children and teens in the area. Stress has not only been shown to prompt relapses in substance abuse use, but it is also one of the leading factors that cause individuals to consider initiating use, she said.
Crisscrossing links between the economy and stress, depression, anxiety and impulsive behavior are becoming increasingly apparent in ACS’s program, Rey said. The unlikelihood of a quick economic turnaround warrants greater attention to these issues by the media and general public, he said.
Printed with permission by the Los Altos Town Crier
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