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KCSARC offers a variety of educational programs for non-offending parents, family members, and caregivers. These programs are provided in a one-on-one format, rather than a classroom setting, so that we can provide information that is relative to the particular family’s situation. There are opportunities for larger family groups to be served as needed.

Family services’ educational programs include information on many topics, including:

• Sexual Abuse: The impact on child victims, non-offending parents, and families.

• Sex Offenders: Understanding their strategies, motivation and persistence.

• Coping Strategies: Positive and negative strategies and what to do about them.

• Discipline: After sexual abuse; understanding child development impacted by sexual abuse; and positive discipline strategies.

• Internet: Child victimization, predators, safety tips, monitoring and/or limiting use of the internet at home.

• Perpetrator Prevention: Appropriate for anticipated reunification between juvenile offender and victim(s); when a known sex-offender lives in the home; visitation ordered between offenders and children; parents and/or family members of sex offenders; and adolescents.

As a matter of policy, KCSARC does not provide these services to sexual offenders.

Sexual Abuse Focused Education (SAFE Parenting)

Take 5: Trauma Affects Kids Everywhere - Five Ways to Promote Resilience
A five-session program for adult caregivers, including foster parents, relative caregivers, and parents. This program focuses on understanding the impact of child sexual abuse and the steps adult caregivers can take to promote healing and resilience in victims and survivors. Take 5 is offered in person, by phone, and via web-chat (e.g., Skype, Google).

Next Steps
An eight-part program for non-offending parents of sexually abused children and youth. This program provides a more in-depth look at the impact of child sexual abuse, family dynamics after abuse, sexual abuse within families, sibling abuse, strategies of sexual offenders, future safety considerations, and developing resilience in children. Next Steps is offered in person and occasionally via web-chat (e.g., Skype, Google).

Other Educational Programs

Turning Point
This program focuses on the impact physical abuse and neglect has on children’s emotional and behavioral development. We also look at the impact child physical abuse has on other immediate and extended family members. Included in the program are topics on child development, positive discipline strategies, grief and loss, and increasing resilience factors. 

Parent-Child Interaction Training/Therapy (PCIT)
This training model is for parents who desire to have greater skills in dealing with the behaviors of their young child. It is designed to assist parents and their children from 3-7 years of age. PCIT is an interactive, hands-on model that utilizes technology to enhance the skills of both parents and children. The interaction between a parent and their child is recorded while the therapist/coach assists the parent from behind a one-way mirror.The coaching provided to the parent is useful in developing positive parenting skills.

PCIT is an evidence based treatment for parents whose children have serious behavior problems. PCIT provides structured, supportive education that focuses on improving the parent's communication, play and discipline skills.The goals of treatment are:

1. Improve and enhance the relationship between the parent and child
2. Increase the child’s positive and pro-social behaviors
3. Decrease the number and intensity of child behavior problems
4. Increase parent’s specific play and communications skills
5. Decrease parental stress, allowing the parent to provide support and nurturance to the child.

PCIT combines one-on-one "coaching" for parents by a trained PCIT provider using structured child-parent play activities. The coach uses a two-way mirror to observe and provide continual, real-time feedback, directions and encouragement through a discreet radio receiver that the parent wears behind her/his ear. The program is mastery-based; in 12 to 20 weekly sessions, parents practice specific play, communication, and discipline skills, with the help of the coach.

Family Service programs are provided in English and Spanish. Other languages can usually be accommodated with the use of an interpreter.

For more information, please contact Intake Specialists at 425-226-5062.