Teen Counseling Program
What is TCP?
The CYFS Teen Counseling Program is the counseling and outreach branch of the Runaway Emergency Services Program (RESP). The Teen Counseling Program provides free crisis and ongoing counseling to teens as young as 12 who have run away, are at risk of running away, were thrown out of their home, or at risk of being thrown out or being homeless. This includes teens engaged in high-risk behaviors, such as doing drugs, breaking the law, or hurting themselves, as well as families with teens who are experiencing increased conflict at home. Counseling can be provided over the phone, in home, in school, or outpatient and can be targeted to work with the teen individually or to work with the family as a whole. The program also offers service linkage to emergency shelter in a local group home for up to 21 days to provide a safe place for teens to stay while working to resolve the issues that led to them leaving home. Teen Counseling Program services are available to teens in Charlottesville and Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa and Nelson counties. All Teen Counseling Program and RESP services are free of charge.
Do I qualify?
PARENTS:
Do you feel like the adult(s) and teen(s) in your home are always screaming at each other or never communicating at all?
Has your teen ever cut or burned themselves on purpose and you don’t know how to help?
Is your teen doing drugs or getting into trouble at school?
Do you find yourself thinking that you and your teen just can’t live like this anymore?
Does your teen leave home without telling you where they are going?
TEENS:
Do you feel like the adult(s) and teen(s) in your home are always screaming at each other or never communicating at all?
Have you ever cut or burned yourself on purpose?
Are you doing drugs or getting into trouble at school?
Do you find yourself thinking that you and your parent(s) just can’t live like this anymore?
Do you leave home without telling anyone where you are going?
Do you ever feel scared to return home because your parent(s) are intoxicated or prone to violence?
Do you stay at friend’s houses to avoid going home?
If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, you may be eligible for our free services. Please call or email to set up an appointment with a counselor, 434-246-4118 x250; lhanson@cyfs.org. The Teen Counseling Program can help.
Teen Counseling Program cannot serve teens receiving services from Department of Social Services, like foster care, or teens involved with Juvenile Justice, such as those with a Probation Officer. In these cases please contact your Case Manager or Probation Officer directly to seek help getting a counselor.
What does the Teen Counseling Program do?
Counseling is for solving problems. The Teen Counseling Program uses individual counseling to teach new coping skills, help manage emotions, and increase positive problem-solving strategies. Family counseling works to increase positive communication patterns; to solve problems that families have communicating with each other. Counseling can also help older teens learn the skills they need to be independent, like budgeting, cooking, and applying for jobs. Counselors will also refer to other professionals when additional needs are identified, such as medication evaluations, financial assistance, or services for family members.
