CHILDREN & FAMILY SERVICES
WHAT IS THE CHILDREN & FAMILY SERVICES PROGRAM?
Our expert team of child therapists, psychiatrists, and other mental health professionals are trained to treat a variety of emotional and behavioral issues in children and adolescents. We are prepared to provide the help necessary to promote recovery.
To ensure the best outcomes for our children, Lakes Region Mental Health Center works collaboratively with schools, primary care providers and others to help a child reach their full potential.
Each child’s treatment plan is designed to meet their unique needs. You and your child help determine the treatment goals. Remember, every child is different. While some children may only need a few counseling sessions, others may face challenges that require more services.
SERVICES
INDIVIDUAL THERAPY
This one-on-one service helps decrease distress, reduce symptoms, and improve positive behaviors. Play is often a part of the therapeutic process — it is the language of childhood, and a less threatening way for children to express their inner world.
FAMILY THERAPY
Together, family members work to improve how the family functions, communicates, and manages issues and problems.
GROUP THERAPY
With the guidance of a therapist, participants learn new ways to manage problems. Participants work to improve their skills in a variety of areas, including self-esteem communication and problem-solving techniques.
ACUTE SERVICES
In the event of an emergency, please call 833-710-6477 for 24/7 access to care
Our ACUTE SERVICES PROGRAM includes our 24/7 Emergency and Mobile Crisis Response Services which are available to anyone living within our service area, including persons who are not current patients. Our service area includes all of Belknap county and southern Grafton county
Services are offered in-person, over the phone or via telehealth.
LRMHC Emergency services are also available at Concord Hospital – Laconia, Concord Hospital – Franklin and Speare Memorial Hospital.
MEDICAL SERVICES
This service includes psychiatric assessment, medication needs, and ongoing medication follow-up. The medical team works in partnership with the child’s treatment team.
INDIVIDUAL THERAPEUTIC FUNCTIONAL SUPPORT SERVICES (FSS)
Functional Support Services are provided in the community, at home, in school, or in other daily settings. This community-based service helps the child learn and practice skills where they live, learn and play. FSS can assist caregivers by enhancing skills and providing additional resources.
CASE MANAGEMENT
Designed to help children gain access to a variety of community-based services, a Case Manager works with the child and family to provide referrals to medical, social, and educational resources. LRMHC collaborates with DCYF and serves an important role in enhancing the care and protection of children and families in need of mental health services.
CHILD TO ADULT TRANSITION & PROJECT RENEW
Our team works with the child and family as they transition to the adult services programs. LRMHC is a participant in Project RENEW, a program for transition-age youth with emotional and behavioral challenges that affect their school, work and community functioning. With the help of a facilitator, RENEW empowers youth to achieve high school completion, post-secondary education and community inclusion.
EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES
Our therapists are trained in a variety of practices including:
• Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
• MATCH
• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
• Play & Art Therapy
• Substance Use Disorder Treatment
MATCH
The Modular Approach to Therapy for Children with Anxiety, Depression, Trauma or Conduct Problems (MATCH) is designed for children ages 6-15 years old. Unlike most evidence-based treatments, which focus on single disorder categories (e.g. anxiety only), MATCH is a highly versatile treatment that can be tailored to each child’s needs.
PLAY THERAPY
Play therapy is an intervention that has great success rates with children, adolescents and families. Young children do not have the cognitive ability to process their thoughts and feelings through “talk therapy,” and older children may not be interested in standard counseling interventions. Play therapy provides a safe and predictable environment that contains categories of toys and expressive materials. These are used to encourage the exploration of thoughts and feelings children have experienced in their world.
ART THERAPY
Art therapy is a form of therapy which uses art as the method of communication, instead of words. Art therapy is a great tool when working with children and families because it can make communication easier. Art interventions also allow children and families to process ideas and work towards goals while using metaphors, which allows for therapeutic distance. Artwork can be used in psychotherapy to practice situations, learn new skills, show changes in individuals and families, and provide a visual record of therapy. People who have experienced trauma respond very well to art therapy interventions because traumas are remembered as pictures, not as words.
SEVEN CHALLENGES
The Seven Challenges which is part of Creating Connections NH, a federally-funded project to develop and implement a system of care for youth (ages 12-25) with substance use disorders and those with a co-occurring mental health disorder and substance use disorder. The program is specifically designed for counseling adolescents and young adults facing substance use challenges and provides training and supports to deliver developmentally appropriate, research-based screening and brief intervention to youth.
CHILDREN & FAMILY FUNDING SUPPORT
Lakes Region Mental Health Center children’s programs and services are supported in part by grant funding from the following organizations:
CHILD IMPACT PROGRAM
The Child Impact Program (CIP) is a service offered statewide that helps parents understand the impact of divorce and custody issues on their children. Taught by trained instructors, CIP is offered at our locations in Laconia and Plymouth.
To register for an upcoming CIP class, please call 603-524-1100 or sign up online:
For more information on the CIP program: