Fall River, MA - The Youth Trauma Program at Justice Resource Institute (JRI), located at the Fernandes Center for Children & Families of Saint Anne’s Hospital, has announced a fall series of programs for youth who have been affected by abuse or neglect and their families. 

The following programs are held at the Fernandes Center for Children & Families, 222 Milliken Boulevard, Fall River. For more information about these programs, including schedules, contact Jennifer Salem-Russo, MSW, LICSW, [email protected], 508-674-5600, ext. 2283.

•    Trauma-sensitive yoga groups for teens. The Youth Trauma Program offers a WholeYoga group for teens ages 13-18 who have been impacted by trauma. WholeYoga uses Trauma Center Trauma-Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY), a technique developed by JRI. This highly effective body-based treatment is a research-backed strategy for complex trauma and is approved by the federal government (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration). TCTSY is an opportunity to bring attention to breath and movement. Using gentle yoga, participants can practice making choices about breath and movement, while tapping into the part of the brain that is in the here and now. Facilitated by Anne Parsons Marchant, TCTSY-F, RN, MS, CNS. 

•    “Stop, Slow, Go: Strategies to Address Self-Regulation.” Facilitated by an occupational therapist and a clinician specially trained in trauma-focused treatment, this group is for boys and girls ages 8-12 with a history of trauma, and their parents or caregivers. It provides tools and tips for managing strong feelings in healthy ways through fun and calming sensory-based activities, including trauma-sensitive yoga techniques taught by a certified clinician. 

•    Parent group. This group is designed to help parents build resiliency and promote healing for their children who have been affected by sexual abuse. The group is facilitated by a clinician specially trained in trauma-focused treatment. 

•    Expressive Arts Group. This group is for teens with a history of trauma and is designed to use art and creativity as a means of individual expression and therapy. 

The following program will be held at the New Bedford Family Resource & Development Center, 128 Union Street, Suite 105, New Bedford. For more information, including registration, contact Amy Coole, MSW, LICSW, [email protected], 508-674-5600, ext. 2273.

October 17-December 5: Circle of Security parenting group. This eight-week reflective parenting group is intended for primary caregivers of children who have experienced trauma ages birth through 6 years. The group will be led by Amy Coole, MSW, LCSW, using the internationally known Circle of Security parenting curriculum. Time: 5:30-7 p.m. Child care and dinner will be provided.

About the Youth Trauma Program 
Established in 1984, the Youth Trauma Program at JRI provides evaluation and counseling services to child/adolescent victims, ages birth to 21, of sexual or physical abuse and those who have lost a loved one to homicide or experienced other trauma, including violence at home, among peers, or in the community. Services include individual and family therapy; trauma assessments; specialized counseling to children with developmental disabilities who have been maltreated; community outreach and education; and group therapy. The program also offers services to non-offending family members. All services are provided free of charge. Located at the Fernandes Center for Children & Families of Saint Anne’s Hospital in Fall River, the Youth Trauma Program is a program of JRI, a nonprofit provider of trauma-informed care to children and families in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. The Youth Trauma Program is partially supported by the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance (MOVA) through a 1984 Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grant from the Office of Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, and the US Department of Justice.

About Saint Anne’s Hospital
Founded by the Dominican Sisters of the Presentation in 1906, Saint Anne’s Hospital in Fall River, Massachusetts, is a full-service, acute care Catholic hospital with 211 beds and satellite locations in Dartmouth, Attleboro, Swansea, New Bedford, and Stoughton, Massachusetts. A member of Steward Health Care, Saint Anne’s provides nationally recognized patient- and family-centered inpatient care and outpatient clinical services to patients from surrounding Massachusetts and Rhode Island communities. 

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