Family Resources


Did you know that Montgomery County has it's own website?  Montgomery county has a wealth of resources available to families who live in the county. Some resources include Adult Probation, Aging and Adult Services, Behavioral Health, Children and Youth, Drug and Alcohol, and many more.  Please visit www.montcopa.org.  Help Starts Here!

Women's Bridge Resource Center: A center to help women in crisis or in transition to achieve financial security, find adequate housing, obtain sustainable employment, and gain emotional stability. Click HERE to view the flyer, and please visit their website for more information: https://www.womensbridgecenter.org/

Free Family Dinners for those who could use a nice hot meal, sponsored by the Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel, 8339 Old York Road, Elkins Park, PA. Guests are served a hot homemade meal with leftovers packaged to go home. There are also desserts, fruit, and non-perishables that also may be taken. This year we are planning to offer tutoring and storying telling for children. Meals are offered on most Sundays from 5-6:30pm.  Please click HERE for exact dates and more information.

COUNSELING SERVICES

The Center for Family Empowerment is a private practice specializing in supporting the needs of families through various stages. We believe in the power of connection and community and are thrilled to offer supports such as: free parent workshops, play therapy for children ages 3+, art therapy, parenting support, and individual, family, and group sessions. We understand that life can present any number of challenges to your family's well being. However difficult it seems, we're here for you.  www.centerforfamilyempowerment.com

Does your child have anxiety? The Temple Child and Adolescent Anxiety Disorders Clinic may be able to help. They provide cognitive behavioral therapy for children and teenagers ages 7-17 who are experiencing significant anxiety. Interested families should contact the clinic at 215-204-7165 or at info@childanxiety.org.  Click HERE to view the flyer.

Grief Counseling through Safe Harbor:  http://www.abingtonhealth.org/services-specialties/childrens-health/resources/safe-harbor/#.VNt69ylYxC8   Safe Harbor, Abington-Jefferson Health’s program for grieving children, teens and their families.  Peer Support Groups are available as a possible resource for any student grieving the death of a family member.  The program is offered completely free of charge, with groups meeting on our Willow Grove campus for 1.5 hours on designated evenings, every other week.  Interested families call our office at 215-481-5983 to begin the intake process. 

Cancer Support Group: Cancer Support Community Greater Philadelphia (CSCGP) is a non-profit for people of all ages living with any type of cancer – and for their family and friends! They provide free access to over 150 programs each month – including support groups, workshops, networking groups, educational discussions, and social activities (and more!) - for anyone whose life has been affected by cancer. http://cancersupportphiladelphia.org/ 

Eating Disorder Support/Counseling:

Aspire Child & Family Services, LLC., Click HERE for the brochure. 

HAVEN: Hope, Acceptance, Validation, Equality, Nurturing: Haven is a gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex, & allies (GLBTQIA youth group) run by the Unitarian Universalist Church of Lehigh Valley (UUCLV) since 2001.  Haven is intended for youths ages 14-20.  Their mission is to provide a safe, supportive environment, positive role models and peer support, as well as sponsor social and recreational activities in addition to weekly discussion meetings. Meetings are open to GLBTQIA youth, their friends & allies, and those still questioning their sexual orientation. Haven meets every Wednesday @ 7pm at the Unitarian Uinversalist Church of Lehigh Valley, 424 Center Street, Bethleham, PA 18018, (610) 868-2153, www.uuclvpa.org/haven.php. 

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI):  NAMI is the largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to improving lives of persons living with serious mental illness and their families.  Nami is dedicated to the eradication of mental illness and to the improvement of the quality of life of all who are affected by these diseases.  National Website: www.nami.org, National Address:  Colonial Place Three, 2107 Wilson Blvd., Suite #300, Arlington, VA 22201-3042, (800) 950-6264, Glenside: (215)-886-0350, Norristown: (610)-278-4916, Pottstown: (610)-323-6689.  Local Website: www.montconami.com, email: montconami@aol.com.  Please click on the link below for more information about this organization.

Youth Advisory Board:  The Pennsylvania Youth Advisory Board is an organization made up of former and current youth in the substitute care system that use their stories to educate, advocate and form partnerships to create positive change for child welfare communities.  Information about the Pennsylvania Youth Advisory Board (YAB) can be found on our website at www.independentlivingpa.org or by searching for us on Facebook.  Click HERE and HERE for information on resources to help kids in foster care.

Drug Rehab/Substance Abuse Information: Addiction, Treatment and Recovery

Six Reasons Why Students are Unmotivated (and What Teachers Can Do):  This is a wonderful article that as parents, is a good read with some wonderful advice. Click HERE to access the article. 

Suicide Resources:

https://www.centerforfamilyempowerment.com/blog/2017/9/25/what-to-do-when-your-child-or-teen-experiences-the-death-of-a-friend

In Montgomery County, for 24 hour a day crisis support, contact - Mobile Crisis Support at 1-855-634-4673

Teen Talk Line is 1-866-8225-5856

Teen Text Line - Text at (215) 703-8411

Teen Talk Email - teentalkline@accessservices.org

The Information Helpline at NAMI - 1-800-950-6264

Jason Foundation toll-free HelpLine at 1-888-881-2323

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1-800-273-TALK (8255) and the Crisis Text Line – text “HOME” to 741-741 (http://www.crisistextline.org/)

Accurate, up-to-date, empirically-informed warning signs for youth suicide and how you can respond to someone in crisis can be found at - www.youthsuicidewarningsigns.org

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention https://afsp.org/about-suicide/risk-factors-and-warning-signs/ 

The Pennsylvania Youth Suicide Prevention Initiative (PAYSPI, www.payspi.org)

Information about depression and treatment can be found at The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry - https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Resource_Centers/Depression_Resource_Center/Home.aspx and The Society of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology - http://effectivechildtherapy.org/.

Articles and discussions points for the new Neflix Series - 13 Reasons Why: 

Netflix just released its highly publicized series 13 Reasons Why, an adaptation of the popular 2007 novel of the same name by Jay Asher. The series consists of 13 episodes that tell the tale of Hannah, a high school student who tragically ended her own life, but not before recording 13 sides of audio cassette tape implicating 13 individuals in her death. The novel is quite captivating and an unfortunate harsh truth about adolescence for some youth. Its move to Netflix will expose its content to a far wider audience. 

For those who may struggle with similar challenges as Hannah or live with their own vulnerabilities, the overall message of this series may get distorted into a sense that suicide is a natural way of solving life's struggles. It is not. The Pennsylvania Youth Suicide Prevention Initiative <http://www.payspi.org/> is pleased to share with you key talking points developed by SAVE <http://www.save.org/> and the Jed Foundation <http://www.jedfoundation.org/>. It is with near certainty that many of our students will be talking about this series in school and at home. Being armed with appropriate and positive messages will help students struggling with their own emotional response to this series to put the dramatized content into realistic perspective and afford you with new opportunities for engaging these youth and providing necessary support and resources.

Crisis Text Line – text “HOME” to 741-741 (http://www.crisistextline.org/)  

(Listen to an NPR Episode of the Ted Talk: How Can Text Messaging Save Lives? Click HERE)

1. A crisis is typically a moment of extreme emotional pain that gets in the way of living your everyday life. We're not a replacement for a long-term counselor or a best friend, or a service to use when you're simply bored. That said, we want everyone to feel comfortable texting us in a time of a crisis.

2. Simply “testing” our system takes up space in our queue, which may slow down the help that we are able to give to texters who are in immediate crisis. We're real; we promise! If you're curious about what the experience of texting in is like, see below!

Victim Services Center of Montgomery County, Inc. (VSC):  VSC is the only rape crisis center for the county.  They serve victims of sexual violence and victims of other violent crimes such as robbery, physical assault, harassment and survivors of victims of homicide. They want to remove barriers and help residents gain access to advocacy, counseling and education services that are confidential and free of charge.  They do crisis intervention, counseling services, advocacy services, and many more; click HERE to download the brochure. 

Women's Center of Montgomery County: Services are Free, Confidential, and Anonymous:  24-Hour Domestic Violence Hotline: 

MISSION STATEMENT: The Women’s Center of Montgomery County is a volunteer, community organization with a primary focus on freedom from domestic violence and other forms of abuse.  Our programs, policies and procedures reflect our strong commitment to empowering women.

 If you -- or someone you love -- needs help or resources right now, call the Women’s Center of Montgomery County’s 24/7 Hotline:  1-800-773-2424

The Trevor Project: Is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth. 1-866-488-7386, http://www.thetrevorproject.org. 

Children's Crisis Support: (1-888-HELP-414) This is a resource to parents who have a child in crisis.  It is a free hotline that has counselors on hand to offer support, advice, and counseling services to families. 

National Runaway Switchboard: 1-800-RUNAWAY (1-800-786-2929), www.1800runaway.org

NINELINE:  24-hour, toll-free crisis hotline, 1-800-999-9999

Laurel House: Working to End Domestic Violence. (Norristown) Shelter Program for women and children that are in danger. It provides a 30 day shelter program that sets families up with various services.  Phone number- (215) 643-3150.  Please click on the link below to learn more about this organization or click http://www.jenkintown.org/teachers/tlesson.php?lid=209&view=t.

Interfaith (Ambler): Takes a few families who are in need, (215) 628-4009.

The Breathing Room Foundation, INC: Family-centered support and assistance from people who care. The Breathing Room foundation is a non-profit outreach organization for individuals and their families suffering from Cancer. "We recognize that a cancer diagnosis affects every aspect of a family's life: emotional, physical, spiritual, and financial. Our goal is to provide families with a bit of "breathing room" from their daily struggle with cancer. It is our hope that this will allow families to concentrate all of their efforts on supporting their loved ones as they work to regain physical health". If you know someone in the community who is battling cancer, and could benefit from their services, they invite you to make them aware. Nominees must live within a 20-mile radius from Jenkintown. More information can be found at www.breathingromfoundation.org or you may call them at (215) 887-2771. you may also email them at breathingroom@comcast.net.

Internet Safety Resources and Cyberbullying Resources:

Useful PENNDOT Information: