The Family Service division of Goodwill provides counseling and parenting support services to help individuals and families cope with personal, social, and family problems. The staff is comprised of licensed professional counselors who have specialized training in individual, couples, children, family and group therapies. Other specialized training includes treatment of sexual and physical abuse victims, and offenders, including treatment for sexual and domestic violence offenders. Family Service staff works as a team to support each client's individual needs.

Admission to services is based on need with some grant funding available for victims. Services include counseling for:

Anger Management Anxiety Couples Counseling Depression Divorce Parenting issues Grief Counseling

Domestic Violence Groups Stress management Post traumatic stress disorder School difficulties Sexual & physical abuse Sexual offending

Sexual Assault Programs

All sexual abuse is damaging, whether it happened only once or several times over many years. The trauma continues after the abuse ends and long-term effects frequently interfere with day to day functioning. Family Service's sexual abuse program is available for children and adults. The goal is to provide quality service to victims, survivors, their families and offenders involved in sexual abuse. Treatment for children involves intervention with the family to strengthen parenting skills, improve boundaries and define roles, thus providing a healthy support system for the victim.

Play Groups   Young children learn to express their feelings and gain competency through play and art, dealing with safety issues and develop assertiveness skills to gain a sense of control over their bodies and their lives. Parents Group   Often the parents are forgotten when abuse is disclosed. Family Service provides a supportive and empathizing environment which helps parents gain a degree of power and competency to cope with this difficult experience. Adolescent Victims   In a safe environment with their peers, victims talk about their experiences and feelings. Gaining a positive self-image, coping skills, learning to make safe choices and preventing the victims from becoming offenders are the goals of this program. Adolescent Survivors   As adolescents meet their treatment goals, they graduate to this support group which highlights relationship issues, sex education and leadership skills. Survivors provide victims with good role models and hope for the future.

Adult Survivors of Childhood Abuse (ASCA)   Adults who have been sexually or physically abused as children continue to have long term effects from their abuse. Family Service's support group, ASCA, allows the opportunity to break through the cultural taboos which fostered shame in the victims. It also provides mutual support to help members recognize and further develop their individual strengths. Juvenille Offenders   Juvenile offenders must be held accountable for their acts and need specific sexual offender treatment. A risk assessment and an educational component for both parents and juveniles are included. Adult Offenders   Adult offender therapy is confronting the behavior in a supportive manner, as change accepts responsibility. Batterers Intervention Prevention Program (BIPPS)   This 32 week licensed educational group helps men stop their cycle of violence, by learning about the emotional issues that trigger their violent behaviors and to help them change those behaviors. Offender programs require assessment for admission.

The cost of services is on a sliding scale, based on the client's income. Medical insurance is accepted and will often cover a portion of the cost of services. Some services are covered by grants, such as the Victims of Crime Act.

Clients can be referred to Family Service by other social service agencies, physicians, family members, the school system and by self-referral. To make a referral call 304.523.9454 and ask for a counselor or email familyservice@goodwillhunting.org.