Rise in youth trauma prompts outreach to community resources

“As time went on, [I] was kind of noticing something different was happening to her like, not a normal two-year-old or three-year-old,” she says.

Beth’s behaviour ultimately caused her to be removed from several daycares in the city. After consulting with doctors, Beth was diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome, which prompted a difficult few years for her and Renee.

“I’ve tried, I know daycares have tried,” Renee says. “I mean, the last one she was at- I know they tried for a year, they really did try and they just said she’s too complex, like definitely needs the one on one.”

Renee feared there would not be anywhere for her and Beth to turn.

Here in Medicine Hat, that call has been heard by several groups which have recognized trauma and behaviour not only in Beth’s case, but several others in the community and are doing what they can to provide help.

Camp Jude at the YMCA is a newly formed program designed specifically for youth which have experienced trauma. Sharon Hayward, Medicine Hat CEO, says the camp is the first of its kind at any Canadian YMCA.

The children need it, they absolutely need it. _{-Victoria Potter, Director of Community Programs}

Victoria Potter, director of community programs and creator of Camp Jude, says the camp was created as a response to meet the needs of a gap which was raised by the community.

“It’s important for kids to be able to develop their resiliency skills and for them to be able to develop additional pro-social skills, and they wouldn’t necessarily be able to do that just in the community,” Potter says. “This provides them a safe place to be able to learn and experiment with those resiliency skills and those other skills like problem-solving and relationship building, they can do that in a safe way.”

Potter says the camp is the best way for a kid to feel like a kid again.

“The children need it, they absolutely need it. They need to be able to be in a safe place. They need to be able to experience the same experience that every other child is eligible for or can get. We want them to have fun and just be kids,” says Potter.

While Camp Jude focuses on kids just being kids, other resources around the city look into therapy for children who have been victims of trauma. The Sanare Centre provides therapy for kids through their child advocacy centre, which not only helps kids, but entire families too.

“It’s so much important just for their own healing, but also the healing for the family. We don’t just provide support for that one individual who’s experienced that trauma, we support the whole family,” says Aimee Sarsons, clinical coordinator for the Sanare Centre.

Sarsons says while they try and help as many families as they can, caseloads have been quite high, citing it could take up to two months to see an in-house therapist.

“We try really hard to triage as quickly as we can for kids, but the caseloads are quite high, and we just, as soon as we can as soon as people are moving on, we’re bringing more people in to see, so we’re just doing the best we can to keep it as short as possible, but it’s not always as easy as it sounds,” Sarsons adds.

With Beth taking part in Camp Jude, Renee has seen a significant change in her behaviour, and wants those in the community to know there are resources in the city they can lean on for help.

“You need to reach out and get the help, whether it’s through your doctor or whatever yeah, reach out because you can’t struggle alone.”

by Gates Guarin

Rise in youth trauma prompts outreach to community resources

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