Basseterre, St. Kitts, June 24, 2021(SKNIS): Officials from the New Horizon Rehabilitation Center say that their role as house parents in the resocialization process of children begins with looking after their well-being.
New Horizons House Parent, Culbert Browne, said during the June 23 edition of ‘Working for You’ that “Just like any other home with a parent, you make sure that the child is well looked after, make sure they are doing their chores, teaching tidiness and teaching the essential things that they would go out to the community and add to the society.”
New Horizons Director, Adele Williams, added to that saying, “when a child comes to the center, an assessment is carried out. We have a full-time counsellor that will carry out a number of different tests from personality tests to psychological well-being to relationships, so a number of different tests are conducted so we could grasp a full aspect of where that child is at.”
This test she said is done over a period of time where they can monitor the child and see where the issues are and once the assessment is done, they would then have a case conference.
“A case conference is an opportunity for different agencies that are involved with the child or can potentially work with the child to come around together to discuss what they know of the child,” said Ms. Williams
“For example, you would have the case worker from Probation and Child Protection Services that would have engaged with the child, you probably might have the school counselor who would invite their families, parents or other important people that have played an aspect in the child’s life—the case worker would be involved and sometimes we would invite someone from health and a permanent person from education as well,” she said.
“From there they would be able to grasp an aspect of who that child is, what are their key issues and what their needs are and we can devise a treatment plan that we will be able to speak of what their needs are to be reintegrated into society,” Ms. Williams added.
