Children, Youth and Family Services
Healthy families build healthy communities. Throughout life, our physical, emotional and spiritual well-being is directly influenced by our family. At Connexus, we work with children and youth directly, but we also support parents to build a strong family framework and a setting for personal growth. After all, Family is the single most important influence in a child’s life.
Child and Youth Mental Health Program
The CYMH program provides services for children and youth aged 18 and under that are experiencing or are at risk of experiencing a mental illness. Services are designed to promote the emotional health and well-being of children, youth and families. Support is also given to parents and caregivers. Mental health clinicians will provide consultation, collaboration, and support to the community to help improve and optimize functioning of children and youth. Referrals to psychiatric and other specialized services when required.
Please read through our Disclaimer about our counselling services.
Cost of registering: no cost
Who can register: referrals are accepted from everyone
Communities offered: Fort St. James, Fraser Lake, Vanderhoof
PEACE Program (Children & Youth Experiencing Violence)
Provides assessment, treatment planning, and intervention programs for children, youth, and caregivers who have experienced violence or abuse. Services will be extended to the parent(s)/guardian(s) of the children or youth, as well as community members, in the form of psycho-education presentations.
Cost of registering: no cost
Who can register: referral accepted from anyone
Communities offered: Fort St. James, Vanderhoof
Sexual Abuse Intervention Program
The Sexual Abuse Intervention Program is for children and youth aged 18 and under who have been sexually abused, and for children under the age of 12 with sexually intrusive behaviours. The program is designed to provide a range of appropriate, timely and accessible assessment, treatment, and/or support services to children and youth. Support services for the affected families are also an integral part of our approach.
Cost of registering: no cost
Who can register: referral accepted from anyone
Communities offered: Fort St. James, Fraser Lake, Vanderhoof
Youth Justice
Connexus offers counselling and support services for youth who are referred by Youth Probation Services. Counselling includes direct treatment intervention through individual, group, and family counselling sessions using a variety of therapeutic techniques. When needed, referrals for psychiatric, psychological, or socio-educational assessment may be made.
Cost of registering: no cost
Who can register: referral from Youth Probation Officer
Communities offered: Vanderhoof, Fort St. James, Fraser Lake, Burns Lake
Support to Foster Parents
The Care Parent Intensive Support Program provides support and education to foster parents and Out-of-Care Caregivers who provide day-to day care to children and youth in their home. Under the Stewardship of Connexus, a Care Parent Support Worker delivers service to these families within a team approach, helping them to develop and maintain a solid support system.
Cost of registering: no cost
Who can register: referral from Ministry of Children and Family Development
Communities offered: Vanderhoof, Fraser Lake, Fort St. James and neighbouring First Nations Communities
Victim's Assistance
The Victim Service Worker provides assistance and support to men, women, youth and their families, who have been victims of crime, witness to a crime, or those who have had their lives impacted by crime or a traumatic event. Any victim of a crime, including power based crimes of assault, criminal harassment or sex crimes, property offences and other crimes may receive crisis intervention and on-going support, including court accompaniment through this program. Clients may receive assistance in completing a Crime Victim Assistance Program application and information on what to expect as a witness in court.
Communities offered: Fort St. James, Vanderhoof, Fraser Lake
Family Preservation
This program provides services for Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) referred families who have been identified as medium to high risk for out of home placement for their child/children. Typically referred clients have come to the attention of MCFD as a result of child protection issues, whether they are immediate concerns or family support issues. Services are short term, intensive, in-home interventions for crisis support and family stabilization.
Communities offered: Fort St. James, Vanderhoof, Fraser Lake
Family Support and Education
Communities offered: Fort St. James, Vanderhoof, Fraser Lake
Child and Youth Care
This program provides services directly to children and youth, who have been removed or are at risk of being removed from their families; or children who have a mental health disorder or who are at risk of developing a mental health disorder. The service provides short term, intensive and outcome-focused interventions/services that promote growth and improve family functioning. This program focuses on developing the personal, social and familial competencies in children and youth.
Communities offered: Vanderhoof, Fraser Lake and Fort St. James
Child and Youth with Special Needs
The Child & Youth with Special Needs (CYSN) Program focuses on enhancing life skills, emotional regulation, and social skills by facilitating activities that foster these abilities in a natural and fun way. This program supports children and youth who have received a diagnosis of Autism or Mild Intellectual Disability.
The CYSN program assist individuals with
- Building life skills
- Building skills on safety
- Increasing social skills
- Group / individual activities
- Accessing community resources
Cost of registering: no cost
Who can register: referral from CYSN Social Worker through Ministry of Children and Family Development
Communities offered: Vanderhoof, Fraser Lake and Fort St. James
Transportation and Supervised Visits
The Transport & Supervised Visits Worker provides supervision at family visits and transportation to and from those visits to children and youth who are in the care of the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD), to enable their continued connection to their families and community. During supervised visits, the worker ensures that the safety and well-being of the children is maintained. At times there may also be requirements to provide supervision and transportation for a child or youth in the care of MCFD to attend a meeting or appointment for services.
Communities offered: Fort St. James, Vanderhoof, Fraser Lake
Accreditation
Connexus is fully accredited through the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). This accreditation ensures we are meeting internationally developed standards in the provision of quality services and is achieved through an independent, external review to identify strengths and areas for improvement based on objective program expectations and guidelines.
We provide services to a 150 km2 area with offices in three communities:
Vanderhoof
157 W Victoria St.,
Vanderhoof, BC V0J 3A0
Phone: 250-567-9205
Monday to Friday 8:30-12:00 and 1:00-4:30
Fort St. James
349 Stuart Dr West
Fort St James, BC V0J 1P0
Phone: 250-996-7645
Monday to Friday 8:30-12:00 and 1:00-4:30
Fraser Lake
298 McMillan Ave.
Fraser Lake, BC V0J 1S0
Phone: 250-567-9205
Monday to Friday 8:30-12:00 and 1:00-4:30
Thank you to our valued supporters: BC Housing | United Way of Northern BC | District of Vanderhoof | District of Fraser Lake | District of Fort St. James
Connexus acknowledges that we work on the traditional and unceded territories of the Dakelh-ne. We are honoured to work within their ancestral lands.