What We Do
At Christ Child House, we adhere to a youth-guided, family-driven approach to care, where our clinicians prioritize the following key objectives:
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Building Coping Skills: Our focus is on equipping youth with effective coping mechanisms to navigate challenges and stressors they may encounter.
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Fostering Social and Emotional Resilience: We aim to strengthen the emotional resilience of our residents, empowering them to overcome adversity and thrive in their environments.
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Emphasizing the Importance of Attachment: Recognizing the significance of healthy attachment, we work to cultivate secure and nurturing relationships between youth and their caregivers.
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Strengthening Forever-Family Relationships: We are committed to nurturing and preserving lasting family bonds, facilitating reunification with biological families or establishing permanency with adoptive families whenever possible.
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Addressing the Impact of Separation, Grief, and Loss: We acknowledge and support youth in processing the complex emotions associated with separation from their families, offering guidance and support as they navigate grief and loss.
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Supporting the Need for Permanency: We advocate for the stability and permanency of each child's living situation, recognizing the importance of providing a sense of security and belonging.
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Our inclusive approach extends to families, including incarcerated parents and placement caregivers, who are involved extensively in the care process. Additionally, our clinical team provides aftercare services for up to six months post-discharge, facilitating the reestablishment of family equilibrium and ensuring ongoing support during the transition period.
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Throughout their stay at Christ Child House, each young resident follows a path to hope and healing guided by a multidisciplinary approach to care. This comprehensive approach ensures that their physical, emotional, and relational needs are addressed, setting the foundation for a brighter future.
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We offer the following services broken out below through our residential component of care:
Psychiatric and Therapeutic Services
QRTP certified
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Residential Care:
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At Christ Child House, we believe every boy deserves unwavering compassion, respect, and individualized care—no matter how difficult their journey has been. Many of the children we serve have experienced severe trauma, such as physical or emotional abuse, as well as multiple foster care disruptions. We respond by crafting comprehensive, trauma-informed treatment plans tailored to each child’s unique mental health and behavioral needs.
In 2024, we shifted to the Mental Health Behavioral Stabilization (MHBS) program, ensuring more focused support through improved staff-to-child ratios. Our approach includes psychiatric assessments, evidence-based therapies, and age-specific interventions—ranging from fostering key developmental milestones in younger boys (6–12) to preparing older youth (13–16) with the life skills needed for a healthy transition into adulthood.
We extend our commitment beyond discharge by providing up to one year of aftercare support, which includes family engagement and guidance in accessing community resources like mental health services and educational programs. For those without a permanent connection, we actively work to find “forever families” to ensure a safe and nurturing environment. Through compassion, collaboration, and a resolute belief in each child’s potential, Christ Child House remains dedicated to proving that it’s never too late for a happy childhood.
QRTP:
As a Qualified Residential Treatment Program (QRTP) certified facility, Christ Child House provides an extensive array of specialized services to meet the unique needs of our residents.
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With an emphasis on trauma-informed care, our clinical staff, including a Clinical Therapist, Case Manager, Clinical Director, and Transitional Care Coordinator, are trained to offer comprehensive support to both youth and families. This includes engagement upon entry into the program and ongoing assistance throughout their placement and transition.
Under the leadership of our Educational Coordinator, we ensure seamless coordination between youth, schools, and families to provide comprehensive educational support. Additionally, our aftercare program facilitates continued support through visits, meetings, and transportation as needed.
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Our commitment to trauma-informed care is evident in our integration of evidence-based practices, such as Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) model. Our staff undergo extensive training in trauma interventions and treatment, and we prioritize ongoing professional development to enhance our capacity in this area.
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To address potential secondary trauma among staff, we provide training, debriefing, and support initiatives, fostering resilience and compassion within our workforce.
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Through continuous review and enhancement of policies and protocols, transparent communication, and collaboration among our treatment team, we strive to create a safe and supportive environment for our residents as they journey towards healing and recovery.
Psychiatric and Therapeutic Services:
Christ Child House offers comprehensive on-site psychiatric and therapeutic services to meet the diverse needs of our residents:
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Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist: Our facility is equipped with a child and adolescent psychiatrist who provide personalized assessments for each boy. These assessments determine the necessity for medication and/or additional therapeutic interventions.
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Individual Therapeutic Services: Each resident at Christ Child House receives intensive individual therapy sessions focusing on various topics, including Trauma, Anger Management, Conflict Resolution, Self-regulation, Grief and Loss, Life Skills, and Sexual Development.
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Clinical Therapists: Our team of Clinical Therapists, all holding Master’s degrees, lead individual and group therapy sessions utilizing diverse behavior modification methods and strategies. These sessions incorporate modalities such as play therapy, music therapy, art therapy, and adventure therapy.
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Youth Specialist-led Skill-building Groups: Our Youth Specialist staff members facilitate skill-building groups tailored to the specific needs of our residents. These groups may cover topics ranging from current events to independent living skills and basic life skills.
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Independent Living Activities: For children aged 14 and older, we offer independent living activities designed to foster essential life skills. These activities include, but are not limited to: budgeting and money management, employment seeking skills, communication skills, relationship building, health and hygiene practices, household maintenance, educational assistance, preventive health services, parenting skills, and accessing community resources.
Educational Support:
At Christ Child House, we recognize education as an essential component in preparing our boys for successful adulthood.
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Under the guidance of our Educational Director, we meticulously address the educational needs of each child. Tailored educational plans are devised to ensure suitable school placements that cater to a spectrum of requirements, ranging from regular education to intensive special education day treatment. These needs encompass emotional impairment, cognitive impairment, autism, learning disabilities, and developmental delays.
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To meet these diverse needs, we collaborate with Detroit public schools and provide access to private schools on a scholarship basis. We work with additional private schools and charter schools not within our district to meet the needs of all the youth placed at CCH.
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Our educational support programs extend beyond traditional classroom settings. Through initiatives such as Art Therapy and Music Therapy, we foster holistic development and provide avenues for creative expression.
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Recognizing that education is a year-round endeavor, we offer a comprehensive education and remediation program on campus throughout the summer, ensuring continuity in learning and academic progress.
Recreational Program:
At Christ Child House, recreation is more than just fun—it's a vital part of each boy’s healing process and personal growth. Our residents engage in activities that blend education, therapy, and enjoyment, helping them gain new skills, strengthen relationships, and develop confidence. Over the years, these activities have ranged from art therapy and animal therapy to life skills workshops and enriching outings. Visits to local treasures like the Charles H. Wright Museum, Detroit Institute of Arts, and Greenfield Village have helped spark curiosity and cultural appreciation, while trips to see the Detroit Lions and Tigers, rock climbing, or ice skating at Campus Martius promote teamwork and social connection.
One of our most cherished traditions is summer camp, where the boys can immerse themselves in the great outdoors through hiking, boating, and campfire storytelling. These adventures encourage problem-solving, camaraderie, and healthy self-expression in a natural setting. Each year, with the help of our devoted staff and generous donors, we tailor a lineup of recreational activities that inspire creativity, build resilience, and support each resident’s therapeutic journey. Thanks to these transformative experiences, our youth gain the tools they need to move forward confidently, nurtured by the caring community at Christ Child House.
Are you interested in contributing to any of these programs?
Here are some ways you can donate: