Community Resources

1. Mental health walk-in center

   Program service: crossroads childrens center

   Phone: 613-723-1623 x 333

   Location:1755 Courtwood Crescent, Ottawa, ON.

   Hours: Wednesdays, 9 am to 12 pm

   Every  Thursday, from 12 pm to 8 pm

Summary

This program helps families with better understanding if your child is going through challenges
with behaviour, emotional state, mental health diagnosis (e.g. anxiety, depression, ADHD),
school-related issues, or your child struggles with peers, a family conflict, or any other issues.
This center provides counselling through a single session with experienced professionals,
who help identify challenges and help families to find tools and strategies.

Reference

Mental Health Walk-In Clinic: Ottawa-Carleton, ON: eMentalHealth.ca. (2019).
Retrieved from https://www.ementalhealth.ca/index.php?m=record&ID=18654

2. The counselling group

    Phone: 613-722-2225 x352

    Location: 300-2255 Carling Ave

Summary

This an all aged, English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin, Cantonese,
Creole-speaking center, who have experienced and trained staff that provide a variety of
support services for children, adolescents, and adults. We offer individual, couple, family,
and group counselling. It is also a non-profit.

Reference

The Counselling Group: Ottawa-Carleton, ON: eMentalHealth.ca. (2019).
Retrieved from https://www.ementalhealth.ca/index.php?m=record&ID=24713

3. Western Ottawa Community Resource Centre (WOCRC)

Phone:613-591-3686

Location:2 MacNeil Court

Summary

This is a non-profit resource center that serves all ages. It provides a variety of programs
for children, youth and families. The programs that this center has are Counselling and
Referral,  Early Years Centre for children ages 0-6, Children and Youth Services, Services for
Seniors and People with Disabilities.

Reference

Western Ottawa Community Resource Centre (WOCRC): Ottawa-Carleton, ON: eMentalHealth.ca. (2019).
Retrieved from https://www.ementalhealth.ca/index.php?m=record&ID=9330

Written by Shanice Phillips-Williams

Tools and Resources

There are many resources and tools for people struggling with reactive attachment disorders, their parents and their CYC workers. 

Within the resources, there are several books of choice that have found to be beneficial. For parents of adopted children, there is the book named Attaching in Adoption: Practical Tools for Today's Parents by Deborah Gray. Another book to help build the attachment between parent and child is Building the Bonds of Attachment by Daniel Hughes and Jason Aronson. In addition, there is When Love is Not Enough: A Guide to Parenting Children with RAD-Reactive Attachment Disorder by Nancy L. Thomas that explains the disorder and how to manage and overcome it. 

For people who struggle with more severe cases, there are treatment centers. The biggest one is a treatment center in Indianapolis, IN. The number to reach them is 866 768 8155. They offer a variety of services for youth who are suffering from emotional, behavioural, developmental, and psychiatric concerns. Thir website offers information about reactive attachment disorder and further resources: https://www.resourcetreatmentcenter.com/behavioral/reactive-attachment/.

In addition, there are numerous treatments, this includes, but is not limited to: attachment and Biobehavioural Catch-up (ABC) Intervention, child-parent psychotherapy (CPP), parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT), and the circle of security intervention (COS). All of the preceding lists has helped many, to find the one that best suits you and your child, speak to your doctor, therapist or CYC.

Written by: Rachel Nelson

Resources
- Resource Treatment Center. (2019). Reactive Attachment Disorder Treatment Program | Indianapolis, IN | Resource Treatment Center. [online] Available at: https://www.resourcetreatmentcenter.com/behavioral/reactive-attachment/ [Accessed 2 Apr. 2019].
- Cebc4cw.org. (2019). CEBC » Search › By Program Name. [online] Available at: https://www.cebc4cw.org/search/by-program-name/ [Accessed 2 Apr. 2019].
- Dr. Michelle Bengtson. (2019). Resources for Reactive Attachment Disorder. [online] Available at: https://drmichellebengtson.com/resources/reactive-attachment-disorder/ [Accessed 2 Apr. 2019].

Treatment for Reactive attachment Disorder

( Better Help, 2019). 

 Treatment 

Treatment for reactive attachment disorder( RAD)  focuses on repairing and/or creating emotionally healthy family bonds. It aims to strengthen relationships between children and their caregivers in a way that can later help the child to develop other healthy relationships in their lives.  

When it comes to treating RAD it is beneficial for both child and caregiver to be present during the treatments. ( Child Mind Institute, n.d,). Treatment may include things such as Psychotherapy/Counseling, Family therapy, Social Skills Intervention, special education, and parenting skill classes. 

 Psychotherapy/counselling is a mental health provider that works with children and their caregivers in many different ways, in some cases, it can be one-on-one with jus the child and other time it just the caregiver and other times it will take both caregiver and child at the same time, this will help build skills and reduce problematic patterns of behaviour.

 Family therapy is another way that one might choose to go about helping a child who is dealing with RAD.T Family therapy involves the child working together with the primary caregiver to develop the ways to interact in a  healthy way, which they can practice at home and in their everyday lives to further rebuild the bond between child and caregiver. 

Social skill intervention is another type of therapy that can be used to manage or treat RAD. This type of therapy teaches the child how to interact more appropriately with other children especially those who are in the same age range as the child with RAD, caregivers often can also get involved and help the child to use the skills they have learned. 

Parenting skill classes are more for the caregiver of the child who has been diagnosed with RAD. In these sessions, the caregivers may learn more effective ways of managing their child's challenges and symptoms of RAD. This type of therapy can be more beneficial as managing and disciplining a child with RAD can be hard at times for the caregiver. (Clevland Clinic, 2018). 

Sadly there is no magical cure for RAD. RAD is an acquired disorder and it happens during the critical periods of brain development, there is no medication or medical treatment that is able to "cure" the disease but there are things that the child and caregiver can do to help with the symptoms of RAD. They may have good days where the child is interacting but they may also have days where RAD  is more prominent.