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Their Voice: Supporting families, both weak and strong

Daily Herald - 10/22/2017

"Families are forever." "The love of a family is life's greatest blessing." "Family: Where life begins and love never ends."

I could go on for pages with beautiful quotes that I have seen hanging for sale in a variety of stores around the valley. The strong focus on families throughout our community is one of the things that gives it strength and endurance.

However, I often wonder when I see the influx of these signs what it feels like to be part of a family that isn't strong and seldom seems like a blessing. Many families around us struggle in a variety of ways and try very hard to mask those struggles to avoid standing out. Some of those families have a network of friends, family and neighbors to help out while others feel left alone with feelings of shame and embarrassment. What these families don't know, but should, is that there is a great resource for them sitting in Orem just waiting to help out.

I first heard about the Family Support & Treatment Center several years ago when a co-worker told me she worked there providing respite. Almost a year ago, a friend mentioned she had taken a tour with a group from the United Way and was impressed with the services they offered. Last week, two friends and I were finally able to get a tour compliments of Scott Snow, the executive director.

The center is an obscure building located at 1255 N. 1200 West in Orem. I imagine many people pass it every day without knowing what treasures are inside. It is one of those many buildings we all drive by often and don't think too much about unless, of course, we find ourselves in need of the services.

The service I first heard about and was most interesting to me is the Crisis Respite Nursery. Most parents can relate to the feeling of being overwhelmed maybe with a crying child, high stress levels or other emergencies but didn't think they had any help available. The nursery is available to children under 12 who need care and support while their parents work through their own crisis. There is no cost for this service but parents or grandparents are encouraged to call first if possible. It is also a place for parents to take children when they are attending therapy sessions, job interviews or medical appointments. In addition to the Crisis Respite, they also offer adoption respite for families who have adopted through the Division of Child and Family Services. In most cases, this service is provided in the home.

Therapy services provided by the center are available for children, adults and families whose lives have been affected by child abuse, trauma or other personal and family issues. In our tour with Scott Snow, we were able to see many of the rooms used for a variety of methods including play therapy, sand therapy and group and family counseling.

The center also takes a very proactive approach to many of the struggles that affect our local families by providing ongoing education at no cost. Some presentations are available to local community groups and schools in the Alpine, Provo and Nebo districts that include personal safety and sexual abuse prevention for younger children and dynamics of abuse, dating violence, stress management, depression and suicide prevention. Other courses are taught at the center, including trauma resilience, parenting courses and postpartum support groups.

There are two groups of people I hope to reach out to by writing this article. First, the group of people who desperately need these resources but didn't know they existed and were afraid to ask. Second, any groups or individuals who are interested in volunteering or helping out with this cause in different ways. If you are interested in learning more about all of the great programs available, one way is to attend their "Family Fall Festival" on Nov. 4 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. This event is geared to whole families but the activities are probably more suited for children under 12. There are games, prizes, crafts, activities and maybe even a tour of the facility. Please call (801) 229-1181 or email info@utahvalleyfamilysupport.org to RSVP. Because the center is a nonprofit agency they rely on donations and assistance from the communities they support which include Utah, Wasatch, Summit, Millard & Juab counties.

There is no perfect family. Every family has its own set of troubles and strife. Hopefully by understanding one more resource that is waiting for them to ask for help, they can get the services necessary to be successful.