A referral can be made to our Intake Worker by a representative from a child protection agency, police service or other organization in the community. Caregivers can also refer thier child(ren) to the program. Our Intake Worker will help to determine if Boost can provide the most appropriate service for the child/youth and family. If not, Boost will help to refer the child/youth.
- In order for a referral to be accepted at Boost it is important that the following criteria be met:
- The child or youth referred to Boost is between the age of 4 to 17 years old
- Assessment and treatment intervention services are offered to children and youth after a traumatic event has been reported, investigated and verified by a child welfare agency and/or police
- Referrals to evaluate traumatic events that do not necessitate child welfare or police involvement (i.e. exposure to community violence or war related trauma) can also be made to the program;
- In congruence with Best Practice Guidelines for Working with Children, Youth and Families Who Have Experienced Abuse (Toronto, November 2004, page 17), in the best interest of the child, there should be no contact (direct or indirect) with the offender during the assessment process. It is a core value and belief of our program to conduct our services using best practice guidelines when working with children or youth who have experienced abuse. This ensures that our interventions are both respectful and considerate of the children and youth we service, making their safety both physical and emotional, a priority.
Boost is a committed to be becoming a centre of excellence for trauma. If the referral made to the program is outside the scope of our services, or if other concerns may necessitate attention prior to addressing the traumatic event Boost will support the referral source to find an alternate agency that is better suited to supporting the child and youth.
Referrals to the Assessment & Treatment Program can be directed to Atiquah Syed, Intake Worker (416) 515-1100 ext. 231 or by email at syed@boostforkids.org