OUR WORK

Elizabeth House

... Our Approach

Our objective is to empower young parents in order that they may achieve their full potential, as parents and as people in their own right. They are assisted in exploring all options in relation to the pregnancy and parenting, and are supported in whatever path they choose be it taking on child-rearing responsibilities, adoption or foster family care. Individualized service plans address the clients’ particular needs and are developed in collaboration with the client, their family and the health and social services network. The goal of the plan is independent living and social re-integration. Plans may include interventions designed to deal with anger management, conflict resolution, the development of routines, baby care, development of appropriate parenting skills, money management, ordealing with personal ambivalence with respect to caring for an infant.

Treatment Philosophy

Adolescent pregnancy at Elizabeth House is not considered to be a normal event nor is it considered to be a condition that occurs accidentally. Our clients become pregnant in an effort to solve personal and family problems. Many believe they will have the loving family that they have longed for or that they will now be the good parent that they were never able to have. Our clients’ self-esteem has instantly been raised; many believed, in some way, that they were not even ‘competent’ enough to become pregnant. All are focused on this baby meeting their unmet needs. Most are unprepared for meeting the needs of the baby and mostly all are adamant that they will be keeping and raising their babies. The following are the basic tenements of Elizabeth House’s treatment philosophy:

Elizabeth House supports the many choices and decisions that young parents are faced with in planning for their babies. Clients are supported and empowered to develop options, make choices, and understand and accept the consequences of the choices and decisions they make. Clients are always seen as caring and loving parents as they work through deciding whether or not to raise their child themselves with or without the support of other family members or whether to release the child for adoption. Occasionally, short term placements in foster care are necessary as clients grapple with these issues.

The family and baby fathers are seen as potential sources of support for the young mother and play an important role in the life of the baby. They are also considered to be clients of Elizabeth House with their own individual needs to be considered and addressed. Efforts are made to reach out to as many family members and significant others as possible in order to help the young parent establish a support network for herself.
Elizabeth House is concerned with optimizing the development of the babies as well as the young parents. Babies are considered to be clients as well at Elizabeth House. Due to the importance of the formative years for the baby’s development, the needs of the baby will supercede those of the mother if the mother is not meeting the baby’s needs. The importance and responsibility to act in a preventive fashion in relation to the baby’s development is recognized at Elizabeth House.
The foundation for developing good parenting skills is based on the ability to function adequately in the community. Parents must able to demonstrate that they are capable of providing in an on-going way a safe and secure environment for themselves before they can be expected to assume the responsibility of caring for a child.

Elizabeth House is concerned in maximizing educational opportunities for its clients. All research indicates a positive correlation between success as a young parent and completion of educational studies.

Treatment Approach

The approach is community-based and is guided by the least intrusive intervention.
A systemic, individualized treatment approach is used at Elizabeth House. Our work is characterized by systems thinking, family involvement and group work and is centred on the needs of the individual client. When the client is a mother with a baby, the treatment approach is centred on both the mother’s and baby’s needs, often dealing with the interaction between both
Clients are equipped with as much knowledge and information as possible so they can make informed choices. It is important that clients feel that they are making their own choices and decisions and that they understand the consequences of the decisions they are making.
Clients are supported to be active participants in developing objectives and goals for themselves. As much as possible, clients are supported to develop as many options for themselves that are feasible and realistic; through the development of options and choices, clients become empowered.
Emphasis is placed on decreasing social isolation and developing the ability to be able to ask for help and know that this is a strength
Elizabeth House supports young parents to make use of resources in the community. As clients progress from residential to external services more and more emphasis is placed on becoming familiar with and using community resources.

The goal of treatment is to foster self-sufficiency and adaptation in the community.

Advocacy is employed, either on an individual or group level, where indicated. The client is always part of the process.