• KYFS in 2010
  • Letter from Executive Director
  • Board of Directors & Management
• Program Updates
  • Lighthouse
  • Substance Abuse
  • Outreach
  • Watson Manor
  • Headstart/ECEAP
  • Counseling
  • HottShotts
• Financial Support
  • Donor List
  • Financial Information
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Counseling Program

The KYFS counseling program continues to provide services that communities throughout South King County have come to rely on as well as new programs that are designed to meet the changing needs of a diverse community while utilizing evidence based practices and informed systems of care that produce effective results for those we serve.

In 2010, our program offered the following:

• Over 5,500 hours of direct counseling services for youth and their families.
• Therapeutic services, provided in the client’s native language, via bilingual therapists or translators.
• Counseling services to Head Start and ECEAP children and their families.
• Positive and enriching environments for Master’s Level interns from local universities.
• Group anger-management counseling for boys, girls, and teens.
• Onsite therapists in 16 Kent District schools, present at least one day per week.
• Collaboration with the Society for Council Representing Accused Persons (SCRAP) for Project ROYAL(Raising Our Youth As Leaders). Project ROYAL is an intervention for African American youth in the Juvenile Justice System.
• Financial literacy programming, offered in partnership with the City of Kent.
• Mental health counseling and family planning services, at the Kent Phoenix Academy Health Center, through our partnership with Public Health Seattle King County.
• Infant Mental Health counseling designed to prevent problems later in life by enhancing the attachment between the parent(s) and child. This service is provided in collaboration with NAVOS Mental Health and Auburn Youth Resources.
• Race, Culture and Gender Committee continued to provide counselors with ongoing trainings to increase cultural competency, thereby helping counselors provide informed and sensitive services. Trainings this year included:
• Cross Cultural Communication; Power and Privilege; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Youth
• Immigrants and Refugees (Specifically from areas impacted by war and civil unrest); and Foster Children.

Specific Accomplishments

• "Coming Up" Supportive Housing for homeless young adults increased in capacity and level of services being provided while strengthening the collaboration with our partner agencies, Auburn Youth Resources and Valley
• Cities Counseling and Consultation.
• Co-Occurring Disorders Treatment expanded during the year with the addition of an additional co-occurring disorders therapist and the continued expansion of the program.
• The Counseling program was awarded a grant, funded through the King County MIDD, which provides for a full time school based co-occurring disorder counselor at Mill Creek Middle School with the objective to provide evidence based services and other supportive services to students to help improve graduation rates, decrease dropout rates and curb the impact of substance abuse and mental health issues on students academic performance.

In spite of difficult financial times, the KYFS counseling staff has been able to enhance existing partnerships and develop new ones. We received program funds from the cities of Kent and Covington and King County, United Way, and private contributions. Of particular note the Sunrise Rotary Club of Kent chose KYFS’s Counseling program and the story of one of our adolescent clients as the Fund A Cause item during its 2010 Community Harvest dinner auction raising nearly $11,000 for the program. This support allows us continue with essential services and expand services to meet the needs of our community. For both staff and clients, 2010 was an amazing year in which we continued to find ourselves fortunate to be able to be a part of the journey of life for those that we serve.