Youth and Adolescent Services

Stepping Stone Community Services offers teen adolescent therapy. Group therapy is also an excellent way to explore one's challenges while getting support from others in similar situations. A licensed therapist leads the group to ensure each participant feels comfortable, accepted and able to use the group to meet his or her needs.

Positive Peer Interaction Group for teens 13 to 17 years old

This group is for teens who experience difficulties with peers and effective social communication. Teens will gain awareness of how their thoughts and anxieties limit their engagement in social situations, while also learning strategies to interact more effectively with peers. The focus is divided between building healthy relationships and learning how to manage conflict. Participants also learn how to apply these skills in the community by practicing in several sessions out in public.

Children and adolescent wellness screening

According to the U.S. Surgeon General, about 20% of American children suffer from a diagnosable mental illness during a given year. Further, nearly 5 million American children and adolescents suffer from a serious mental illness.

What Are the Symptoms of Mental Illness in Children?

Children's symptoms vary depending on the type of mental illness, but some of the general symptoms include:

• Changes in school performance, such as poor grades despite good efforts

• Abuse of drugs and/or alcohol

• Inability to cope with daily problems and activities

• Changes in sleeping and/or eating habits

• Excessive complaints of physical ailments

• Defying authority, skipping school, stealing, or damaging property

• Intense fear of gaining weight

• Long-lasting negative moods, often accompanied by poor appetite and thoughts of death

• Frequent outbursts of anger

• Loss of interest in friends and activities they usually enjoy

• Significant increase in time spent alone

• Excessive worrying or anxiety

• Hyperactivity

• Persistent nightmares or night terrors

• Persistent disobedience or aggressive behavior

• Frequent temper tantrums

• Hearing voices or seeing things that are not there (hallucinations)