For The Child Breaks Ground on the John Gogian Teen and Family Center

On July 18, For The Child broke ground on the John Gogian Teen and Family Center. Celebrating its 50th year as a nonprofit, For The Child offers support and treatment to children who have experienced or witnessed abuse or neglect, or who are facing mental health challenges.

Since the global pandemic shutdowns, there has been a sharp increased need for teen services. In 2019, about one-third of their clients were teens, now it is more than 50%. For The Child provides mental health treatment and parent and family support services designed to prevent child abuse and to help children recover from trauma and other mental health challenges. FTC programs are offered in English and Spanish and are available at no cost to children and families in need.

The expanded center, scheduled to open in 2025, will allow For The Child to employ five or more additional therapists to serve a minimum of 105 additional teens with once or twice weekly individual therapy sessions annually. The number of teens served outside of therapy sessions will also increase through programs such as peer-based suicide prevention programs that train, support and supervise teens to deliver programming. The additional 2,299 square feet center represents two group/training rooms for teen groups, parent workshops, and intern trainings, and five additional counseling offices. The increased space will accommodate enhanced parent and caregiver support including expanded education and prevention groups and workshops, and family support activities.

“One of the highlights for our teen clients will be a separate entrance with a teen-friendly waiting area,” said Executive Director Michele Winterstein. “Our current waiting area is designed for young children and not necessarily very welcoming for a teen who is coming in for treatment.”

For The Child will be raising money for the furnishings through their Long Beach Gives Campaign on September 19, 2024. They welcome donations as well as volunteers to help in this effort.

Programs include:

• 24-Hour Child Abuse Response Team (CART) serves as a part of an LA County Sexual Assault Response Team to provide crisis intervention, advocacy, and linkage to services in cases of sexual abuse involving children (infancy through 21 years).
• Mental Health Treatment is provided through Child & Adolescent Mental Health (CAMH) serving children that qualify for Medi-Cal and Child Abuse Safety Net Program (CAP) serving those without insurance, Medi-Cal or other means to pay. Across both mental health services, approximately 725 children and teens receive once or twice-weekly trauma-informed or trauma-focused mental health services annually.
• Parent Support is given through circles, groups and workshops all designed to prevent abuse before it happens or stop it from happening again.
• Family Support activities provide supports that help to strengthen families and build resiliency, thereby helping to prevent future abuse.

The project architect is Delawie, contractor is Norm Wilson & Sons. The John Gogian Teen and Family Center is made possible by donations from John Gogian Family Foundation - Lead Gift,

W.M. Keck Foundation, The Ahmanson Foundation, Boeing Employees’ Community Fund, with donations from For The Child board members and other individuals

For The Child’s Mission

Children should be treated with respect and protected from abuse. The nonprofit 501c3 meets this challenge by providing both comprehensive child abuse treatment and trauma-informed mental health care, counseling, and therapy to strengthen families and provide the tools of healing to children.

For The Child’s Vision

All children will have the opportunity to reach their natural potential free from abuse or neglect. Children will be nurtured and cared for in loving families, they will be safe in their homes, their schools, and their neighborhoods.

For more information visit https://forthechild.org and follow them on Instagram and Facebook.