Kids' Club

Kids' Club is a joint program of Wellspring Family Services and Jewish Family Service

Children who have witnessed or experienced abuse are often filled with feelings and emotions that are difficult to explain. At Kids' Club we help children learn how to express and articulate their feelings more openly, working together in a supportive group environment with their moms, our licensed professionals and domestic violence advocates, and other children their age.

Using visual techniques, talk, and play, we help children recognize what "mean and hurtful behavior" looks and feels like, and that this behavior is a choice that is never acceptable.

Moms also have a chance to connect and learn from each other. At Kids' Club we teach parenting techniques to promote healthy parent-child communication and skills to reinforce healthy relationship behaviors. Kids' Club helps moms gain a better understanding of the impact that abuse has had on their children.

By the end of the 12-week class, each child will have developed a personal protection plan with their moms to help them know what to do in unsafe situations.

What to expect

This program is FREE and is for non-abusing parents and their children who have experienced physical, mental and/or sexual abuse.

Groups meet for 12 weekly sessions at a confidential Seattle location. Children and moms meet together interactively for part of the time, and also attend separate but concurrent child and parent groups. The classes are co-facilitated by licensed mental health therapists and domestic violence advocates.

• Groups for children ages 9-12 start in Winter
• Groups for children ages 5-8 start in Fall

Staff

• Mark Adams

  Mark Adams received his Master's Degree in Psychology from Seattle University. He has extensive experience working with both abusers and children who have been impacted by domestic violence. A major part of Mark's motivation is to help clients explore the impact of their abusive behaviors on their partners and children. Mark has represented the agency in various community groups and has been active in providing training to various community agencies.

• Danica Bornstein

  Danica Bornstein, MSW has worked with children, youth and families and with survivors of violence for over 14 years. Danica has worked with children and youth in a variety of settings, including residential treatment, schools, community organizations and private practice. She has worked with adults as a domestic violence advocate, a case manager and a private practice therapist, with a particular focus on trauma work. She has taught about abuse and trauma at the graduate level, and is a nationally-recognized trainer on assessing for domestic violence and working with survivors of abuse. Danica received a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Washington in 1998, and is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, the highest level of licensure available in the State of Washington.

• Courtney Campbell

  Courtney Campbell received a Bachelors of Art in Psychology from Ithaca College. She has had the opportunity to work in the field of violence prevention and domestic violence for the last four years. Much of her work involves outreach and education around the impacts of domestic violence on families along with advocacy based counseling. Courtney has also spent some time working with youth in the classroom setting assisting in the academic process along with hosting workshops for youth in exploring feelings and a class series with Jewish Family Service, Love All That and More for teenagers. Currently, she is a domestic violence program advocate for Project DVORA. She is excited to co-facilitate this class with youth and their moms.

• Michelle Lifton

  Michelle Lifton holds a Masters of Science in Women's Studies. She was hired by Jewish Family Service in June 1999 to help create and direct their domestic violence program, Project DVORA: Domestic Violence Outreach, Response, and Advocacy.

  She has advocated on behalf of survivors of domestic violence since 1992, providing direct services to families, community outreach and education, consultation, and program development.