River Oak Center for Children: Seeking Safety

In July 2009, River Oak began offering short term counseling groups to parents and caregivers
involved with Sacramento County Child Protective Services (CPS) to help these families
reunite safely. Groups are held at the River Oak Family Resource Center in Oak Park and the
Folsom/Cordova Community Partnership Family Resource Center in Rancho Cordova. Groups
consist of one-12 participants, who must complete all of the 12 week modules in order to
graduate.

During the groups, parents and caregivers take part in Seeking Safety, a therapy for
trauma/posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and/or substance abuse, as well as Dialectical
Behavioral Therapy to help manage their emotions. River Oak facilitators follow each week's
sessions or topics in a consecutive fashion. Participants are asked to review handouts,
discuss material, and relate topics to their own personal experiences. Active participation is
highly encouraged.

Groups consist of 90 minute sessions per week on an on-going basis. The groups are always
open to new participants, as long as they have first attended the drop-in intake. There may be
an occasion when the groups are full; at that time parents will be put on a waiting list or
referred to another group.

Parents of River Oak children and teens who are involved with CPS are eligible for the groups
and are referred to the service by their CPS social worker.