I founded Children’s Therapeutic Centre, LLC: “Where Being Social is Both Fun & Healing,” a social enterprise seeking to provide community-based outpatient behavioral/mental health (i.e. play therapy) services for developmentally aged children and adolescents up to 15 years of age.
My approach includes access to alternative supportive services that are considered therapeutic extracurricular activities. I prioritize youth from minority, underserved, at-risk, and disadvantaged families and communities who often face healthcare disparities and access to quality care. My mission is to provide a physical location that is embedded within our prioritized communities. At the moment, I’m located at the Beyond Housing headquarters for families and communities to easily and conveniently access a variety of affordable and low-cost individualized services. The membership-based therapeutic play clinical services, activities, and programs meet social, emotional, and behavioral needs that are not limited to traditional psychotherapy services. Our unique services will make it more attractive to families and caregivers who don’t believe in traditional clinical practices, such as therapy. I will also provide a safe haven and respite for children of families and communities who need a break or escape from stressors. Our mission is also to work towards closing the school-to jail pipeline for youth living in low-income, underserved, and minority communities. My social enterprise’s overall purpose is to use the center’s profits to reinvest and donate them to create social change in evidence-based, innovative, and fun ways to provide no-cost services and events to improve the overall health outcomes for our prioritized families and communities.
TaJuana
Hi, I’m TaJuana and I grew up in Jennings, MO, a low-middle class neighborhood with both parents and 3 sisters who once experienced homelessness and as a result, my family relied on community resources for several years. My mother was a former school teacher and is currently an unemployment worker assistant. Her service to others influenced my passion for wanting to help others learn skills for a thriving life.
Being a mother at an early age, I knew it was important to make sure I had the resources and parenting knowledge to raise them in a way that encouraged them to be healthy adults. Outside of my Master’s degree in Social Work, my children were my first teachers in helping me gain a true understanding of the importance of healthy childhood social and emotional development. This is especially true in a society of diverse lifestyles, influences, morals, and values that unfortunately is not always so welcoming and nice.
Therefore, as a result of my family struggles, mother’s passion, and parenthood, I felt a lot of compassion and a strong sense of purpose to serve those in need. This gave birth to my social enterprise, Children’s Therapeutic Centre, LLC(CTC). CTC is a membership-based behavioral health center for youth between 0-15 years of age who have faced adverse childhood experiences. Our mission is to help resolve and prevent future childhood trauma to help youth develop healthy social-emotional development for more prosperous adulthood. We will uphold the integrity and respect of the youth, families, and the communities we serve.