By Angeles Ponpa
PEORIA, Ill. (25 News) – OSF Healthcare is expanding services in Peoria County to victims of violent crime.
The OSF Strive program provides trauma-informed mental health services for victims and witnesses of violent crime in Peoria County.
The program will now be available to children as young as six years old who live in any part of the county. Previously, the program only allowed children 14 years of age and older, and who lived within select Peoria zip codes.
OSF Strive Trauma Recovery Center Clinical Supervisor Brooke Escobar said that she believes lowering the age range addresses those developmental stages as they begin to make kids feel safe again, so they can develop better relationships at home and in school.
Escobar said that some of the techniques used to help young victims of violence include trauma play therapy, “sand tray” therapy and child-centered play therapy.
“There’s a lot of grief that is experienced as well, too,” said Escobar. “Even though there wasn’t a loss of a person, there was a loss of other things- of safety, there’s a loss of normalcy. Trauma absolutely changes the way you see the world.”
The program is free for families who qualify. No referral is required. Families are encouraged to fill out a self-form on the OSF Strive website.
