At Optimal Edu Options, we spotlight organizations working to improve children’s lives. So, we partner with those with a similar goal: making sure kids live their best lives possible. One of those organizations is Arizona’s Children’s Services Network.
Affiliated with the Arizona Psychological Association, the Children’s Services Network is dedicated to helping mental health professionals who work with youth connect. Mental health problems are increasing among youth; the CDC says that more than one in three high schoolers had “persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness” in 2019, making the numbers 40 percent higher than ten years earlier in 2009.
Organizations like the Children’s Services Network are more critical than ever. The organization is a network of professionals, including therapists, attorneys specializing in family law, and educational professionals.
The group meets four times a year to network with one another. They also provide members with several valuable services. Examples include a calendar of child mental health events, credits to meet continuing education requirements for licensing, an online bulletin board to inform other members of news related to open jobs or events, and website listings on the Arizona Psychological Association and Children’s Services Network websites and more.
“The Children’s Services Network helps those who work with our kids arm themselves with as much knowledge as possible for their jobs,” says Gail Curran, owner at Optimal Edu Options and an educational consultant. “If members don’t already know a professional personally to recommend to their clients, they can find someone through the network.”
Gail has seen the benefits the Children’s Services Network provides as a member herself. She believes in the organization’s mission of providing for children as best as possible, making her proud to support the network herself. She will present her expertise as an educational and therapeutic placement consultant at the Children’s Services Network meeting in December 2022.
The organization’s website also lists nonprofit organizations that need volunteer help from local mental health professionals. For those looking for a chance to give back to the community with the professional skills they’ve honed over the years, the Children’s Services Network is happy to connect them regardless of membership status.
In addition to the benefits provided to members, families can also search the listings on the Children’s Services Network based on last name and the services needed. This provides a trustworthy directory of dedicated professionals providing children’s services in one location. Families can rest assured they’ve found someone to help their child easier than sifting through search engine results and reviews.
The Children’s Services Network is also always looking for potential sponsors to apply. Current sponsors include Excel Care Therapy, Fusion Academy, New Way Academy, and more.
“Our sponsors are often those in the arena of child services already as well, which shows the care those in the child services community have for our kids,” Gail says.
The Children’s Services Network is ready and waiting if you’re looking for help for your child regarding mental health services.
For those needing educational alternatives, as a member of the network, Optimal Edu Options is ready to help your child get the best education possible. So contact us today to schedule an appointment for your child, and check out the Children’s Services Network website to find professionals for your child’s other needs in life.