1999-2000 Annual Report

The Year 1999-2000

The Centre strives to provide the best possible clinical services and programs to children, youth and their families. During 1999-2000, our Intake answered 3,376 calls, connecting families to services both within the Centre and the community. The Centre began work with 1,341 families this year.

The Prevention & Early Intervention Service has furthered the goal of integrating service for individual children with service to the community ­ the continuum from treatment to community development. Think of specialized assessment for the vulnerable infant. Think of You Make The Difference communication groups. Think of Talking Man to Man groups. Think of Rising Sisters, a teen moms’ group. Think of the Brighter Futures Coalition.

The Community Clinic dedicates itself to families with crises which disturb their children and break their hearts. Family treatment, child treatment, specialized day and residential programs, all offer pathways to health in varying combinations to match varying need. To walk these painful pathways with the child and family requires excellent clinical skill.

The School Program and Clear Directions offer new pathways to education, 108 youngsters this year. Because school has been a major problem for these children, we are so pleased with the number of credits earned and the participation in Toronto-wide track and field events and the Etobicoke inter-collegiate basketball league. The Girls House, The Boys House and H.A.R.P. House offered inpatient treatment to 115 children.

The Board of Directors supports and advocates for the Centre on behalf of children and families. They uphold the mission of multiple services within a continuum to ensure responsiveness to the community and to meet the individual need of the child and family.

Elizabeth Ridgely, M.S.W., C.S.W.
Executive Director

Philip Allmen
Board Chair

“George Hull is the bomb. Kids come and go, staff come and go, but there are some >things that will never change and they are:

1. The love for the kids that will never change.
2. The love for the staff that will never change.
3. The love. George Hull Program is the bomb.

” (girl, age 12)

Financial Highlights (000’s)

12 Month Period Ending March 31, 2000

What was the one thing you liked the best about the George Hull Centre? “100% effort was always given. Vince Ferrari and Martha Howard were always concerned and caring. We never felt like we were only clients, but felt like family.” (parent)

The George Hull Centre wishes to acknowledge the generosity and vision of the following individuals and organizations who have contributed to the Centre over the past year. Philip Allmen, Ella Bartok, Jalynn Bennett, Lynda Bilton, Nina Bregman, David E. Brown, George Brykowych, Dianne Caldwell, M.H. and John Campbell, Mary Anne Carswell, William Carty, Janet Charlton, Noemi and Greg Chellew, Katarina Chovanec, Anette Christensen, Nadine Christie, Pam and Chris Clark, Mavis E. Clarke, Maryanne Cornelius, J.S. Darville, Mary Lou Dolan, Maureen Flanagan Pool, Kiaras Gharabaghi, David Girvin, Winnifred Gooden, Sharron and Edward Hallett, Martha Howard, Donna Hrynkiw, Berna J. Hull, Olive Hull, Robert Hull, David Kidd, Rollande B. Latreille, Sarah Lockett, Louise Lore, Catherine Martin, John McDougall, M.A. McEvenue, Gregory McGuire, Vivian Miles, Lina Mongillo, Brigid Murphy, Sandie Nolan-Hall, Saroja and Felix Rajaratnam, Rose Rando, Mel Rhinelander, Elizabeth Ridgely, Adair Roberts, Margaret Priest and Tony Scherman, Jean Shakespeare, Mary Anne Shewchuk, Shayna Singer, Karen Slezak, Ralph Somerleigh, Howard Sone, Ron Sparrow, Pauline Walsh, Dawn Wanless, Elizabeth Fanjoy Waterston, Penny Watson, Jean and Tim Winton, Grace M. Wright, Bill’s Lock Service, Boundless Adventures, Boyd Leckie Ltd., , Canadian Federation of University Women ­ Etobicoke, Caledonia Distributors, Christ Church Bolton, The Dominion Group Foundation, Etobicoke Kingsway Lions Club, Frontier College, Gilmore Staffing Solutions, Good Life Fitness Clubs, IBM Canada Ltd., Humber Valley United Church Women, JohnJule Holdings Inc., Kingsboro Taxi, Kingsway College School, Kingsway Lambton United Church Women, Kiwanis Club of Islington, Litton Systems, Mountain Equipment Co-op, Nativity of Our Lord Catholic Women’s League, Nissan Canada Financing, Ontario Netball Association, Outward Bound, Room To Grow Child Centre, Royal Bank Financial Group Employees, Salient Systems Inc., Structural Contracting Ltd., The Change Foundation, The Printing House Charitable Office, Thistletown Audio Visual, Thorncrest Sherway Inc., UOP LLC, Warner Lambert, WD-40 Products (Canada) Ltd., C.D. Wood Pharmacy Inc.

The Teaching Centre

Our commitment to clinical excellence, teaching and research remains steadfast. We value our academic affiliations with universities, community colleges and secondary schools. We provided learning opportunities for students across the disciplines: 17 child and youth work students, George Brown, Humber and Mohawk Colleges, 5 social work students, Wilfrid Laurier and the University of Toronto, 5 residents in psychiatry, the University of Toronto, 1 psychology intern, OISE, 1 nursing student, Ryerson University, 1 law student, York University, and 2 high school co-op students, West Humber and Richview Collegiates.

The 1999 Michael Syron Memorial Bursary was awarded to Anya Prodezo from the Etobicoke School of the Arts. Michael Syron was the founding Chair of the Board of Directors.

“Jess, I wonder if you realize how much good you have done by talking to him in such a nice manner. You have made me feel good to know that someone is helping my grandson. I can’t thank you enough.” (grandmother)

The Family Therapy Training Program

Faculty: Elizabeth Ridgely, Director, Daniel Bogue, Martha Howard, Catherine Martin, Angela Ragazzi, Stephen Weiman.

The Family Therapy Training Program had 34 trainees studying in various programs, including the Extern Program, Internships, Supervision Groups and the Men in Families seminar series. We were pleased to have Tan Kay Kiong join us from Singapore for a three-month internship and Dianne Johns from the North West Territories for a two-week internship.

The Director presented at Leading Edge Seminars, Toronto; Thistletown Regional Centre, Toronto; Langdon Hall, Cambridge; District of Parry Sound Child and Family Centre; Kinark Child and Family Services, Barrie; The Our Town Family Center, Tucson, Arizona; and MFC Baro/RNO (Psychiatric Hospital), Rotterdam, The Netherlands. The Faculty provided on-site consultation to Kinark Child and Family Services, Windsor Healthy Babies-Healthy Children, and Brookeside Counselling, Monarch Homes.

What was the one thing you liked the best about the George Hull Centre? “I definitely liked all the feed back I received. The follow up I received. Also, the George Hull Centre involved the whole family.” (parent)

George Hull Centre Partnerships and Collaborative Projects

Association for Optimum Infant and Child Development; Burnhamthorpe/427 Project; Catholic Children’s Aid Society, High Risk Committee; Centralized Access to Residential Services, Ministry of Community, Family and Children’s Services; Child and Adolescent Mental Health Restructuring Committee; Clear Directions Program with Breakaway Youth & Family Services and the Toronto District School Board; Day Treatment Addiction Treatment Services Committee; Eating for Two, Prenatal Nutrition Program, Public Health Department; Etobicoke Adolescent Parent Task Force; Etobicoke Brighter Futures Coalition; Etobicoke Conflict Mediation Team; Etobicoke Family Life Education Council; Etobicoke Family Violence Information Sharing Group; Etobicoke Interagency Coordinating Team; Etobicoke Preschool Consultation Group; Etobicoke Sexual Abuse Treatment Project; Etobicoke Volunteers Association; Etobicoke Youth Centre Advisory Committee; Family Group Conferencing Project with Etobicoke Child Welfare and Etobicoke Children’s Centre; Healthy Babies, Healthy Children; Highfield Community Enrichment Project, Parents Groups; Humber College Child & Youth Work Advisory Committee; Infant Mental Health Project, Hospital for Sick Children; Metro Toronto Prevention & Early Intervention Initiative; National Ballet School, Clinical Consultation; Ontario Association of Child and Youth Counsellors; Ontario Institute for Studies in Education; Ontario Youth Managers’ Coordinating Group; Placement Group, Ministry of Community, Family & Children’s Services; Reading Group with Frontier College Literacy Program and Etobicoke Volunteers; Rexdale Community Health Centre; Rexdale Women’s Centre, Parents Groups; Rosalie Hall; Sparrow Lake Alliance; Strengthening Parents-Strengthening Communities: The Toronto Community-Academic Parenting Alliance; Toronto CAFAS (Child and Adolescent Functioning Assessment Scale) Study Group; Toronto Children’s Mental Health Centres, Executive Directors’ Planning Group, Program and Service Directors’ Group; Toronto Catholic District School Board; Toronto Children’s Services Coordinating Committee; Toronto District School Board, Friendship Class Project, Supervised Alternative Learning for Excused Pupils (SALEP), Clinical Consultation; Toronto Interagency Girls at Risk Group; Toronto West Quadrant Child and Mental Health Committee; Toronto West Quadrant Children’s Services Network; Toronto West Quadrant Preschool Speech and Language Services; Welcome Baby, Staff Training; Willowridge Information and Recreation Centre, Parents Groups; You Make The Difference Communication Groups with Etobicoke Children’s Centre and The Hanen Centre.

What did you like best about the Girls House? “Patti’s smile. The friends I made. The staff. The help I got.” (girl, age 10)

I can’t speak
I can’t see
I can’t hear
I can’t breath
I can only feel

(girl, age 14)

Board of Directors:
Philip Allmen (Chair), J.S. Darville, Elizabeth Fanjoy, Maureen Flanagan Pool, David Girvin, Louise Lore, Denise Marcellin, Fred May, Bonnie McGuire, Gregory McGuire, Brigid Murphy

Management Team:
Elizabeth Ridgely, M.S.W., C.S.W. (Executive Director), Rick Arseneau, B.Com, CGA, Melanie Barwick, Ph.D., C. Psych., Daniel Bogue, M.S.W., C.S.W., Jane Bray, M.S.W., Andrew Legatto, B.A., Joanne McCallum, C.Y.W., B.A., Audrey Mullan, Nancy Schmidt, Ph.D., C.Psych., Anne Secord-Houston, E.C.E., Ruth Stirtzinger, M.D., F.R.C.P.(C)

What was the one thing you liked the best about the George Hull Centre? “The fish tank and my counselor.” (parent)