Groups and Outreach from CRCC

from Krystle Diver, Group and Outreach Therapist

Hi!!! My name is Krystle Diver and I am one of the Group & Outreach Therapists at CRCC. I am finishing up my Masters degree in Community Counseling at John Carroll University. I started at the CRCC as an intern this past fall and was hired full time in January. It is really exciting to be a part of not only the center, but being part of the team that is outreaching to the community.
Before we had two Group & Outreach Therapists, we were only outreaching to one agency which was Orca House. Orca House is a women’s residential treatment facility that we go into and provide a support group for the women during their stay. Many of the women who are at Orca House are beginning their work on their sobriety.

We go into these types of facilities, because we know that there is a high correlation between addiction and trauma. It is important that we are able to provide these services to these individuals during this time, because many of them will replace their emotions or feelings with their addiction so that they do not have to face what has happened to them and when they are working through their sobriety these emotions will come back and sometimes can feel overwhelming.

Besides Orca House, we now have collaborations with Hitchcock Center, Center for Families and Children (East & West location), The Women’s Center, and we are providing a support group at Saint John West Shore. Hitchcock Center is also a women’s treatment facility a lot like Orca House and we are going in and simply providing the women with psychoeducation around Sexual Assault. As for Center for Families and Children we are facilitating a support group for some of their clients who have been sexually assaulted. Many of the clients in these groups at Center for Families and Children also have a Mental Health Diagnosis on top of their trauma history.

All in all, outreaching to these agencies or other agencies is really important, because some of the clients cannot get down to the center, but really need support. By outreaching into these agencies it allows us to provide them with the support and services that the CRCC basis themselves on.

I am happy to report that among these collaborations we have many other agencies that are interested in working with us. I am proud to be a part of the team at CRCC and am thankful for all the hard work that the volunteers do on a daily basis!