What is Courage Club? 

ATS's Courage Club therapy group provides a safe environment in which children with selective mutism, social phobia, or other related anxiety disorders can practice age-appropriate activities, opening the pathway for engaging in these activities outside of therapy. Each set of group dates will focus on a relevant activity, such as Trick or Treating in October, leading a family game during the holiday season in Nov/Dec, and starting in the spring of 2017, practicing common activities associated with Birthday Parties. The therapeutic goals include habituating to anxiety, decreasing behavioral inhibition, increasing verbal interaction, and applying treatment gains into the home/public setting.

Courage Club is ideal for children who are ready to expand their treatment into group settings and would benefit from a peer group in which all the children are coping with anxiety. This group is for children in the advanced beginner stage of group therapy as well as those who require continued maintenance of treatment gains. 

Prerequisites 

Courage Club is ATS's advanced beginner group. The group is designed to continue to foster the generalization of verbal and social skills in a peer group setting. This group is intended for children who have received outpatient individual therapy and have reached the goal of responding directly and consistently to their primary therapist. Children must also demonstrate the ability to respond to the group therapist during the preview session. Previous experience in group therapy (e.g., successfully participated in Come Play) is also an indicator of readiness for this advanced beginner group. Therefore, this group is appropriate for children who are ready for the next level of group exposures or who can benefit from specific social/peer activities to help maintain treatment gains.

The prerequisites are as follows:

• Has established a consistent verbal relationship with their Primary Therapist.
• Must have completed sessions at ATS within the last three months, including at least one peer session (2:2 Child to Therapist ratio).
• Demonstrates the ability to separate from parent(s) after a 5-10 min warm up during individual therapy session and group therapy session.
• Is able to respond directly to Group Therapist in the presence of a peer during the preview session.

If you are not sure if your child meets these prerequisites, talk it over with your child's ATS therapist. If it has been over three months since your child has been in treatment at ATS, then a refresher session may be necessary to reacquaint your child before the preview session. 

If it has been over 6 months since your child has been in treatment at ATS, or your child has never received treatment at ATS, and you think this group is ideal for your child's needs, please contact ATS at 630-230-6505 to set up an intake evaluation.

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What to Expect - 1 Preview, 4 Group Sessions

The purpose of a preview session is two-fold. First, it allows your child a chance to see what the group is about and see who else is registered before committing to the remaining 4 sessions of group. Secondly, it allows the clinician to assess whether or not your child is ready for this level of group exposure therapy. In response to parents who can't commit to 5 or 6 consecutive Saturdays, the Courage Club Birthday Party group will be held daily from Tues-Sat (1/30/19-2/3/18). See below.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY - Birthday Party Theme

Goal: To practice approach vs avoidance in birthday party activities.

Group Sessions: This group will run daily and conclude with a birthday party celebration on Saturday. The weekday sessions are Tuesday, January 30th (preview) through Friday, February 2nd, from 4-5:30pm. These sessions (imagial exposure) will provide repetitive practice of each birthday activity the group will do on Saturday. The Saturday Birthday Party Celebration (in-vivo exposure) will be held at Petland in Bolingbrook, IL, on Saturday February 3rd from 11am-1pm. Children will each rotate roles as the "birthday child" and as a birthday party attendee. Children get to choose which animals (puppies, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, birds, cats) they would like to see for the first hour, and then will go on a tour of the aquarium side of the store for the next 30 minutes where they get to ask questions and see/touch animals (snakes, tarantulas, etc). Children will be encouraged to "USE YOUR BRAVE" when selecting animals to touch. The last half hour will be spent in the party room for pizza and cake! Children will be encouraged to ask and answer staff questions throughout the Birthday Party event and will be encouraged to talk with one another and participate in the activities.

Fees 

Group sessions are billed at $127.50 per session. Upon registering, you will be charged for 5 sessions (1 Preview and 4 Group Sessions = $637.50). If you cancel before the Preview Session, you will be refunded for the full 5 sessions less a $25 administrative fee. If your child attends the Preview Session and it is determined that he/she needs more therapy before participating in this level group, you will be refunded the full amount less $127.50 for the Preview Session and no administrative fee will be applied. To cancel, call 630-230-6505 Ext 2. Insurance CPT code is 90853. Statements will be provided to those who wish to submit to their insurance for reimbursement.

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