CAMARILLO : Grant to Assist Pregnant Teen-Agers
In a joint effort with Ventura County Public Health Services, a nonprofit Camarillo agency has received a $45,000 grant to provide in-home therapy for pregnant and parenting teen-agers and their families, officials said Thursday.
Interface Children, Family Services received the grant from Blue Cross to hire one full- and one part-time therapist for the one-year program.
The therapists will counsel teen-ager referred by county Public Health Services, said Chris Rutter, an Interface spokeswoman. All referrals will be teen-agers who have been sexually molested or physically abused.
“We have limited resources and this is where the greatest need is,” Rutter said. Statistics show a high level of pregnant teens have been sexually molested, she said.
Rutter said the newly hired therapists will be able to handle about 36 cases over the course of the yearlong program, which is scheduled to begin in December. She said Interface would be eligible to apply for a similar grant next year based on its performance.
Rather than the county handling the additional caseload, Rutter said public health officials helped Interface apply for the grant so the county could then refer patients.
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