For several years Richmont Trauma Center counseling has been available at specific Walton Communities locations and has had a positive impact on Walton residents. “When Walton Communities approached Richmont about also working with their Adventure Centers afterschool program, we were thrilled to explore the possibility. Walton Communities’ mission to create neighborhoods where people thrive is a natural fit with our mission to advance healing, restoration, and transformation in the lives of individuals, churches, and communities,” said Richmont President Timothy Quinnan.
For the 2022-2023 school year, Richmont will pilot Child-Centered Play Therapy Groups (CCGPT) as part of the Adventure Center programing at Walton Village, an affordable housing community. The Adventure Centers provide after-school enrichment and summer camp programs for students in K-5th grade in select Walton apartment communities.
The hope is to expand to other Adventure Center locations in future years. According to Renee Holdo, Director of Richmont’s Center for Play Therapy Education, “This program will provide an exceptional internship opportunity for Richmont students pursuing the Child and Adolescent Certificate while offering Richmont an avenue to contribute to the growing body of research on the impact of Child-Centered Play Therapy Groups. CCGPT is designed to be a developmentally responsive, play-based mental health intervention for children utilizing play (the natural language of children) and the therapeutic relationship to learn and practice new social and coping skills enabling children to best navigate the world they live in. It is an exciting opportunity for all involved in the program and I look forward to seeing it grow.” Holdo has started conducting training for Adventure Center/Walton Communities staff ahead of the August start of the school year.
