Through the Shepherd Program, St. Mary's Home for Children provides outpatient and in-home treatment for children, adolescents and adults utilizing licensed and master's level clinicians.

The Shepherd Program was established in 1985 to provide outpatient individual and group counseling for children and adolescents who are victims of sexual abuse or have sexual behavior problems. It is the most comprehensive program of its kind in the State of Rhode Island. The Shepherd Program employs eleven clinicians with an expertise in sexual abuse treatment. Therefore, the needs of an entire family can be served by one agency.

The Shepherd Program provides assessment services, individual therapy, group therapy and family therapy to child victims, children with sexual behavior problems, juvenile sex offenders, non-offending parents, and adult survivors of sexual abuse. Shepherd Program staff members also provide education and training to other professionals and members of the community regarding sexual abuse and sex offender dynamics. While the Shepherd Program provides expertise in the area of sexual abuse and other trauma, clinicians also offer therapy for issues including, but not limited to: depression, anxiety, and adjustment problems.

Group Treatment Services

• Victims' groups for young and latency age children, as well as for teenagers, serve to educate and support survivors of sexual abuse by encouraging group members to learn and practice coping techniques, safety skills and healthy boundaries. The goals for these groups are to increase recognition of personal impact of past sexual abuse; and improve self-esteem and social skills.
• Non-offending parent/caretaker groups provide education about the dynamics of sexual abuse, impact issues, strategies for parenting a sexually abused child, and information about offenders.
• Juvenile offenders' group serves to reduce the probability of recidivism and/or escalation of offending, as well as to decrease the level of danger the member poses to the community. The goals for the group are to accept full responsibility for the sexually offending behavior; develop empathy skills; understand the sexual assault cycle, make restitution to the victim(s); develop a relapse prevention plan; and to improve self-esteem. Juvenile offenders' group members are asked to participate in weekly individual treatment along with group treatment.

Victims of Crimes Act (VOCA) Services

Through funds from the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), the Shepherd Program's Sexual Abuse Project provides a clinician/parent aide team approach to families that have been impacted by sexual abuse. This Project provides intensive in-home services for families. The clinician and parent aide provide counseling, case management, behavior management and sexual abuse education in order to maintain the child victim safely in the home.

Divided Yet United

Divided Yet United is an educational program that provides seminars for divorcing parents. It helps children by teaching parents how to reduce the familial conflict surrounding a divorce; how to help children cope with a divorce. The program is conducted by professional clinicians from St. Mary's Home for Children, a local agency that has been helping Rhode Island families for more than 120 years. During two 2-1/2 hour sessions, Divided Yet United will teach the following:

• How to talk to your children about divorce
• How to listen and respond to your children's concerns
• How children react to divorce
• How to handle visitation issues
• How to meet your children's developmental needs
• How to teach your children skills to help them cope with divorce
• How to restructure your family following a divorce.

Divided Yet United seminars for divorcing parents are a cooperative effort between St. Mary's Home for Children and the Rhode Island Family Court

Divided Yet United is licensed with Families First of Georgia and the Children Cope with Divorce programs that exist throughout the country.

To pre-register for the next available seminar call Divided Yet United at 784-3530. Please note that a sliding fee scale is available upon request for anyone unable to pay the full registration fee.

Contact Us

St. Mary's Home for Children
420 Fruit Hill Avenue
North Providence, RI 02911
Tel: (401) 353-3900 Fax: (401) 784-3549
Directions (PDF)