Crossroads uses evidence-informed practices to get results. We bring together the latest the research has to offer, our clinical experience, and the expertise you bring as the person who knows your child and family best.  Evidence-informed practices used at Crossroads include:

Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS):

The CPS philosophy is at the heart of everything that we do here at Crossroads. That’s because we firmly believe that children (and families) do well if they can. While conventional wisdom would have us believe things like: “kids only do well when they want to” or “bad behavior is the result of bad parenting”, we believe that children and families want to do well, and we work with them to address what’s getting in the way. Rather than using reward and punishment systems to increase compliance, CPS is a trauma-informed approach that supports the child (and family) to gain important thinking skills to be successful and make lasting change.

Circle of Security:

At Crossroads, we focus on relationships. We know that a strong secure attachment to a parent or caregiver is the basis of lifelong mental health and resilience. For children birth to 3 years, we use Circle of Security to foster attachment and to help parents and caregivers discover, interpret, understand and respond to their children’s behavior and cues. Circle Of Security is also used to support children and families with a history of trauma and/or disrupted relationships.

Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT):

NMT is an approach that incorporates the latest research in neurodevelopment and traumatology. NMT is an assessment process that provides specific recommendations for the selection and sequencing of therapeutic, educational and enrichment activities that match the needs and strengths of your child. At Crossroads, NMT is used with children who have a history of trauma, chronic stress and abuse and/or to enhance treatment planning.

Watch, Wait and Wonder:

Watch, Wait and Wonder is an evidence-based treatment for young children and their parents.  It has been shown to improve infant developmental functioning, emotion regulation, and attachment security with the aim of enhancing parental sensitive responsiveness, confidence and feelings of efficacy.

Zones of Regulation:

We offer parent/caregiver groups in Zones of Regulation so that families can support their children to use the tools in their day-to-day living environment.  Zones of Regulation helps children develop skills in self-regulation. Children learn to become more aware of their emotions, use strategies to control their impulses, manage their sensory needs, and improve their readiness to problem solve.  In our Day Treatment Program we use the Zones of Regulation as a tool in each classroom.

Mindfulness Awareness Stabilization Training (MAST):

MAST teaches emotion regulation skills through psychoeducation and mindfulness practice. Crossroads integrates components of MAST across services to help children develop greater awareness and regulation of their emotions. We also deliver parents skill training sessions in MAST.

Child & Family Engagement:

We know that treatment outcomes improve when children and families are meaningfully engaged in their treatment. At Crossroads, we are committed to working in partnership with you and your child to ensure that services are meeting your needs and that your voice is reflected in the treatment goals and service delivery.

We know that families come in many shapes and sizes. If there is someone in your circle of support that you would like to involve in your child’s care plan, please let us know so that with your consent, we can include them as a resource.

Equity & Inclusion:

Crossroads recognizes the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion in mental health care. Regardless of a child or family’s identity or social, economic or cultural position, we believe that access to quality mental health care that is inclusive and free from discrimination is a fundamental human right. We also acknowledge that experiences of marginalization based on age, gender, status, ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, ability and so on, are not individual problems, but rather rooted in inequities in society and can result in poor mental health outcomes. While our work centers on treatment for children and their families, we also recognize and embrace our role in and responsibility toward social justice.

We believe that culture is central to health and healing. We will work closely with you to ensure that your culture and traditions are integrated in the service plan. If you self-identify as francophone and/or First Nation, Inuit or Metis, we will actively offer francophone or indigenous-specific services through our community partners, empowering you to make an informed choice about where you want to receive services.

Crossroads is a queer and trans-positive space.