Amal Youth and Family Centre provides behavioural health supports for children, adolescents & adults across Newfoundland and Labrador. Our high-quality, evidence-based service promotes skill teaching while meaningfully and compassionately reducing challenging behaviour. We help individuals of all abilities reach their full potential while prioritizing safety, dignity & joy.
Amal is committed to providing high-quality standards of care for all individuals. Amal provides supportive, nurturing, and therapeutic environments based on the following:
- All behaviour is purposeful and needs-based, and all individuals have needs that must be met in order for healthy development to occur. These include, but are not limited to, needs for safety, security, trust, belonging, affection, recognition, power, competence, self-esteem, generosity, and autonomy.
- Assessment and intervention is developmental, trauma informed, and focused on providing a rich array of diverse and reparative experiences to stimulate growth in all functional domains.
- There is a strong focus on relational practice, providing positive social interactions, and facilitating the development of healthy relationships and a sense of belonging.
- Intervention is needs-led, focused on identifying the needs underlying one’s behaviours, and helping them to meet these needs in healthier ways.
- Intervention is strength-based, individualized and focused on promoting resiliency, competence and opportunities to experience success.
- Families and/or guardians are considered an integral part of the therapeutic process.
- Amal will respect, promote and protect the rights of all individuals that we serve. Individuals and their families will not be discriminated against based on gender, ethnicity, religion, culture, or sexuality.
- Amal will employ highly trained, skilled and competent staff while also providing ongoing staff development and training opportunities.
To deliver a truly therapeutic environment for those availing of our services, a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach is required. At Amal, we value person-centered treatment which includes having our clients actively involved in setting their own goals, whenever possible. We honour the individual’s right to choose which type of service and programming they engage in.
At Amal, we practice Today’s ABA. By embracing the principles of Today’s ABA, we pledge to listen to the feedback provided by those who have championed change from ABA treatment and procedures. We understand and agree that in the past Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) has come under intense criticism. We will continue to listen and continue to adapt to do better.
This Article by Dr. Gregory Hanley summarizes the Today’s ABA approach which we practice & embrace. In following the principles of Today’s ABA, we listen to the individual and those who know them best to understand their behaviour before attempting to change it. We create joy and empower our individuals while seeking to reduce distress and discomfort. Our process is trauma-informed and we seek to build trusting relationships between our clinicians and service recipients. Most importantly, we prioritize values over procedures, specifically those of safety, dignity, and rapport.
The rights of the individuals receiving services are our number one priority. In practicing the values and principles of Today’s ABA, we understand that all individuals have the right to communicate their wants and needs, refuse or withdraw their assent, and engage in activities they find joyful.
We do not ignore or “work through” problem behavior, force eye contact, force compliance, eliminate self-stimulatory behavior (stims) or attempt to “cure” or “treat” autistic traits or “normalise” neurodivergent individuals.
Areas of Service Provision
- Treatment of Dangerous and Challenging Problem Behaviour
- Peer Mediated Social Skills
- Comprehensive Behavioural Health Assessments
- In-Home & Center Based Service
- Parent Training/Coaching
- Treatment of Food Selectivity
- Assessment, Prevention & Treatment of Sleep Related Problems
We will tailor packages to meet the needs of individuals and their caregivers. All treatment packages include skills-based teaching (determined by the area of need), generalization of skills to the primary caregivers through individualized training and coaching, and the provision of therapeutic respite, if required.
The Amal Behavioural Health Supports team is comprised of Board Certified Behaviour Analysts (BCBA), Registered Behaviour Technicians (RBT), and a Psychologist. Our qualifications are supported by the Statement of Professional Practice devised by the Atlantic Provinces Association of Behaviour Analysis to protect the public from the practice of ABA by unqualified persons in addition to unprofessional, unethical and/or harmful conduct by those claiming to practice ABA.
Our supervisory clinicians are required to complete a designated number of continuing education credits per calendar year to maintain professional designation. Training is ongoing throughout the employment period and tailored to meet the developmental needs of staff, and unique needs of individuals and families. All efforts are made to ensure that staff are informed and educated in areas that are relevant to everyone we serve. Additionally, employees are sponsored to attend local, national, and international workshops and conferences in relevant areas. Mentorship and training opportunities are provided to our staff from experts in their field of study.
For additional information contact supportiveservices@amalnl.ca or (709) 770-8098