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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday July 25, 2007 - 13 New home offers a bright, open space Continued from page 12 was not too long ago, and is on the leading edge of a relatively new field in Canada. "I have no doubt that we have the most qualified, skilled professionals, I would suggest, in the country," said Hall. According to Hall, the study and treatment of child abuse has really only existed formally for 25 years. In the last 15 years, the study and treatment of sibling incest/sexualized behaviour has also opened up and the Halton Trauma Centre -- in addition to treating those 12 and under after validation of abuse by the police or Halton Children's Aid Society (CAS), also offers a sibling incest/sexualized behaviour treatment for youths. It is offered to those under 12 exhibiting inappropriate sexualized behaviour and those over 12 if they've been charged with such offences. While by no means do all victims of child abuse continue the chain of abuse, Hall notes the statistics indicate that 70 per cent of child abuse cases involving sexual assault are perpetrated by those under 18 years old. Another grim fact is that the majority of child abuse cases involve perpetrators who are known to the victim -- a parent, coach, teacher, relative, sibling or someone else in their circle of life. The Halton Trauma Centre moved in 1999 to provide treatment for all forms of child abuse. It is an ongoing struggle, according to Hall, to raise awareness of the topic and efforts to PHOTOS BY BARRIE ERSKINE / OAKVILLE BEAVER BRIGHT RECEPTION: The Halton Trauma Centre's new location offers offers a bright, serene environment and two new treatment rooms. At left, the child therapy play room and at right, the bright interior office. gain funding are just as difficult. That said, Hall said community support is growing. Once a case of child abuse has been reported or disclosed, and then validated, the centre provides a clinical assessment of the impact of the trauma and proceeds to treatment. It can involve the entire family, individual treatment and even play therapy for those too young to benefit from discussion. Hall said the waiting list is an issue as it often sees the youth placed in care outside the home while awaiting treatment. Treatment can range from a few months to a couple of years, depending on the circumstances, said Hall. The Halton Trauma Centre offers its services through 15 clinical members who act as consultants, all of whom possess at least a Master's degree in social work. It has three psychologists and one psychiatrist. Treatment is offered during the week and on weekends. "It's not a field where you can be a generalist," said Hall, noting the centre often works together with other local service providers, too. Excited by the prospect of offering a bright, new, homey setting to clients -- that's much more accessible by road or transit, Hall is also pleased the move was accomplished through a fundraising campaign that won't impact on the annual budget. The campaign was supported by the Rotary Clubs of Oakville and Oakville-Trafalgar, Mattamy Homes, a local engineering firm and numerous private donors. And the savings realized by rental costs means more from the annual budget can go toward treatment. That means a lot for Hall who notes that translates into more help for young people like those illustrated in the centre's information brochure. There is 10-year-old Jessica who had been repeatedly molested by her stepfather who was eventually imprisoned and her mom who was struggling to parent, but often found herself homeless. After treatment of mother and daughter, the two were reunited and Jessica told a teacher she was proud of her mom who worked as hard as she to reunite. Then there's Matthew's story, an above-average teen who now plays rep hockey, gets good grades and has his first girlfriend. While living with his grandmother, Matthew was found to be abusing his four-year-old brother and six-year-old sister. He, himself, had been the victim of abuse by both his parents -- he was often locked in the basement for days at a time with limited food and water, and subjected to acts of humiliation and beaten. A year after treatment, the three children, were again back with their grandmother, and sent a Christmas card to their treatment team. While Hall is careful to say the centre never exposes its clients to the media, it's children like these who are its bottom line. Tips to maintain beautiful summer skin The summer months are upon us and with the longer sunny days come harmful and damaging UVA/UVB rays. This summer, here are some tips to keep in mind while enjoying the great outdoors. 1. Stay in the shade. Studies show that aging skin has much to do with sun and environmental damage. The sun is strongest during the mid-day, so if you're planning to be outdoors, find a treed, shady area for these peak hours. 2. Apply sunscreen. Many of us are now aware of the dangers of tanning to our skin. Even if you've tanned in the past, it's never too late to change your routine and prevent future damage. 3. Keep kids protected. School's out and many children are spending their days outside. Safeguard your little one's skin with all the proper gear. 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