About Us...
Meet The CHOICES Team!
"We work with young people so they can take control of their life. We want to help children and young people to find ways to support themselves and to find the skills to manage the difficulties and struggles. There aren't very many services like ours around and we're excited about letting young people self-refer so they're in control from the very beginning."
ALISHA, Team Administrator says:
"We know that taking the plunge and asking for help can be difficult, but don't worry, everyone at CHOICES is lovely! I answer many of the calls that come in, and lots of people have all sorts of questions, so don't be afraid to ask anything that's on your mind and we'll do our best to answer your questions. I know how difficult accessing services can be-English is my second language-but rest assured we work closely with interpreters so people from all backgrounds can receive the support they need. The team are really friendly, so don't be afraid of getting in touch with us."
SANGEETA, Team Manager says:
"As a team we really understand the importance of helping young people find solutions to their problems and helping them find the skills they need to cope. We work in a number of community venues across the borough, and have a number of contacts in the local organisations who we can also put people in touch with them. Do get in touch with the team if you have any questions or want to talk to us. '
JACKIE, CHOICES Practitioner says:
"I believe that CHOICES can make a difference as young people are now able to self-refer to a service like this, to talk to a member of the team about their concerns and arrange a face to face appointment at a familiar space in their local community. This has not been available before. We want to place the young person in the driving seat of their treatment and care and that's exactly what CHOICES does!"
MAXINE-CHOICES Practitioner says:
"My role as a CHOICES practitioner lets me provide information to support young people and their families going through emotional difficulties, by signposting to various services within Haringey and utilising my vast knowledge and experiences to accommodate this."
About CHOICES...
How did CHOICES come about?
CHOICES was launched in October 2016. The service was developed on the back of the governments Future in Mind 2015 report which set out how to promote, protect and improve our children and young people's mental health and wellbeing.
We know that young people are now facing increasing pressures than ever before. We want to give them the skills they need to manage difficulties from an early stage, to prevent them from needing complex and lengthy treatments at a larger stage. This is what CHOICES does. The team help identify resolutions early on so that young people can acquire skills and ways to cope from an early age.
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What is unique about CHOICES?
The service is unique for a few reasons. It gives young people the chance to get in touch with the service themselves (self-referral)-previously, to access children and young people's services you will have to contact your GP first and ask to be referred, you no longer have to do this, you can contact CHOICES yourself.
From the very first appointment a member of the CHOICES team is able to have a chat with you and draw up a plan together. Unlike other services the team have a number of contacts with local community organisations including leisure and sports clubs, therapeutic organisations and more. This puts us in a good position to work out a plan and a way forward with you that may involve some of these services.