Simcoe Social Skills is a Child and Youth Care counselling practice located in Midland, Ontario. We focus on designing and facilitating individual, group and family (child-centred) counselling programs for childhood ADHD, Autism, developmental concerns and caregiver supports. We specialize in social skills, life space interventions, social-emotional learning supports (and regulation), life skills, recreational play, restorative practices and mental health.
We use a holistic and therapeutic play approach guided by strength-based goals. We believe that using a therapeutic play approach helps children to apply, express and process their feelings and knowledge in natural ways.
We offer our services to children, youth and their families between the ages of 4-18 and we understand that having a clinical diagnosis can be challenging due to long wait times. As a result, we offer our services to children, youth and their families that have a diagnosis or display multiple symptoms of ADHD, Autism and or other developmental concerns.
Simcoe Social Skills professional designation is “Child and Youth Care Practitioner.” Child and Youth Care Practitioners follow a Code of Ethics and a Standard Practice of Care that facilitates trauma- informed, relational, anti-oppressive, participatory and strength-based approaches. Child and Youth Care Practitioners provide individual and group services, assessments, program designs and implementation, counselling services, preventions, interventions, integrated developments, consultations and supervision that support the optimal developmental trajectories of their clients. Our Scope of Practice can be found on the Ontario Association of Child and Youth Care website (www.oacyc.org).
Mission Statement
Simcoe Social Skill’s mission is to promote, strengthen and increase the overall well-being of our clients and their families through games, crafts and activities. We help our clients and their families find the balance between chaos and rigidity.
Core Values
CLIENT CARE
we value and emphasize having positive connections with our clients and their families through ongoing communication, and addressing any questions or concerns they may have. We have a guaranteed 24-48 hour response time.
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
We value how we interact and connect with other individuals and groups within our community. Our group programs help us to create shared community supports, experiences, common interests and a sense of belonging within the community while promoting positive impacts on individual mental health.
COLLABORATION & UNITY
We value the knowledge and professional experiences of other practitioners and workers. We strive to collaborate with other professionals like registered social workers (RSW), occupational therapists (OT), physiotherapists (PT) and speech-language pathologists (SLP) to enhance our programming while maintaining client confidentiality and our professional boundaries. If a child attends other therapies, we can collaborate with these services to help support their goals.
While doing so, we empower our differences, the techniques we use and our unique approach.
About the Owner and Facilitator
Amanda Johns is a Full Professional Certified Child and Youth Care Practitioner, a member of the Ontario Association of Child and Youth Care (OACYC) and is in good standing. She started in the field of Child and Youth Care in 2008 and graduated from Ryerson University in 2012 (now Toronto Metropolitan University) with a degree in Child and Youth Care and a secondary degree in Psychology.
Over the past 16 years, Amanda has been working in direct care with children, youth and families that have complex diagnoses. Some of these complex diagnoses include autism, acquired brain injuries, learning disabilities, severe aggression and regulation concerns, mental health concerns, obsessive-compulsive disorders, oppositional defiant disorders, conduct disorders and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
Amanda has participated in many behavioural plans, crisis interventions, care and support plans, medical reviews, psychological assessments, psycho-educational assessments and individual education plans. Amanda has designed many different individual and group programs surrounding social skills, emotional regulation, mental health, developmental concerns, life skills, fine motor skills, routines, non-verbal communication styles and therapeutic recreation activities.
Over the past 16 years, Amanda has had opportunities to work and collaborate with different school boards between Toronto and Muskoka, occupational therapists (OT), physiotherapists (PT), speech- language pathologists (SLP), paediatric psychiatrists (private and public), Board Certified Assistant Behaviour Analysts (BCABA), Board Certified Behaviour Analysts (BCBA), mental health advocates, and College and University professors. Amanda currently receives regular clinical supervision provided by a Registered Social Worker in good standing with the College of Registered Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW).
Amanda strives to enhance and strengthen her professional development. In 2019 Amanda completed courses in Therapeutic Play and Infant and Childhood Mental Health through Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University). In 2022 Amanda completed the requirements and received a certificate of participation in Starting a CYC Private Practice through CYC Assets. In 2023 Amanda received a certificate of achievement for completing The Brain Story Certification through the Alberta Family Wellness Initiative. In 2023 Amanda also received a certificate of completion of the online mental health training of Be There’s 5 Golden Rules. In 2024 Amanda completed the requirements and received a certificate of achievement through The Institute of Child Psychology for completing the Mental Health Course: Fostering Emotional Regulation. Amanda is currently enrolled and completing the Holistic Parenting: Brain Health course and Peaceful Parent, Happy Siblings course through The Institute of Child Psychology.
Amanda strives to provide individual, group and family (child-centred) counselling programs in a holistic, therapeutic and strength-based way. She promotes prevention before intervention, client care, community connections, collaboration and unity. She creates detailed program-treatment plans while incorporating preference-based play during program facilitation.
Want more information?
Click here to fill out our contact form or email us at Amanda@simcoesocialskills.com. We will get back to you in 24-48 hours.