Register for Programs Offered

6 sessions, 1.5 hours per session

The Blues Program is designed for teenagers, teaching skills that strengthen your power to push back against anxiety, stress, and depression.  Learn how your thoughts, feelings and actions interact to take control of your moods.  Join other teens in an online educational group and make positive changes in your life.

A permission form and assessment form will need completed in order to make sure this program is a good fit for your needs.  Please contact education@cobys.org if you have any questions.

Please click here to see a flyer of this program:  https://cobys.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Blues-Program-flyer-no-dates_1.jpg

Divorce is a reality for millions of families.   

Co-parenting is an intentional commitment to put the children first.

Join other co-parents in this free skill building program as you navigate the challenges of co-parenting.  Learn about tools that are proven to help parents:

• Shield your children from parental conflict
• Disengage from the former relationship
• Manage anger
• Establish a cooperative, long-term relationship with each other as co-parents
• Develop effective communication skills
• Negotiate agreements in a business-like manner
• Increase co-parenting respect

Please click here to view our flyer:  https://cobys.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/CPD-no-dates_1.jpg

6-8 sessions, 1.5-2 hours per session

Girls Circle is a structured support group for girls in middle school and high school, teaching skills that are designed to increase positive connection, personal and collective strengths, and competence.  When girls voice their ideas and opinions in a safe environment, it strengthens their confidence and self-esteem, and encourages them to express themselves more fully.  It also helps them critically think through their behavior and choices, raises awareness of their options and strengthens their ability to make choices that are consistent with their values, interests, and talents. The Girls Circle aims to counteract social and interpersonal forces that impede girls’ development by promoting an emotionally safe setting and structure within which girls can develop caring relationships.

11 sessions

This 11-session program is geared to parents of young children (aged 2-9) on the Autism spectrum or with language delays in order to promote children’s emotional regulation, social competence, language skills, school readiness, and relationships with others.

Topics discussed will include:

• Child-directed narrated play promotes positive relationships
• Pre-academic and persistence coaching promotes language development and school readiness
• Social coaching promotes friendship skills
• Emotion coaching promotes emotional literacy
• Pretend play promotes empathy and social skills
• Promoting children’s self-regulation skills
• Using praise and rewards to motivate children
• Limit setting and behavior management

Please click here to see a flyer of this program:  https://cobys.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/IY-Autism-flyer-for-website_1.jpg

 (Approved program of the Lancaster County Children and Youth Social Service Agency)

10 group sessions plus 10 15-minute individual sessions: 17.5 total hours
A free comprehensive program designed to support parents and their children (birth to 12 years old). Using the evidence-based Incredible Years Parenting Program, this 10-week program supports attachment and parent-child interaction, encourages positive parenting, and increases parents’ ability to promote children’s social, emotional, and academic development.  In addition to the weekly group sessions, educators will also meet with participants for weekly individualized 15-minute Zoom sessions.

Please click here for a flyer:  https://cobys.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Incredible-Years-no-dates_1.jpg

Parenting Autism is an educational discussion group for parents and/or caregivers raising children on the spectrum, providing education, advocacy, and support.  Join other families who are sharing the same experiences and challenges that you face every day.

This group is held Wednesday evenings from 8:00-9:00 p.m.

Topics include:

11/2/22 Navigating Special Interests

11/9/22 Managing All Things Holidays! -Expectations, Family, Friends, Food, Activities, Travel, Overstimulation, etc.!

11/16/22 Managing All Things Holidays (Continued)

11/23/22 NO GROUP

11/30/22 Talking to Your Child About Their Diagnosis (with the focus on the perspective of autistic individuals)

12/7/22 Benefits of Art/Local Spotlight

12/14/22 What to do with “Free Time”

12/21/22 Group Celebration/Setting Personal Goals for 2023

12/28/22 Parenting Stress, Fears, and Self-regulation

1/4/23 Navigating School/Homework Avoidance

(A court-approved alternative adjudication program in Lancaster County)

1 session, followed by at-home online course completion.

Parenting Wisely, evidence-based curriculum, provides parents and youth (ages 9/10 and over) with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to build stronger parent/child relationships and to promote regular school attendance. This program is a highly interactive family education online program. Participants will be instructed how to use the online program by a COBYS Family Life Educator. The program may be completed at home or anywhere internet access is available. Computer access and educator assistance are available as needed. There is also a Parenting Wisely Young Child program available for parents of elementary-age children (ages 4-8). This program receives funding by the PA Department of Health through the Lancaster County Drug and Alcohol Commission and the Lancaster County Children & Youth Agency.  The Parenting Wisely program is free for Lancaster County residents and referrals.   

Read about one family’s experience with the Parenting Wisely course.

Families will learn to:

• Strengthen family and school bonds;
• Enhance family communication;
• Help children develop responsibility;
• Establish family policies against problem behaviors, including truancy, violence, drug and alcohol use, etc.;
• Develop mutual support.

Please click here for a flyer of this program:  https://cobys.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/PW-flyer-weekly-classes_1.jpg

Seeking Safety is an evidence-based group therapy program that focuses on coping skills in the present moment.

Many people affected by trauma may turn to addictive behaviors to try to manage difficult feelings. Seeking Safety discusses tools to help you manage these symptoms and to cope effectively.

Learn to navigate triggers and successfully build a life of safety, security and wellbeing.  People do not share stories of their traumas, but instead look towards the future and practice new ways to cope, safely.

Topics include: safety, stress and trauma, healing from anger, grounding, when substances control you, recovery thinking, community resources, healthy relationships, and boundaries.

Seeking Safety is an open-enrollment program.  Participants may join the group at any point and receive a certificate after participating in 10 complete sessions.

Please click here to see a flyer of this program:  https://cobys.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Seeking-Safety-flyer-Zoom-2-classes_1.jpg