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Show Combinationof Services offered through Family Life Service Center COORDINATES CENTER. Kirt Soderquist is the coordinator and director of the various departments of the Family Life Services Center. Soderquist said he sees benefits and tragedies. ,. ,.. . . . . . .... Jj The remainder of revenue comes from state and federal monies. The five county district of offices received about $215,000 last year, he said. This sum is distributed to the various county centers. The Family Life Services Center also conducts classes, which Soderquist describes as "educational in nature." Two, which will begin in September, are the Parent Effectiveness classes and Interactional Dynamics classes. Acknowledging that family counseling sessions can be somewhat tense, Soderquist said benefits still result, just from attending. Everyone who attends has a similar purpose in mind, he said, and they will be benefited by what someone else gives them and from seeing that what they have helps someone else. The Interaction Dynamics class deals with why certain things cause us to react certain ways and with interpersonal communications with other people. "It's , easy to analyse why someone else does something," he said, "But it's harder to analyse ourselves." A number of people are employed em-ployed with the Family Services Center, including two psychologists, one psychiatrist, two clinical social workers, four are employed to deal with family services, and three dealing with the public assistance grants. Soderquist, who worked in Salt Lake City for four years and Beaver County for two before coming to Cedar City, also runs a private counseling service on the side. Called Counseling Services, the home-based firm focuses on marriage and family counseling, Soderquist said. Soderquist said he has seen both successes and tragedies in his work. "People wait until everything is falling apart before they seek out counseling services," he said. "If they would seek counseling much earlier, it would be easier to resolve. "Most have already contacted a lawyer, they are mad at one another and it is pretty difficult to do any counseling., These times we teach how to regroup after divorce." Soderquist said his private firm has a high degree of confidentiality. con-fidentiality. He said even doctors and lawyers have to get the permission of the client to view any files. Soderquist, and a brother who is also in psychology, are in the process of writing a book concerning con-cerning group dynamics. The various Family Life Service Centers in the five county area of southwestern Utah processed approximately 2,300 different individuals, 35 percent of which were in Iron County. Kirt Soderquist, Director of the Family Life Service Center for Iron County, 1552 West 200 North, said an estimated 805 persons were given assistance through his various offices. "We offer a combination of services," Soderquist explained. "A majority are for those who need help but don't know what or where to go. Through correlation, information and referrals, we can direct them to the appropriate services." The various services under the heading of Family Life Services include a mental health and counseling service, a public health service, an informational referral service and what is called family services. Included in the family services, ser-vices, Soderquist said, are agencies for foster care, protective care for both children and adults, homemaker services, educational guidance, and health care services for children and adults, worked in cooperation with the public health department. depart-ment. "Protective care is needed not only for child abuse," Soderquist ( said, "but for older people who may be taken advantage of." Homemaking services includes a "chore service." "Perhaps a mother has been hospitalized or has deserted her husband and the family needs a little help cleaning up," Soderquist said, explaining the service. The educational guidance department depart-ment works very closely with the Employment Security Office in Cedar City, Soderquist said. The Family Life Center also works and correlates with the Alcoholic Rehabilitation Center in Cedar, the Juvenile Court, adult courts, schools and churches in the area. Many cases that come into the office, Soderquist said, are not even received into counseling because the Information Referral System has already solved the problem. For example a man who is seeking aid because of a recent layoff, may be able to immediately im-mediately find a job, thanks to correlation with Job Service. The Family Life Services Center also processes eligibility and distributes funds in the food stamp and income maintenance programs. The income maintenance main-tenance program is what used to be called "public welfare," Soderquist said. Soderquist, a graduate of the University of Utah in social work, said, patients are arsessed fees for services according to a family size and income scale. |