Elizabeth House is a treatment centre that offers a continuum of intervention and support services to families with children aged 0-5 years. Elizabeth House works primarily with young mothers and mothers-to-be who are experiencing serious difficulties adjusting to pregnancy or their role as parents. The approach to treatment is educational and therapeutic, focusing on the needs, and building upon the strengths, of the individual.
Services are provided to mothers and families through residential and external programs. Interventions focus mainly on the acquisition of parenting skills and life skills. Elizabeth House is equally concerned with optimizing children’s development and facilitating the development of a long-term or permanent plan for each child.
Services are designed to serve the English-speaking community in Quebec and are generally offered in the greater Montreal area.
Elizabeth House receives core funding from the Ministry of Health and Social Services. However, we depend on donations to be able to provide a full range of services and programs, as well as to help our clients develop their full potential and successfully integrate into the community.
Vision, Mission and Values
Our vision is a world where children are safe, secure and loved and where parents are supported and empowered so that they all have the opportunity to develop to their full potential.
Our mission is to positively impact the lives of young children whose parents require intensive support and intervention to improve their capacity to parent.
Our values – As an organization, Elizabeth House is committed to:
Integrity
- in respect for all
- in embracing diversity
- in effective communication
- in our commitment to accountability and transparency
- in our ethical practices
Excellence
- in compassionate, professional care and service
- in quality of service and risk management
- in management and decision making
- in promoting teamwork and encouraging leadership
- in fostering a learning environment and the continuation of education
Innovation
in responding to the evolving needs of young families and changes in society
in developing and disseminating best practices
in creating and evaluating new knowledge
in embracing the reality of change
Collaboration and Partnership
- in working with young parents and their families throughout the rehabilitation process
- in supporting transitions of care and service
- in valuing the contribution of our staff and volunteers
- in building knowledge and capabilities
- in all our relationships
Vision, Mission and Values approved by the Elizabeth House Board of Directors on September 29, 2014.
Elizabeth House is committed to a proactive and integrated approach to risk management, in particular to client safety, and to quality improvement that is rooted in the organization’s strategic, operational and project-related objectives and practices.
We are not a youth protection agency – we are not part of Batshaw Youth and Family Centres or other Centres Jeunesse or of a CLSC. We do, however, collaborate with these organizations when their services are needed or to address the needs of our clients (children and parents).
History
Elizabeth House has been helping pregnant women and families since 1968. It was originally established by several churches, in response to the needs of pregnant teens and young women who planned to give their baby up for adoption shortly after birth and return to live in relatively stable and secure home environments.
The 1970’s saw the beginning of the reorganization and integration of health and social services. Elizabeth House was included in these reforms and the oversight of its governance passed from the churches to the Ministry of Social Affairs.
Most of the young women who come to Elizabeth House today have already decided that they want to parent their child. They are loving parents who are struggling to balance the responsibilities of parenthood with their needs as adolescents or young adults. Elizabeth House continues to provide a caring supportive environment where they can learn the skills they need to grow and succeed as parents and as individuals.
Elizabeth House continues to provide a caring supportive environment where they can learn the skills they need to grow and succeed as parents and as individuals.