Frequently Asked Questions

Since 1920, Salesmanship Club Youth and Family Centers has been building resiliency in kids and families who face tough odds including poverty, trauma or crisis at home.

We have three areas of focus – education, therapeutic services, and professional learning. Here are answers to some of our most commonly asked questions. If your question is not answered here, feel free to contact us for more information.

General

Therapeutic Services

Education

Professional Learning

General

Where does the name “Salesmanship Club Youth and Family Centers” come from?

We are a non-profit organization supported by The Salesmanship Club of Dallas, a civic-service organization of business and professional leaders. At the time the Club was formed in 1920, “salesmanship” referred to more than just the ability to sell. The term also implied motivation, friendliness, and having the “can do” attitude required to solve problems. The Club carried over the name in creating Salesmanship Club Youth and Family Centers.

Where does your funding come from?

Each year, the Salesmanship Club of Dallas organizes the HP Byron Nelson Championship. Revenue from this annual fundraiser, an event on the PGA TOUR, is the main source of funding for Salesmanship Club Youth and Family Centers, the only charity supported by Salesmanship Club of Dallas. We also receive annual program funding from the United Way. In addition, we receive generous funding for capital needs and for our youth and family services from a variety of foundations, individuals and other donors.

How can I get involved?

The most exciting way to support our work is by getting involved with the annual HP Byron Nelson Championship. This dynamic golf and entertainment event relies on hundreds of volunteers each year to assist with all aspects of the event. If you are interested in becoming a future Championship volunteer, please contact volunteer@scdallas.org.

I would like to make a contribution. How can I do that?

Thank you! We would love for you to join our effort to change the odds for at-risk and troubled kids in our community. To make a contribution, please click here. Or you can mail your contribution to:

Kristen Howell
Director of Development
SCYFC
106 East 10th Street
Dallas, TX 75203

Therapeutic Services

Why do families seek therapeutic services?

Families come to us when they are facing a challenge and realize that something needs to change. Perhaps a child is experiencing behavior problems at school. Maybe there are difficulties with family relationships. Some of our clients come because they are experiencing violence or abuse. Other times, it is illness or a death in the family that brings them to our door. The list is long and varied.

You seem to have a lot of different therapeutic services. How do I know which one is right for my family?

The best way to determine what is right for your family is to give us a call. One of our intake coordinators will speak with you to learn more about your family and your needs. Sometimes struggling families don’t quite know exactly what they need - they just know that they need help. We’ll help connect you to the right program.

Does therapy or participation in treatment groups really work?

Yes. According to our research, almost 90% of the families who come to Salesmanship Club report an improved ability to manage the problems for which they sought help.

How do I start?

The first step is to call us at 214-916-4000. Or email our intake coordinators: Cecilia Lazcano (for children ages 0-6) at clazcano@salesmanshipclub.org or John Santos (for children ages 7+) at jsantos@salesmanshipclub.org. They will seek to learn more about the challenges that you and your family are experiencing and to match you with an appropriate program in our offices or in the community, if we are not the best place for you.

What are the fees for each program?

No one is ever turned away for inability to pay for our services. Our services work on a sliding scale, with families typically paying between $5 and $90 per session. Families set the fee they can comfortably afford during their intake. If your financial circumstances change during your time with us, your fee can be adjusted at any time.

Will I be able to start receiving services immediately?

You will typically meet with an intake coordinator within 10 days of your call. The more flexible you can be in terms of appointment times, the quicker you will be fully connected to services. Spanish-speaking families who need evening appointments typically wait the longest for family therapy, but they can begin in a support group or parenting class while they wait. Our goal is to have no family wait longer than a month before being fully connected to services.

My child has tried clinical treatment elsewhere, and the results have not been what we were hoping for. Does it make sense to come to Salesmanship Club?

Many of our clients have previously sought therapeutic services elsewhere before coming to Salesmanship Club. Successful therapy is very often about finding the right fit. Call us at 214-916-4000 to speak with an intake coordinator about the issues your family is facing. If Salesmanship Club is not the right fit for you and your family, we will do our best to connect you with another service provider that better suits your needs.

My child is suicidal. Can Salesmanship Club help?

If you are worried about your child's safety in a way that requires immediate after-hours intervention, please call 911 or contact the Suicide and Crisis Center of North Texas at 214-828-1000. You might also consider taking your child to a trusted doctor or emergency room. If the danger isn’t imminent, please call our offices and convey your concerns so that we can assess the situation with you and determine how to best keep your child safe and on the road to feeling more hopeful.

I am interested in sending my child to a residential treatment program. Can you help me with that?

Salesmanship Club Youth and Family Centers does not have a residential treatment program. We prefer to work with a family while keeping the child in the home and at his/her school. However, we recognize that there are times when residential treatment is indicated. We will do our best to help you with some ideas of where to call if that is your situation.

Does Salesmanship Club have a drug and alcohol treatment program?

No, we do not have a drug and alcohol treatment program, though many of our clients do struggle with these issues. While we do provide therapy for families that are or have been impacted by substance abuse, your first contact should be with an agency that is specialized in this area.

Why do you offer parenting classes?

Kids don’t come with an owner’s manual! Even the very best parents sometimes benefit from some coaching and support. Our parenting classes provide practical information to help strengthen the parent-child relationship. We offer many different classes ranging from parents of preschoolers to classes for teens and young parents.

Can I go to any parenting class I want?

Feel free to browse the course descriptions on our parenting classes, and then call Kalin Burke at 214-916-4031 for more information about which class is right for you. Para informacion en español, llame a Minerva Holmes a 214-916-4032.

I’m not happy with how things are going in therapy. Who should I speak with?

It is not unusual for therapy to be a difficult and sometimes stressful process. We encourage you to speak with your therapist or group leader about what isn’t working so that adjustments can be made. Our team genuinely appreciates your honest feedback. If for any reason you do not feel comfortable speaking about your concerns with your therapist or group leader, you may contact the Director of Therapeutic Services, Michelle Kinder at 214 915-4776.

Which insurance companies do you accept?

We do not work with any insurance companies, but we do work with lots of people that have insurance! If you have insurance, you would be asked to pay based on our sliding fee scale. Many people choose their co-pay as their fee.

Who decides when I’m done with therapy and other services?

It’s important to us that families achieve their therapy goals, and very often they are best able to decide when that has happened. You will be discussing progress at several points during your time with us. Your voice will be important in determining if we are on course and when it’s time to stop services. In addition to honoring your role and time in these decisions, we are also careful to keep in mind those families who are waiting for services. We want to be excellent stewards of our resources.

Education

Is Jonsson School accredited?

Yes. We are accredited by AdvancED Worldwide Accreditation and by the National Association for Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

What is the student:teacher ratio at Jonsson School?

In the early childhood program (three-year-olds, PreK and Kindergarten) , it is 12:1. In grades 1-5, it is 16:1.

How can I enroll my child?

We have the most vacancies each year in our three-year-old class and in first grade. We accept 24 students in our class for 3-year-olds each year, with preference going to siblings of current Jonsson School students. As the class size increases in first grade, we also typically have eight slots to fill in first grade at the beginning of each school year. Applications are available the first week of January and should be completed and turned in as soon as possible. From time to time, we do need to fill vacancies in the older grades; however, it is our hope that students who start with us at age three will stay until they complete fifth grade. This means that there are typically few vacancies in the older grades. Contact Rosalba Alaniz at 214-915-1821 for further information.

What are the tuition fees at Jonsson School?

Tuition is determined on a sliding scale basis, based on family income. The monthly rate ranges from $50-$250.

Is Jonsson School a charter school?

No. Jonsson School is a private school funded and supported by the Salesmanship Club of Dallas.

Are all Jonsson School students accessing the Club’s therapeutic services?

No. Our therapeutic services and education programs are separate. While a Jonsson School student may occasionally be referred for therapeutic services, this represents a very small percentage of our overall student population.

Does Jonsson School follow the traditional academic calendar?

Our academic year stretches from mid-August through the end of June. Students are released at 1:00 p.m. every Wednesday to allow time for mid-week teacher planning. Otherwise, our breaks mirror those of a traditional academic calendar.

Does Jonsson School offer sports?

Fifth grade students at Jonsson School compete in local after-school leagues in soccer, basketball and track.

Do Jonsson School graduates do well in middle school and high school? Do they enroll in college?

After finishing fifth grade at Jonsson School, our students go on to various middle schools and then high schools in the Dallas area. Our researcher tracks their progress through the end of 12th grade. We are so proud of our results! Over 90 percent of our students go on to graduate from high school and 85 percent enroll in college or other post-secondary programs.

Who uses the Salesmanship Club camp in East Texas? Can we use the camp for our retreat/program/activity?

Our 1,400 acre camp in East Texas is used exclusively for earth and natural science education with our Science Goes to Camp program. Our camp is not available for community use.

Professional Learning

Why does Salesmanship Club have a Professional Learning program?

At Salesmanship Club, we value sharing what we learn, and learning from our colleagues in the education and mental health communities. While we are proud of the high-quality direct services that Salesmanship Club provides, we would like to extend our impact. We seek to leverage our work. We do that in several ways:

    • By working with interns and trainees each year and investing in the next generation of teachers and mental health professionals who serve kids in our community.
    • By inviting innovative and influential national educators and mental health professionals to Dallas to lead training events. They introduce new ideas and practices to local professionals. In this way, we hope to improve services to all the kids and families that these professionals will reach. Click here to see our training calendar.

. How can I get on your mailing list for upcoming events?

Email Maureen Fernandez at mfernandez@salesmanshipclub.org. Be sure to include what type of events you’re interested in –education, mental health or both. You can also stay up to date with our news and events on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/salesmanshipclub.

Are you accepting suggestions for future speakers?

We’d love to hear your suggestion! We host speakers in our Distinguished Educator series (education professionals) and Reunion Institute (mental health professionals), and related topics. Email us at info@salesmanshipclub.org with all of the details, and we’ll be in touch.

Are all events open to both educators and mental health professionals?

All events are open to anyone, but some are geared more towards one audience than another. All events offer continuing education credits. Events that are targeted to the general public will be listed as such on our training calendar. If you’re not sure, just ask! Call us at 214-915-4768.

What type of internships are available?

We work with a variety of professionals including:

  • Student Teachers
  • Psychologists in Training. We offer a year-long pre-doctoral internship in professional psychology. Our internship is fully accredited by the American Psychological Association. We also have a post-doctoral fellowship in psychology available each year.
  • Students in undergraduate and graduate level mental health programs. We offer an internship program that includes training in community mental health through our Therapeutic After School and Summer Program.
  • Psychiatrists. As part of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship at UT Southwestern, we work with graduate medical students seeking to learn more about family therapy.

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