CHILDRENS HOME OF POUGHKEEPSIE NY

Helping our youth deal with their trauma issues is the number one priority at the Children’s Home. In addition, efforts are made to help older youth develop independent living skills. The Supervised Independent Living Program (SILP) supports youth who live on their own in the community. SILP provides a transitional experience for youth for whom the plan of care is discharge from care to his/her own responsibility.

Youth in this program are between 18 and 21 years of age, have received their high school diploma or GED and are attending college and/or working in the community. Each apartment is fully equipped so that youth learn meal preparation, housekeeping, financial management and other skills needed for living independently.

Safe Harbour provides services to youth in foster care that are at risk of, or have been victims of exploitation and/or complex sexual trauma that require residential and supportive services. The program accepts adolescent girls and transgender youth ages 11-21. Common factors include absconding from home/placement, engaging in unhealthy relationships with peers and older adults, including intimate partner violence. Safe Harbour is trauma responsive and focuses on the treatment, recovery and healing of the youth.

A Children’s Health Home is a care management service model where ALL of a child’s caregivers communicate with one another so that a family’s needs are addressed appropriately. The Children’s Home provides a Care Manager to eligible families, children and youth to provide access to services assuring they have everything necessary to stay healthy, out of the emergency room and out of the hospital. The Care Manager supports services that a family may already be receiving and will help families arrange new services if necessary.

These new mental health services, available with NYS Children’s Medicaid, give children (under age 21) and their families the power to improve their health, well-being and quality of life. These services strengthen families and help them make informed decisions about their care. Additionally, the services will help to prevent the need for emergency room visits, hospital stays or out of home placements. Services are provided in the least restrictive environment for the child or family.

Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) is a strengths-based program that serves children up to age 21. The program is certified through the New York State Department of Health and provides services and support to families to prevent out of home placement for their child. HCBS provides opportunities for children and families where they are most comfortable — at home or in the community.

The Nuevas Alas / New Wings Program serves refugee children who are fleeing from their countries of origin to seek safety in the United States. The goal of the program is to reunify children with their families as quickly as possible and ensure their safety and well-being. Youth who enter the program receive medical attention, academic instruction, and recreational programming in addition to Case Management and Clinical services.

The Nuevas Alas/New Wings - Long Term Foster Care program serves unaccompanied children who have been victims of trafficking, abuse or persecution and remain unaccompanied through the inability to identify a family member or viable sponsor in the United States, including unaccompanied Afghan minors. This program focuses on the development of independent living skills, and acculturation to life in the United States. Youth are enrolled in the local public school and receive medical services, life skills classes, individual and group counseling and case management while they work towards securing legal status in the United States.