Partnership for Safe and Healthy Youth

Mission: The Partnership For Safe and Healthy Youth

The Partnership For Safe and Healthy Youth represents the weaving together of effective, appropriate and individualized supports and services that are accessible and comprehensive to meet the needs of local youth with emotional and behavioral challenges and their families.

The Partnership is opportunity and challenge for Rockland County governmental agencies, school districts and service and support providers to partner with youth who have emotional and behavioral challenges and their families to create an accessible, responsive, appropriate and effective service delivery system.

 

What is the Rockland County Partnership For Safe & Healthy Youth Center?

It’s a fresh approach to providing a continuum of behavioral health, social services and educational support to Rockland County children and teenagers who are struggling academically, socially and emotionally. We focus on healing children, adolescents and their families, with the goal of creating a stronger, stable support system at home.

Who is involved?

Highly-trained, multilingual experts from the Rockland County Department of Mental Health, the Rockland County Department of Social Services, the Rockland County Department of Probation, the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office and Rockland BOCES.

Why we’re different

The Partnership For Safe & Healthy Youth Center brings together a diversity of services within the youth’s everyday environment. By providing coordination of care and the ability to address multiple issues at one location, the PSHYC team connects children, youth and their families with immediate resources and appropriate supports, leading to more productive and healthy lives.

How we help

Once a referral is made and issues are identified, an interdisciplinary team works closely with the youth, the family, the school district and existing providers to address their unique – and, often unmet – needs. In each case, caring and supportive staff from the partner agencies work together to determine what supports are needed. This coordinated process keeps all service providers informed and engaged. Decision-making abilities throughout the process empower youth and families to make decisions for long-term success.

Outcomes

Participation of children, youth and families with the Partnership For Safe & Healthy Youth Center may lead to higher academic achievement, improved school attendance, less involvement with substance abuse and crime, improved behaviors and a unified family. Involvement with the Center may also increase a youths’ social competence and motivation.

Where we work

The Partnership for Safe & Healthy Youth Center is located inside the Rockland BOCES Educational Resource Center (BERC) in Nyack. This “one-stop” setting allows streamlined access to all partners and related services. Referrals are immediate, paperwork is reduced, face time replaces phone calls.

The Rockland County Partnership For Safe & Healthy Youth Center
BOCES Educational Resource Center (BERC)
131 N. Midland Avenue, Nyack, NY 10960

(845) 405-4180
Staff is typically available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Monday through Friday.

What is a System of Care?

A System of Care (SOC) is a network of programs and services delivered to children, youth and families that:

• creates a framework of support recognizing that children and families have needs in many areas of life;
• promotes a holistic approach in which all life domains and needs are considered; this empowers the child and family to determine the services they need with comfort in knowing that providers will work together to meet their needs;
• provides coordinated services and supports with a single, comprehensive and individualized plan.

Guiding Principles of a System of Care:

• Child Specific
• Family Driven
• Youth Guided
• Community Based
• Culturally & Language Appropriate
• Evidence-Based Practices
• Least Intrusive

The process is for youth and families to receive services which are individualized and to include formal and natural supports selected by the youth and family. The ultimate goal is to improve access and expand the array of services and supports for children and youth with emotional and behavioral challenges and their families with a focus on the quality and cultural responsiveness of programs.