BIG News About Alex…

Alex has a job and is sober!!!

At 15 years old Alex had failed the 9th grade twice and was very disconnected from his family and community.  With hard work and a commitment to recovery  he is turning this all around. 

Alex and his family have made tremendous strides in their Multi-Dimensional Family Therapy program.  He has been meeting with his individual therapist and caseworker regularly for several months.  

And as a participant in the Community Reinvestment Program Alex has addressed some of the deep-rooted challenges he faces in daily life. Multiple meetings each week with his parents and therapist have sparked conversations aiding him to set some pretty high goals. Alex is currently passing all his classes in high school and working at a part-time job at a local pizza place.  Compared to his old lifestyle of cutting classes and using marijuana these are major accomplishments! 

We are so proud of Alex!  His commitment to recovery has earned him a place on the list among contenders to win Community Reinvestment Kid of the Year at our Annual Awards Dinner in June.

Case Managing At-Risk Suffolk County Youth

Amityville, New York, August 11, 2011 – Hope For Youth (HFY), a leading provider of counseling and support services for children and families on Long Island, will act as the lead agency for the Suffolk County Community Reinvestment Program (CRP), a program developed to prevent placement of youths in detention and/or New York State Office of Children & Family Services (OCFS) placement.

Hope For Youth will provide case management and family support services.  The success of this program will help to keep families and children together and will provide a significant cost savings to Suffolk County.  Other potential positive outcomes of CRP include: prevention of re-arrest, prevention of pregnancy or repeat pregnancy, reduction in gang involvement and/or violence, improved attendance at school and prevention of failure to appear in court. The annual program capacity is approximately 45 youths and their families.

“You can’t work with a kid in isolation,” said Dr. David Hegarty, Executive Director of Hope For Youth. “The goal is to look at these kids holistically and be ready to intervene across all aspects of that child’s life.”

Suffolk County Probation will refer youths to CPR who are between the ages of 11 and 15 and who reside in Bay Shore, Brentwood, Central Islip, Huntington Station or Wyandanch.  Eligible youths:

• Must be the subject of or at risk of a JD Petition

• Adjudicated as a JD and at risk of OCFS placement

• Assessed as moderate to high risk on the Youth Assessment Screening Instrument (YASI)

Hope For Youth case managers, therapists and a program supervisor will assess the service needs of the youth and their family using the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths Survey (CANS).  A case manager and therapist assigned to the youth and their family will each meet with them in their home on a weekly basis.  The youth will also be referred to Youth Enrichment Services (YES) for work readiness and mentoring and Suffolk Network on Adolescent Pregnancy (Economic Opportunity Council, S.N.A.P. Division) for pregnancy prevention programs.  Long Island Advocacy Center (LIAC) and the Center for Restorative Practices will also provide services if needed.  Cases will be reviewed at regular intervals, and the youth is expected to remain with the program from three (3) to five (5) months.  However, educational and other services will continue after the youth leaves Hope for Youth case management.