St. Francis Home for Children, Inc. offers a continuum of service programs to address the needs, challenges and struggles of the youth entrusted to St. Francis Home. Each of the programs is operated in partnership with an agency of the State of Connecticut.
1. Community-Based Services
2. Court Support Services Division (CSSD) Programs
Department of Children and Families (DCF) Programs
Life-Skills Program
Intended to prepare older teenagers (16 - 18 years old) to live independently
within the community by offering training in home care and maintenance, personal
financial management, job seeking and job retention, general coping skills
and strategies for controlling oneself within adverse situations.
Therapeutic Pre-School
In 1986 St. Francis Home developed a pre-school program to meet the needs
of children from New Haven and the surrounding towns who demonstrated early
signs of dysfunction in social and emotional circumstances, or who have developmental
issues. In a six-hour daily program children are provided two meals and appropriate
stimulation, rest and play time. The program includes instruction in language
development and language arts, and is developing a reading readiness component.
The social interaction of the children is monitored and they are offered group
and one-on-one therapy, where indicated.
Court Support Services Division Programs
The Family Support Center is a family oriented center that operates on a strengths-based model to create a safe and supportive environment for the families seeking services. The goal of the Center is to build a healthy relationship with each family by treating every family member with respect in order to assess and identify areas of need to allow for participation in Center facilitated groups or if necessary to make appropriate referrals to community providers.
Center for Assessment, Respite and Enrichment (CARE Program)Girls, ages 11 - 15, are referred to CARE by juvenile probation officers in conjunction with the Superior Court, Juvenile Matters outside of New Haven and through Family Support Center operating by referral from the Superior Court for Juvenile Matters, New Haven. Referrals are prompted by a status offense like truancy, running away, or being out of control in their homes or schools. All youngsters participating in the program are on Family with Service Needs (FWSN) supervision or interim intervention and have had no prior delinquency charges.
The program is designed to provide short-term respite care, with the length of stay ranging from three to fourteen days, crisis stabilization, comprehensive assessment and connection to appropriate services for the girls and their family. CARE provides emotional support, crisis intervention, individual, group and family counseling, on-site educational services and advocacy, case management and aftercare for all girls. Daily contact with family members is an essential part of the program model, with staff working with the girls and their families to sort through and deal with crisis and instability.
Girls' Families With Service Needs Program (Girls' FWSN)
Girls, ages 11- 15, who are in need of placement based upon a "Families With Service Needs" petition. Our facility provides short-term respite, with anticipated stays of 3 - 60 days, in an environment that is gender specific, trauma sensitive, and utilizes a relational model to encourage changes in the youth's life including her relationships with family, friends, school and her community. The FWSN will provide emotional support, crisis intervention, individual, group and family counseling, on-site educational services and advocacy, and case management. The vision of the FWSN is to offer a program with supportive services that deters undesired behaviors.
Center for Assessment, Respite and Enrichment (CARE Program) - Opening late fall 2007
Boys, ages 11 - 15, are referred to CARE by juvenile probation officers in conjunction with the Superior Court, Juvenile Matters outside of New Haven and through Family Support Center operating by referral from the Superior Court for Juvenile Matters, New Haven. Referrals are prompted by a status offense like truancy, running away, or being out of control in their homes or schools. All youngsters participating in the program are on Family with Service Needs (FWSN) supervision or interim intervention and have had no prior delinquency charges.
The program is designed to provide short-term respite care, with the length of stay ranging from three to fourteen days, crisis stabilization, comprehensive assessment and connection to appropriate services for the girls and their family. CARE provides emotional support, crisis intervention, individual, group and family counseling, on-site educational services and advocacy, case management and aftercare for all boys. Daily contact with family members is an essential part of the program model, with staff working with the boys and their families to sort through and deal with crisis and instability.
About Alternative to Detention Programs
Clinical Services
St. Francis Home provides professional clinical services for children and
their families. Master's level clinicians are responsible for coordinating the development
of individual treatment plans for each child. Each clinician is assigned to
work with children on in our community-based programs. Clinicians
provide individual, group and family therapy on a regular basis, in addition
to case management and crisis intervention, as required.