P.O. Box 7510

Camp Pendleton

Virginia Beach, Virginia 23458-7510

Tel: (757) 491-5932, 491-5933, (800) 796-6472

Fax: (757) 491-5934

Secure Voice: (757) 368-0101

 

A teenage, high school drop out faces some difficult realities. The Virginia National Guard's "Commonwealth ChalleNGe Program" offers a way to help prepare these youth for some of those challenges: a 22-week leadership training experience that develops self-discipline, motivations, and teamwork; a place to live, three meals a day plus an educational stipend upon completion of the resident phase. While attending, youth have the opportunity to earn a GED and learn employability skills. Qualified youth must be: 16 to 18 years old, a high school drop out, drug free, mentally and physically capable to participate in the program, not currently serving parole or probation, not currently under indictment or felony charge, not convicted of a felony offense, and must be a VA resident.

Maynard K. Bean, Colonel, directs the program, with assistance from a staff of 41. The Virginia National Guard is committed to ensuring equal employment opportunity for all personnel and applicants regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age or handicap. Contact your local National Guard, High School Principal or Guidance Counselor, or 1-800-796-6472, ext. 233 or 255. There is no fee for this program.

Virginia Beach CASA Program

Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court

Virginia Beach, Virginia 23456

Tel: (757) 426-5616

 

A CASA volunteer is a citizen who has been specially trained to help children who have suffered abuse or neglect. CASA volunteers advocate in court as "the voice of the child" when decisions are made about the child's future. They provide the judge with background information on the child, and they provide the child with explanations and encouragement during changing and often confusing situations which the child encounters. They make recommendations regarding whether it is in the child's best interest to stay in the home or be placed elsewhere, and for how long. Contact person is Director Edith Duggan, 426-5616.

811 - 13th Street

Virginia Beach, Virginia 23451

Tel: (757) 422-4521

FAX: (757) 422-4775

 

Crisis Intervention Home (CIH) is a private, non-profit, pre-dispositional group home. It provides 24-hour intake for up to 12 male and female youths. CIH offers an intensive, short-term crisis intervention program designed to stabilize youths and their families and help them clarify and resolve crisis situations. The goal is to prevent further involvement with the court system and to offer an alternative to detention for youths in crisis. The staff assist each youth in recognizing his ability to gain control over his own life. CIH has an in-house school program with a state certified teacher for those who have difficulty in the public school system. Type of child served: Male or female, 13-17 years of age, able to live in a group home setting and attend public school. CIH is funded and licensed by the Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice. Children are referred by local court service units and social service agencies. Priority is given to Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Portsmouth and the Fifth District. The per diem is normally paid by the referring agencies although sometimes parents may be required to cover at least some of the cost. The director is Ginger Ploeger.

 

Virginia Beach 522 South Independence Blvd. Suite 101 Virginia Beach, VA 23452 Tel: (757) 499-4965 Fax: (757) 499 1370

Suffolk 814 West Constance Rd. Suffolk, VA 23434 Tel: (757) 925 6596

Portsmouth 5000 Portsmouth Blvd. Suite 1 Portsmouth, VA 23701 Tel: (757) 488-7907

This is a non-profit Christian ministry providing pregnancy counseling and assistance at no cost. Services include, free pregnancy testing plus counseling regarding the options of abortion, adoption, and single parenting. Educational services include the "Pregnant-What-Now" program of education designed to prepare women for motherhood. Distributes baby-care items to program participants. Also offers post-abortion counseling and abstinence education in two formats, one religious and the other secular.

Help line:(757) 499-4444

Virginia Beach Department of Social Services

Tel: (757) 437-3200

In certain cases, this assistance is available. Contact the Department to inquire for an appointment.

PEMBROKE 3 SUITE 138

289 Independence Blvd.

Virginia Beach, Virginia 23462

Tel: (757) 437-6200

 

Access to a variety of programs is easily arranged by calling 437-6200 and making an appointment to meet with a counselor.

INDIVIDUAL SERVICES include:

- Mental Health Assessment;

- Treatment Planning;

- Play Therapy, Individual & Group Therapy, Family Therapy;

- Psychiatric Medication Evaluation;

- Prescription and Medication Management;

- Child Abuse and Sexual Abuse Treatment Programs;

- Juvenile Sex Offender Evaluation and Treatment Program; - - - Educational Programs

- Case Management and Resource Coordination;

- State Hospital Discharge Planning and Follow-up.

 
                                                  GROUP SERVICES include:

- Anger Management for teenage males;

- Coping Skills for children in grades 1 - 12;

- Sex Offenders Group for teenage males;

24-HOUR EMERGENCY HELP is available at Pembroke 3 Building, Suite 138, Tel. 437-6150, for crisis interventions. It provides crisis therapy and consultation and makes referrals through civil commitment process to psychiatric hospitalization as necessary.

4502 Starkey Rd., S.W.

Roanoke, VA 24014

Tel: (540) 989-7355

Fax: (540) 772 6930

 

Residential therapeutic foster care for individuals aged 0-21, with emotional, physical, behavioral problems or handicaps. Cannot serve those with history of arson, chronic runaways, actively psychotic, drug/alcohol addicted, or with significant criminal behavior. Capacity is 200. The agency has offices in Charlottesville, Lynchburg, Roanoke, and Christiansburg and Abbington. Referrals are through local social services agencies.

Ecumenical Family Shelter, Inc.

P.O. Box 6194

Norfolk, VA 23508

Tel: (757) 624-9879

Fax: (757) 622-4894

 

Offers short-term shelter (up to 45 days) for homeless families; offers support services, counseling, information and referral, assistance in finding housing. Cannot accept convicted felons and clients must be referred by any area social services or clergy.

8003 Franklin Farms Drive

Suite 100

Richmond, VA 23229

Tel: (804) 287 1007

Toll Free: (866) 874-4153

Fax: (804) 287 1008

 

Provides information and referral to families with special needs children. Sponsors summer camping programs for special needs children.

P.O. Box 99

Goochland, Virginia 23063

Tel: (804) 457 4866

Fax: (804) 457 2830

 

Elk Hill has a residential program, a special education school, family counseling, an adventure challenge program, an aftercare program, and a day treatment program. Halfway between Richmond and Charlottesville, Elk Hill sits on a 200-acre campus that has an educational and recreational facility, a vocational center, five cottages and an administrative office building. Its mission is to provide a second chance, often the last chance, for young men between age 11 and 18 from all across Virginia to rebuild their lives. Most have acute educational, legal or emotional problems that show up in the form of delinquency, truancy, violence and disrespect for authority. They are given the academic, vocational, behavioral and life skills they need to redirect their lives. Elk Hills capacity as of May 1999 will be 50 persons.

Elk Hill Farms also provides day treatment and education at its Goochland Campus and at Elk Hill Varina which is in Eastern Enrico County. Referrals are made by child service agencies, judges, social workers, probation officers, school psychologists, mental health professionals, and special education personnel. Through private funds, Elk Hill is also able to accept a number of young men who are in need and on a waiting list for public assistance.

Dr. George Giacobbe, a special education professor at VCU, has tracked the lives of Elk Hill graduates and determined that the success rate in treating troubled youth is 81%. (Elk Hill: A Successful Residential Treatment Program for Young Men, by Dr. George A. Giacobbe & Elaine Traynelis-Yirek, G&T Press, 1993.) Contact: Malinda Tiffany, Admissions Coordinator at (804) 784-4392.  

Pembroke Office Park, Pembroke Six, Suite 129

Virginia Beach, Virginia 23462

Tel: (757) 437-6088

 

Operated by the city's department of mental health, Families Together is a Medicaid-reimbursed program for children ages 7 and under who are affected by parental substance abuse. Consumers not eligible for Medicaid will be charged on a sliding scale according to income and number of dependents. The children are assessed to determine needed medical, psychiatric, social, educational and other support services. Case management is provided. Contact person is Krista Ball (437-5790).

Municipal Center - Juvenile Court Services Unit

Virginia Beach, Virginia 23456

Tel: (757) 427-4426

 

FANS is a program that assists persons victimized by family violence. It is administered through the Court Services Unit by professionally trained volunteers known as FANS advocates. FANS advocates help victims of family violence understand the judicial system and guide victims to appropriate City and State services, including shelter and Family Counseling

FANS advocates remain in touch with abuse victims, encouraging their sense of safety and reinforcing their decisions. FANS coordinates a weekly support group. Victims network and gain strength from each other during efforts to eliminate violence from their lives.

Virginia Beach Department of Human Services

Tel: (757) 437-3200

 

Confidential assistance is available. Contact the Department to inquire for an appointment.  

12 Salter's Creek Road

Suite 200

Hampton, VA 23661

Tel: 757 247 3502

Fax: 757 247 1302

 

Family Preservation Services, Inc., has its corporate office in Fredericksburg and field offices in 10 localities across the state, including Tidewater. Its slogan, "Focused on Families," reflects its philosophy: "to empower families." Programs include:

* Adolescent Sex Offender Treatment -- A combination of home-based and therapeutic services beginning with a 30-day assessment by a licensed therapist. Parents participate in sessions with the youth and therapist, and group sessions are also held with both a licensed therapist and a FPS family counselor as co-leaders. Youths referred to this program must have either Court or Department of Social Services involvement.

* Aftercare ("Reconnections") -- Intensive home-based services to facilitate transitions from a hospital, learning center, detention home, foster or residential care setting. Individual treatment plans are developed in conjunction with the referring agency and the family. FPS counselors guide youth and also act as advocates in dealing with other agencies.

* Chemical Dependency Counseling ("New Visions") -- For chemically dependent adolescents and their families.

* Counseling -- Family-focused counseling program elements include: Response to referrals within 24 hours; treatment goals defined collaboratively; weekly reports to referring agency; counselors on-call 24-hours a day.

* Early Intervention ("Turning Point") -- Treatment for first time adolescent offenders with three components: Day treatment, mentors, and home-based counseling.

* Independent Living Skills -- Curriculum covers job-seeking skills, resume writing, interviewing, money management, communication, decision-making, interpersonal relationships, budgeting, time management, comparison shopping, meal-planning, household management, health, hygiene, and leisure activities.

* Mentors -- Program provides an array of para-professional and practical services such as in-home respite, role modeling, skill building, transportation, independent living skills, recreational and social activities, behavior management, and group activities. They are individualized to target individual needs, and can be used in conjunction with other services.  

FIT

3432 Virginia Beach Blvd.

Tel: (757) 437-3490

Operated by the Virginia Beach Department of Social Services, Fathers in Training (FIT) is committed to strengthening families by providing fathers with the tools to be effective and motivated parents. The program helps participants with anger management, conflict resolution skills, and effective communication as well as parenting skills. Group counseling sessions and other presentations emphasize dignified human interaction and address domestic violence, the role of Child Protective Services, and other issues. Participants must be a father, father-to-be, or acting in a paternal role. The child, the participant, or the child's mother must reside in Virginia Beach and the participant cannot have any history of child sexual abuse. The program has a capacity of 60 active participants and has a waiting list. The program is open for business from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and has evening hours until 9:00 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays. There is no charge for this service. Point of Contact: Ron Bak at 437-3560 or Brian Hawkins at 437-3490.

JUVENILE FIRESETTER PROGRAM

927 South Birdneck Road

Virginia Beach, VA 23451

Tel: (757) 385-2875

Fax: (757) 437-4921

 

The Juvenile Fire Setter Program, administered by the Virginia Beach Fire Department, is designed to serve children in the 4 to 13 year old range who have a history of fire-setting. Children 14 and older may be scheduled in some cases (i.e., mentally challenged children or children whose intellectual functioning does not equate to their chronological age). Referrals are received from a variety of sources including mental health, police, schools, parents, courts, firefighters, and fire investigators.

The program works on a highly individualized basis, not in a group setting. Each child's case is treated privately. The three primary goals of the program are: educating the child and family to the consequences of fire setting; motivation determination; and referral as appropriate for continued intervention/treatment. In cases where the fire setting is deemed to be a symptom of a deeper problem as opposed to simple experimentation or curiosity, referrals to mental health will be made. If the child is already under mental health care, contact with the provider will be made to coordinate proceedings.

The length of time in the program varies from child to child, but is normally from two to three sessions, each lasting approximately two hours. In addition to the consequences of fire play, the program includes topics such as dealing with peer pressure, assuming personal responsibility for one's actions, learning alternative behaviors, understanding the law, and fire and burn awareness/prevention. Appointments are usually in the late afternoons to accommodate parent's and children's schedules.

Contact: Keith Arnold, Supervisor Life Safety Education at the above phone number or by e-mail at karnold@vbgov.com

131-D View Street

NORFOLK, VA 23503

Tel: (757) 587-4202,

ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE

4000 Colley Avenue

Norfolk, VA 23508

Tel: (757) 622-6400

Fax: (757) 622-3837

 

Operates a shelter for homeless families. They offer emergency housing, transitional housing, and permanent housing programs. A motivated person can go from homelessness to home ownership in three years with their help. They also operate a landscaping business, "Gardening Angels" in which former residents can work to supplement their incomes with the money going straight to their landlord or utility provider. Thalyor McCormick is the Executive Director.

Virginia Beach Department of Social Services

Tel: (757) 437-3200

 

Confidential assistance is available. Contact the Department to inquire for an appointment.

P.O. Box 5001

Concordville, Pennsylvania 19331

Tel. 1-800-441-2064 (Admissions)

1-610-459-8100 (Switchboard)

 

The Glen Mills Schools is a residential facility near Philadelphia which exclusively serves adjudicated adolescent male delinquents. Candidates must be 15 to 18 with an IQ of 80 or higher. Glen Mills is prepared for hard-core aggressive, hostile young men and socially maladjusted youth. The emotionally disturbed or psychotic youth is not acceptable, nor are youths with fire-setting or self-destructive histories. Placements are for a minimum of 14 months. There are academics, vocational training, athletics, and student placement services.

The nation's oldest correctional facility, Glen Mills was founded in 1826. Several years ago, it completed a transition from a traditional reform school, with emphasis on counseling to a non-traditional school. Today, the operating philosophy is predicated on certain basic premises, including: (1) youth in the schools have unlimited potential to learn and develop, and (2) they are not "bad boys," that is, not intrinsically bad although they may have committed bad acts; (3) locks and bars are an impediment, not an aid, to security. Growth is expected from peer interaction, not authoritarianism, and the emphasis is on here and now behavior. The past is explored only to the extent necessary to identify behavior patterns, not to uncover developmental roots of psychopathology.

Glen Mills reports that, since the change in philosophy: recidivism was reduced from 90% to 50%; vandalism was eradicated; costs dropped by 30%; and more than 1,000 students earned their GED, with 133 going directly to college. "Frustration and failure has led many states to abandon the large institutional model as ineffective and expensive, but our experience at Glen Mills suggests that it is not large institutions, only their programs, which should be abandoned." See the book: "Without Locks and Bars," 1989, Pub/Grissom & Dubnov Praeger.

Administrative Office

P.O. Box 1300

Stephens City, Virginia 22655-1300

Toll Free (888) 955-5205

Tel: (540) 869-0300

Fax: (540) 869-9099

Email: admis@gratfon.org

www.grafton.org

 

Grafton offers to people with disabilities: a residential treatment center, community group home services for children and  special education services. Grafton provides services and supports to children and young adults ages 6 - 21. Grafton serves children and youth who have challenging behaviors with co-occurring developmental and/or psychiatric disabilities.

Grafton was founded in 1958 by Ruth Birch, who was concerned about her own son's future. She put three chairs around her kitchen table and opened a school. Today, Grafton is a nationally-recognized leader in the education of individuals who have severe learning, communication, and behavior disorders. Grafton's mission is to assist individuals with disabilities, whose options are limited, by providing specialized services that lead to their maximum independence and community inclusion.

801 Children's Center Road

Leesburg, VA 20175

Tel: (703) 777-3485

Fax: (703) 777-4887 

URL: www.graydonmanor.org

 

Residential psychiatric facility providing intensive, intermediate-term psychiatric treatment for boys 7-17 and girls 13-17. Capacity is 61 beds. Also offers therapeutic foster care for children 0-18. Capacity is 10 children/adolescents.

HALLMARK YOUTH CARE

HAMPTON ROADS COMMITTEE FOR PREVENTION OF

CHILD ABUSE

P. O. Box 2742

Norfolk, Virginia 23501

Tel: (757) 440-2749

 

Offers information and referrals. Sponsors a free support group for parents. Contact person: Betty Wade Coyle.

HIV OUTREACH AND EDUCATION

Pembroke Six, Suite 129

Virginia Beach, Virginia 23462

Tel: (757) 437-5784

 

A program of the city's Community Services Board, this provides: support groups for HIV-positive individuals; referrals for substance treatment; referrals for HIV testing, pre-test and post-test counseling for individuals undergoing HIV testing; educational seminars and home health parties and case management services. Contact persons: Jo Chambers (437-5784).

HOLIDAY HOUSE OF PORTSMOUTH, INC.

4211 County St.

Portsmouth, VA 23707

Tel: (757) 397-6352

Fax: (757) 399-2356

 

Residential facility for individuals ages 4-21 who are mentally retarded; offers recreational programs and counseling for residents and parents. 

HOMEBOUND SERVICES

DEPARTMENT OF CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION

OFFICE OF PROGRAMS FOR EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN

1413 LASKIN RD.

Virginia Beach, VA 23451

Tel. (757) 437-6232

 

This is a service of the Virginia Beach Public Schools. When a student is physically or emotionally unable to attend school, and with a physician's certification of the child's condition, instruction is given by qualified teachers in the student's home. It is an extension of the school classroom and all rules, regulations and policies of the Virginia Beach City School System are in effect. Homebound teachers follow the same weekly lesson plans that the student's class is following, and the goal is to re-integrate the student with his or her class. Grades achieved at home are reported to the schools and recorded on the official school transcript. Contact: Mr. Arthur Taylor, Coordinator, or Mrs. Barbara Senter, Secretary.

HOPE HAVEN CHILDREN'S HOME

3000 North Landing Road

Virginia Beach, VA 23456

Tel: (757) 427-1500

Fax: (757) 430-3968

 

Christian home for children from distressed family situations e.g. parents who have substance abuse problems, mental illness, or are incarcerated. Accepts children 3 to 18 years old. Children live in a cottage with Christian house parents and can stay until they reach age 18. Will help maturing children enroll in college or a trade school or find a job. The capacity is 40 children and there is no waiting list. Operated by the Union Mission Ministries which accepts no state or federal funding. Exec Director Rev. Ted A. Bashford - Contact: Linda B. Vaughn.

INNERVISIONS

COUNSELING AND BIOFEEDBACK