Youth and Family Alternatives

Youth Crisis Shelters programs include: The Runaway, Homeless and Youth Crisis Shelters serve youth and their families promoting positive family interactions, resource referrals, and temporary residential care. Our goal is to help families ensure a healthy and safe environment in which to flourish; a nurturing, supportive environment free of drugs and alcohol abuse, of physical, emotional and sexual abuse. These programs assist youth ages 10 through 17 who are runaways or homeless; are "locked outX or "kicked out" of their homes by parents or guardians; need short-term respite or crisis placement due to abure and/or neglect; need emergency placement due to foster home placement disruption.

Foster Care and Adoption Services programs include: Foster Care Case Management Professional case management staff work with families and caregivers to access and coordinate services that are available and appropriate to the child's situation. Service needs for a child in the home with a parent may vary greatly from the needs of a child that has been removed from a parent or caregiver. Case Managers coordinate the delivery of community services to families and caregivers of the children in care. Case Management services are provided to " Preserve intact families by strengthening and educating parents and caregivers; Reunify children who have been removed from their family;" Maintain a stable, safe placement for children who are in out-of-home care; and; Locate appropriate, safe, and permanent placements for children who cannot be returned to their parents or caregivers. Case Managers assist parents with accessing a variety of community services that are available and appropriate to their situation. The goal is to ensure parents have the tools, services, and support they need to independently provide a safe, nurturing environment for their children. Adoption Case Management The Organization works hard to find a loving and nurturing "forever family" for each local foster child who is available to be adopted. There are many children of all ages who are available for adoption. These children deserve a family that will provide a safe and stable environment for them so they can reach their full potential. Adoption Case Managers conduct a comprehensive Child Study of each child that is available for adoption in order to recruit the most appropriate adoptive family. The primary goal is to always recruit adoptive parents that will meet the unique needs of each foster child.

Prevention programs include: Community Counseling is a juvenile justice prevention program designed to assist families who have a child that is a runaway, truant, and/or ungovernable or at-risk of these behaviors. Services are aimed at preventing youth from entering the child welfare and/or the juvenile justice system by providing an array of services to strengthen the family. Services are available to families residing in Pasco, Hernando, Citrus, Sumter, Polk, Highlands, and Hardee Counties. Caring Schools Community creates a caring school environment characterized by kind and supportive relationships and collaboration among students, staff, and parents. The model is consistent with research-based practices for increasing student achievement. By creating a caring school community,the program seeks to promote pro-social values, increase academic motivation and achievement, and prevent drug use, violence, and delinquency. Community Partnership Schools program aims to increase academic achievement, bridge the gap between school and home, increase student attendance, increase family engagement, and provide a safe, positive environment for students and families.

Supportive Housing includes the Commons at Speer Village which is a supportive new housing project that consists of 56 apartments currently under development by YFA. Residents will have annual earnings less than 50% of the HUD median income for the area and/or be homeless,recipients of Medicaid or recipients of HUD 811 funding. Residents will have the support of either an on-site supported living coach or a case manager depending on their level of need.

Behavior Health Services is dedicated to providing the highest quality service to every single person by treating the whole person through collaboration and evidenced based therapeutic practices. Services provided include individual therapy for ages 4-64; family and siblings therapy; group therapy; grief, loss, trauma, anxiety, depression and behavioral issues in children; and expressive arts therapy.