Adolescence is a vulnerable stage of human development. Today's youth are growing up in troubled times with deeply troubling realities: drugs, gangs, violence, illiteracy, abuse and disease. There has never been so much freedom, so much information, or so much danger. The Youth Services Division recognizes the dangers and works to overcome these realities.
Outpatient Services/In-Home Therapy
Outpatient programs are designed to meet the needs of families with youth at risk of out-of-home placement and/or those who have been resistant to treatment. Five programs in three counties provide varying levels of service, often home based, ranging from counseling to psychiatric forensic evaluations.
Comprehensive Treatment Program
Woodbridge Counseling Center
Alternatives
Comprehensive Assessment and Treatment Services (CATS)
Family Preservation Services
Intensive In-Home Counseling
Programs offered throughout the Diocese of Metuchen provide service to over 200 youth yearly. Focused largely on strengthening and keeping the family together, crisis response programs serve severely at-risk youth. Clients receive an average of five to ten weekly face-to-face hours of treatment coupled with a high level of case management, education and advocacy. Many programs also offer 24-hour crisis response.
Families First
Family Preservation Services
Somerset Intensive In-Home Program
Skills Training Program
Case Management
Case Management services provide individuals and their families a wide range of services, resources and opportunities to enhance coping skills and promote self-sufficiency. Service coordination, supportive counseling, advocacy, linkages and referral services are provided to clients throughout Northern and Central New Jersey with varying levels of supervision from Independent Living Skills Training for youth aging out of the Foster Care System to Electronic Monitoring of youth referred through the Warren County Family Court.
Hunterdon Family Support Services
Alternative Disposition Program
Regional Aftercare Program Services -- New Jersey Central Region
Crossroads Program -- New Jersey Northern Region
Mentoring
Mentoring is an opportunity for youth to partner with adults who will support their dreams and goals, provide a positive role model and share activities and experiences. Two mentoring programs within three Diocesan counties use both paid and volunteer mentors who work with youth experiencing a significant loss, medical problem or difficulty responding to traditional counseling.
Hunterdon Mentoring
Connections
Recreation
Recreation programs provide both planned and drop in services for youth without access to recreational activities. The four programs offer homework assistance and tutoring, specialized sports, group activities, informal youth outreach and counseling.
Carteret Youth Services
Strength Based Family Treatment
Summer Experience
Neighborhood Center
Education and Training
Education and Training programs provide parenting training, outreach and assault prevention workshops to teachers, parents and children both in the schools and in the community.
Child Assault Prevention
Positive Parenting
Training for Effective Parenting
Visitation
Visitation programs provide supervised visitation to families and youth who are involved with DYFS or Family Court. Programs reach throughout the four counties of the Diocese to ensure safe visitation between children and their non-custodial parents.
Special Case Management
Positive Parenting Visitation
Supervised Visitation
Planning and Advocacy
Hunterdon County Case Assessment Resource Team (CART) and the County Interagency Coordinating Council (CIACC) work with youth with a history of failed treatment who are at risk of out of home placement. Youth are provided with assessment, service planning and advocacy services.
School Based Services
Throughout the four counties of the Diocese, certified counselors provide assessment and referral services, individual and group counseling sessions, crisis intervention, and substance abuse education and testing to school age youth in both private and public schools.
