Residential Treatment
Dedicated licensed professionals helping youth prepare for their best life.
When risk issues make remaining in the home or community unsafe for youth, Northern Rivers offers a residential program to address these risk areas and to teach youth and their family the skills needed so the youth may return safely home.
Youth served are typically dealing with multiple issues including family instability, emotional trauma, delinquency, mental health, truancy, running away, substance abuse, and other various issues of risk. Northern Rivers operates two residential treatment facilities licensed by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) and nationally accredited by the Council of Accreditation.
Our Schenectady Residence features a multiunit residential treatment center (RTC) serving up to 40 at-risk youth ages 11–21 plus a specialized 8-bed intensive treatment program for hard-to-place youth and a 4-bed Raise the Age program. In Albany, Academy Place is our agency-owned boarding home (AOBH), serving up to 24 at-risk youth ages 8–21.
We strive to ensure that the therapeutic services provided in our centers are of the highest quality and that we use best-practice standards.
Clinical Services
- Specialized clinical services for fire-setting and sexually aggressive behaviors
- Comprehensive assessments, which can include both psychiatric and psychological assessments
- Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
- Case management with a focus on permanency and family involvement
- Trauma-informed clinical services based on the ARC (attachment, regulation, competency) trauma model
- Gender-specific services
- Individual, family, and group counseling provided by master’s level clinical staff both at the center and in the family’s home and community.
Milieu Services
- Trauma informed daily living environment geared toward youth regulation and skills development
- Therapeutic crisis intervention (TCI) trained staff
- Therapeutic recreational activities
- Transitional Independent Living program focusing on independent living skills and employment preparation services
Educational Services
- Most youth attend our alternative special education schools; the Neil Hellman School in Albany serves youth in grades K–12 and in the School at Northeast in Schenectady serves youth in grades 6–12.
- Self-contained special education classrooms
- Departmentalized middle school and high school curricula
- Committee on Special Education (CSE) evaluations
- Community school, vocational, and work opportunities are also supported
Benefits
- Full continuum of care to meet the clinical, developmental, and necessary living arrangements for older youth transitioning from care
- Improved ability to regulate emotions
- Increased social skills
- Improved independent living skills
- Improved family relationships and transitional skills from residence home
- Improved daily functioning at home, in school, and in the community
Getting Started
Youth ages 11–21 are referred through the county’s Department of Social Services (DSS), Department of Probation, Family Court, the local school district’s Committee on Special Education (CSE). Services are provided to youth with a history of disruptive behavior, such as truancy, running away from home, and misdemeanor criminal activity based on person in need of supervision (PINS) reports, involvement with the Juvenile Justice system, abuse or neglect, mental health needs, hospitalizations or voluntary petitions filed through Family Court systems.
Northern Rivers provides programming and support
24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
For more information on these services or to arrange for a tour of any residence, contact:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
OCFS Residential Intake Coordinator
518.337.0926