Hard-to-Place Unit
Northern Rivers Family of Services offers a continuum of residential treatment options that can help any child find success.
Overview
The Hard-to-Place unit in the Schenectady Residence’s Mohawk Dorm, licensed by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS), is an 8-bed residential treatment program for boys and young men ages 12–21 who require more intensive services than an average residential treatment center can provide.
These youth, often referred to as “hard to place,” exhibit a combination of behavioral and psychiatric problems that often lead to out-of-state placements or long-term psychiatric placements. Typically these youth have a history of failed placements and exhibit multiple high-risk behaviors such as assaultive and aggressive behaviors, fire setting, sexual behavior problems, and serious emotional, psychiatric, and learning difficulties.
Northern Rivers provides programming and support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
Available Services
- Residential unit located in a safe residential neighborhood with routine and emergency medical care provided on-site and 24-hour supervision and support
- Therapeutic setting designed to maximize safety, supervision, and security
- Strong emphasis on problem solving and social skills development
- Weekly, individual, group, and family therapy provided in a supportive and confidential environment by master’s level clinician, clinical case manager, and support team
- Comprehensive interdisciplinary clinical treatment team provides psychiatric and psychological assessments, clinical evaluations, medication reviews, and assessments for behavioral interventions
- Trauma-informed services based on the attachment, self-regulation, and competency (ARC) trauma model
- Group sessions held in the unit and in the community to improve independent living skills
- Day treatment education provided at our School at Northeast in Schenectady
Benefits
Youth in this program are supervised by trained, licensed residential counselors 24 hours a day with a high staff-to-youth ratio to ensure safety, which helps engender:
- Improved ability to regulate emotions
- Improved family relationships and permanency
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Improved independent living skills for daily functioning at home and in the community
How to Get Started
Referrals to the Hard-to-Place unit are accepted from the county’s Department of Social Services (DSS), Department of Probation, Family Courts, and the local school district’s Committee on Special Education (CSE). The decision for acceptance is based on the youth’s and family’s needs and the agency’s abilities to address those needs.
For more information on these services or to arrange for a tour of the Mohawk Dorm, contact:
Lisa Casella-Thiele
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518.337.0926