Children & Adolescent Services
Skills Children and Adolescent Services provides safety, protection, and support in a community home for male adolescents between 13 and 21 years of age requiring protective custody from Children and Youth Services and/or Juvenile Probation. This step-up, step-down program provides support to help the adolescent and, if applicable, the family to achieve his goal (e.g., return home, preparation for adoption, last chance before referring to a residential treatment facility).
The supportive environment in the home provides security and permanency that promotes adolescent and family well-being. This program incorporates a structured independent living component to provide the basic living skills needed for adolescents to achieve and maintain independence.
Service Planning
Skills has earned a reputation for the support services provided, including supports for individuals with complex needs. Skills works with the adolescent and a multidisciplinary support team to develop an individual service plan (ISP).The ISP identifies the adolescent’s goals and objectives and provides a road map to permanency. It also identifies the support services which may be offered to help with the reunification of the family.
Home Life
Skills believes every adolescent should recognize unconditional acceptance and live with reasonable, consistent structure. Skills services deliver this acceptance and structure to help each adolescent learn effective social, behavioral, and independent living skills. The adolescents are engaged in activities in their schools and community including individual and group activities, such as homework and leisure and recreation.
The home has a vehicle available to drive the adolescents to appointments and community activities.
Length of Placement
This home is intended to be a home for life. The adolescents live and receive services in the community home for varying lengths of time depending on their needs, including short-term respite stays.
Staffing
Staff in the home have significant experience working with children and adolescents. Preference is given to mature candidates with a bachelor’s degree and a minimum of one year experience working with children. The homes have a staff ratio of 1:3. Additional staffing is available as necessary depending on the individual needs of each adolescent at any given time.
Staff are trained in each of the prerequisite training areas identified by the Office of Children, Youth and Families as well as comprehensive training and orientation from Skills of Central Pennsylvania. Skills accesses services with local, licensed wrap-around agencies that provide individualized, comprehensive, community-based services and supports to children and adolescents with serious emotional and/or behavioral disturbances so the adolescents can be reunited with their families and communities.
Population Served and Eligibility
Skills supports adolescent males ages 13 to 21 with a broad range of needs within the mental health and mental retardation (MH/MR) system.
Referrals
Skills welcomes referrals from all counties in Pennsylvania. Current contracts are with Blair, Cambria, Huntingdon, and Mifflin Counties. Referrals are made by a county children and youth services worker or a juvenile probation caseworker. Eligibility is determined, and a visit is scheduled. Skills requires documentation (e.g., court orders, family service plans, child permanency plans, psychological and medical information) when the adolescent arrives.
Community Home Locations
Skills currently operates one home located in Altoona (Blair County) which supports three youths with special needs.
Funding & Licensing
Skills residential homes for children and adolescents are licensed and funded by the Office of Children, Youth and Families.
* * * * *
For more information about Skills Children and Adolescents Services, please contact:
Kristen Luciano
301 East Crawford Avenue
Altoona, PA 16601
Phone: 814-949-2699
