Community Residences

Community Residences support youth and their families by teaching adolescents who are coping with a severe emotional disturbance the life-skill competencies that will result in their successful independence in the community.

The residences provide youth with a structured living and learning environment that addresses their multiple needs. Emphasis is placed on teaching values, skills, positive attitudes and competencies which foster a sense of adequacy and self-worth, and encourage stronger, more positive relationships with others.

Family members are an integral and active part of the treatment program.

Services include:

Safety and behavioral management
Recreational and social activities
Medical, dental and health services
Psychiatric and psychological consultation
Family, individual, group and milieu therapy

More information for clients and families.

Information for Clients and Families

Goal

The goal of Sweetser's Community Residences is to successfully transition children and adolescents with significant histories of out of home placement to family living, and community-based, independent living.

Philosophy

We believe that strengthening family connections and supporting parents to be the best parents they can be is the most effective approach to protecting our youth. These beliefs form the philosophical foundation of Sweetser's residential programs and shape our work from our initial family contact through discharge. Interventions are matched to the needs of those we serve as we build upon the family's own strengths and resources, never viewing the family as deficient or needing repair.

As partners in service with families, we move away from controlling their relationships and towards collaboration. We are committed to working in a collaborative partnership with individuals, their families and other members of their support systems in the least intrusive or restrictive manner possible, always taking into account their unique cultural, ethnic and personal characteristics.

Our service approach is strengths based and person centered, building the individual's family's own strengths and resources to develop achievable solutions. By promoting a mutually respectful, collaborative partnership we empower individuals and their families to manage their own path to recovery.

Historically, residential programs have concerned themselves with child protection. While protection and safety are important goals, an over emphasis moves helping professionals into a position of control that stifles children and sends the message to their families that they are incompetent and untrustworthy. We have moved away from this stifling control to a stance of collaborating with families and our partners in care to assure safety for all family members and protection for the child.

We also believe that patterns of unhelpful and inappropriate behaviors repeat themselves across systems. We always consider how our "helping systems" influences how families interact with each other and with us. We constantly ask ourselves how we may be contributing towards ongoing problems and/or communications difficulties. Children and adolescents experiencing a severe emotional disturbance and/or an addiction problem, and their families, must have access to child-focused, family-driven, culturally sensitive, and competent treatment services throughout the time they are served.