Journeys Group Care
Journeys referrals are completed via Children and Family Services. Youth are …
- Ages 12-15,
- Are unable to live in their original home settings for reasons such as family conflict, substance use, and mental health challenges,
- Are presently unable to live in kinship care, nor foster care home settings.
Funded/Accessed by: Children & Family Services
Journeys is home to youth ages 12-15 and it is designed specifically to support the transition back into a more traditional home, life, and family-living situation. The program offers a strength based, harm reduction approach to enable youth to address their difficulties in a safe and supportive environment.
While taking part in the Journeys program, participants live communally in a 6 bedroom duplex where teams have created a stable home environment. Youth in the home have daily expectations they follow including chores and responsibilities as well as individual goals that they are encouraged to meet. Attending school, work or therapy sessions is facilitated through the program.
At the Journeys home, participants help make meals, play games together, spend time in the art room or the gym, and participate in both cultural and outdoor activities. Nature walks, urban gardening, and community activities are all ways the program instills a sense of calm and harmony.
Youth typically stay 6-12 months at Journeys after being placed by Children & Family Services, and Journeys is able to assist approximately 12-14 participants each year. Though Journeys participants are ages 12-15, if someone is doing well in the program when they turn 15, the program can extend their stay until they are 17 years old.
Staff work to build relationships and trust with the participants at Journeys and to teach respectful behaviour as well as life skills. But the ultimate goal is to give youth a positive and supportive place to call home so they can begin a successful transition back into society.
Program Highlights
Journeys offers strength-based treatment for
behavioral issues in an environment where youth are
able to address their difficulties and change patterns
of behavior. All program components work toward
stabilizing challenging behaviors, teaching effective
life and living skills, and reestablishing a positive
family culture.
The Journeys program incorporates three stages of
involvement within the targeted three to six month
residency. The design of this program takes into
consideration a process that involves stabilization,
short-term intensive treatment, and transition to family or alternate family settings such as kinship, foster care, adoption or a Youth Transition to Adulthood program. Individual, group and family therapy are offered in conjunction with residential programming directed at reintegrating youth back into their biological families or an alternative family setting.
Journeys aims to enhance each individuals area of
competence and to develop appropriate skills in
individual areas of need.
What is Group Care
Live-in group care homes provide a home-type setting for children and youth who cannot live with their own family homes for a variety of reasons, and may not be an appropriate match for kinship care, nor foster home settings.
Children and youth who stay in these homes may stay for several weeks up to several months until a more permanent residence is available, they return to their original home setting, or transition into independent living.