Youth Villages stories

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Lauren Guess
Lauren.Guess@youthvillages.org

Upon winning $3.7 million contract from RIDCYF, nonprofit to operate in 4th New England state

WOBURN, Mass. (Sept. 19, 2024) — Youth Villages, a nonprofit child welfare organization, today announced a service expansion in Rhode Island to provide intensive in-home services to youth currently in the care of and youth at risk of being in the care of Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth and Families (RIDCYF).

Youth Villages was awarded a $3.7 million contract from RIDCYF to provide home-based services and improve health outcomes for youth associated with the state system. This expansion marks the fourth New England state where Youth Villages offers this evidence-based program, called Intercept.

“We are thrilled to expand Intercept services into Rhode Island to support more young people with our evidence-based programming,” said Matt Stone, executive director for Youth Villages in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine and Rhode Island. “The Intercept model provides intensive home-based care that keeps youth with their loved ones and in their daily routines, supported by a customized program to address the unique needs of every child.”

Youth Villages began serving youth this week and will grow the program to support up to 80 youth in the coming months. This includes hiring additional Rhode Island-based staff at the specialist and supervisory levels.

Intercept is an integrated, intensive in-home program used to safely prevent children from entering out-of-home care or to reunify them with family as quickly as possible if a period of out-of-home care is necessary. Family intervention specialists work with both the child and the caregivers to address issues impacting the stability of the family, meeting an average of three times weekly in the home or community, depending on family need and providing 24-hour, on-call crisis support for a period of four to six months on average. Specialists operate small caseloads of four to six families and work in all the areas that surround the child – family, school, peer group, neighborhood – providing evidence-based and research-informed interventions.

“Whether managing anxiety and depression or suicidal ideation, our data proves that Intercept can help youth get the support they need to be successful at home, school and independently,” Stone said. “We are excited to open our doors and thank Rhode Island DCYF and our state partners for this important opportunity.”

Progress with children and families is measured through ongoing assessment and review. The comprehensive treatment approach includes advocating extensively to access community resources and linking to long-term, ongoing support.

In Massachusetts, where Intercept has been supporting local youth for 17 years, 91% of families were satisfied with services according to recent data. Further, one-year post discharge from the program:

• 87% reported living at home or independently
• 98% reported being in school, graduated or employed
• 93% reported no run-ins with law enforcement

About Youth Villages:
Youth Villages is a national leader in mental and behavioral health committed to finding the most effective solutions to help children, families and young adults overcome obstacles and live successfully. Working through direct services, partnerships with innovative public agencies and advocacy, we collaborate to bring positive change to child welfare, children’s mental health and justice systems. Our 4,500 employees serve more than 43,000 children and young adults annually in more than 100 locations in 27 states and the District of Columbia. Youth Villages has been recognized by the Harvard Business School and U.S. News & World Report and was identified by The White House as one of the nation’s most promising results.

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