Centers for Youth and Families provides an extensive continuum of mental health care for children ages 3-20 along with prevention services and a wide variety of resources for parents.

Outpatient clinics in Little Rock and Jacksonville provide treatment services for children and youth who are experiencing emotional or behavioral problems. Clients can receive individual, famiy and group therapies as well as psychiatric consultation, evaluation and medication management.

School-Based mental health services are provided in many area schools providing better access to needed treatment for children experiencing emotional or behavioral problems.  The professional staf are able to help in linking interventions across home and school.

Therapeutic Family Homes Program recruits, trains and approves families to serve as therapeutic foster parents for emotionally and behaviorally disturbed children and youth.  Children are placed with specially trained families who can provide intensive support and supervision for children in a home/community based setting.  Additional services provided include individual, family and/or group therapy, crisis intervention, case management, psychiatric evaluation/consultation, medication management, and advocacy services.

The Emergency Shelter provides immediate temporary shelter to youth in crisis age 8 - 18.  The shelter provides a stable environment as well as safety and compassionate support for youth who are in state custody or are considered homeless or runaways.

The Transitional Therapeutic Living Center provides comprehensive mental health services, 24 hour a day staff access and transportation to adolescents between ages 15-21 with the goal of helping them become self-sufficient.  Staff supervises youth in a home-like setting with program rules and guidelines, incentive programs and behavioral programming.

Day Treatment allows children and youth with social, emotional or behavioral problems, who can no longer function in a regular academic setting, continue their education and learn to succeed in an academic environment.  Referrals are made by the school district in which the child is enrolled.

Residential Care is available for children and youth who have serious emotional or behavioral problems and have not responded to outpatient services.  These children continue their education and are given intensive help through our residential programs. The Elizabeth Mitchell  Childrens Center treats children ages 5-11 and also has a specialized track for children with sexually reactive behavior.  The Elizabeth Mitchell Adolescents Center treats youth ages 11-17.

Community Support Services are designed to coordinate and plan for community-based services for children and adolescents with severe emotional disturbance and their families.  The consumer/famioly case manager relationship is primary and essential and community integration/reintegration is fostered by assertive outreach.

Prevention Services include a Parent Center which provides community-based parent education programs, weekly parenting classes, single workshops and specialized seminars that address the issues of todays parents.  Topics include parenting the strong-willed child, managing ADHD, blending stepfamilies and much more.  The Young Moms/Dads - Healthy Families program reaches out to teen moms and teen dads with support services so they can complete their education, be self-sufficient and provide the best care possible for their children.  The Parent Resource Center gives parents access to evidence-based, well researched publications on parenting, including books, magazines, brochures, facts sheets and access tothe Internet.  The Center also evaluates children with suspected learning disabilities.  Services for Children of Prisoners and Their Families offers four distinct interventions to help children heal from multiple traumas associated with a parent in prison, reconnect with their parents and stabilize the family.  Comprehensive services offered in 10 statewide sites include parenting classes, mentoring and literacy education.

CPR/FIRST AID and HANDLE WITH CARE and CPI trainings are offered by Centers for Youth and Families at a reduced rate.  We will also negotiate with other agencies who have similar training needs to share training costs. CPR/First Aid classes are provided each Thursday on the Centers campus from 9-3 or alternative dates may be scheduled, including weekends or evenings.  Preregistration is required.  To preregister or for more information contact us at 666-8686, ext. 1529.