Children’s Home

Children’s Home: Offers Long Term Residential Care (approx. 4 to 12 months), Case Planning (90 days) for children ages five to seventeen.

Assessment and stabilization services for children in crisis include individual and family therapy, an on grounds educational program for children unable to attend public schools and twenty four hour counseling and role modeling.

Many of the children living at the STVCC Children’s Home suffer from sever abuse and neglect and find it hard to trust adults. STVCC staff care for the children, assess their needs and recommend a living situation for the children that will help nurture a stable living environment and foster healthy relationships.

Jose Carrera 
Division Director of Clinical Services/ (517) 323.4734 ext. 1611 / e-mail

Gina Villas
Program Director of Children's Services / (517) 323.4734 ext. 1615 / e-mail

For intake and education service information:

Stephanie Larmann
Children’s Home Intake Coordinator / (517) 323.4734 ext. 1303 ext. 1303 / e-mail

If you are not a customer of STVCC, it is not regular business hours and you are you are in need of help call 211

1. Read about the types of services provided by STVCC Children’s Home.
2. Learn how to access Children’s Home services.
3. Find out about our hours and location.
4. Find out about volunteer opportunities.
5. Read about the history.
6. Check out our service statistics.

Types of Services Provided

St. Vincent Catholic Charities Children’s Home provides both Long Term Residential Care and Case Planning-Assessment/Stabilization for youth who are unable to trust adults and maintain successful relationships in the community.

Case Planning/Assessment Program: This program provides stabilization, assessment, and treatment for up to 90 days to youth ages 5 to17 who are unable to maintain in a home setting due to safety issues. 

Adolescent boys, adolescent girls and younger children live in three separate living units and have programming specific to their needs.

A Clinical Psychosocial Assessment, a Psychiatric Evaluation, and an Initial Service Plan are completed within the first thirty days which include treatment formulations and recommendations for services appropriate to the child’s needs to facilitate the child’s ability to function successfully in a home setting. Identified adults or family members are included in the assessment and treatment process. The Case Planning Program has been successful in stabilizing and returning many

Long Term Program: This program provides stabilization, assessment, and treatment to girls ages to 12 to 16 who are unable to maintain in a home setting due to a multitude of issues or circumstances. The children live at STVCC Children’s Home for an average of 6 to 12 months. The Long Term Program provides treatment and equips the youth with skills necessary to return to a home in the community and enjoy success. Identified adults or family members are included in the treatment process.

Both programs provide the following services:

• Mental Health Status Exam within 24 hours of entry into program.
• Health Needs Assessment within 24 hours of entry into program.
• Clinical Psychosocial Assessment.
• Psychiatric Evaluation.
• Individual Therapy.
• Family Therapy.
• Therapy Groups.
• Psycho-Educational Group Meeting.
• Coordination of Educational Services while in care.
• Social and Recreational Activities.
• Opportunities for Service Learning.

The living units have a strong milieu based group process which involves youth in creating not only their own success, but the success of others as well. It helps them identify patterns of behavior and the effects of their thinking, beliefs, and self concept on their behaviors. This group process provides a basis for interactions and interventions within the milieu on a daily basis. It provides the youth with the opportunity to learn from others who may have experienced similar circumstances and to acquire new skills in addressing issues that may arise in the future.

Accessing STVCC Children’s Home Services.

• Services are available to people of all beliefs, ethnicities, genders and disabilities.
• Interpretation and translation services can be made available in a variety of languages.
• Case Planning Program: Boys and girls ages 5 to 17.
• Long Term Residential Program: Girls ages 12-16.
• Over 90 % of the youth served by the STVCC Children’s Home are wards of the court due to abuse or neglect. Most referrals are placed by case workers through the Department of Human Services (DHS) or purchase of service agencies for DHS. Referrals may also be placed by Court Workers, Adoption Workers, and adoptive parents. The Children’s Home is not able to accept private pay insurance.
  
  
  • For more information please call (517) 323.4734 ext.1303.

STVCC Children’s Home Hours and Location

• Office Hours are Monday – Friday: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• STVCC is located at 2828 W. Willow St. Lansing, MI 48917. The Home is located on STVCC Campus.
  
  
  • To see a map and receive directions, CLICK HERE.

Volunteer Opportunities

Many volunteer opportunities exist for groups and individuals. Such opportunities include:

• Mentoring.
• Providing specialty programming. Examples include, helping the children develop a business, teaching hygiene skills, bible study, etc.
• Hosting special events, on or off site. Examples include, holiday parties, special sports or theater opportunities, etc.
  
  
  • For more information call (517) 323-4734 ext. 1204 or CLICK HERE.
    

History of STVCC Children’s Home

St. Vincent Catholic Charities Children’s Home has been serving youth and families for over 50 years. STVCC Children’s Home was founded in 1952 by Msgr. Slowey to help families who were unable to take care of their children before there was a highly organized system to address issues of abuse or neglect.

During that time, many of the families who placed their children in care of the Children’s Home simply did not have the resources to care for their children. There were also some children who were simply unwanted. In response, the Catholic Church rose up to meet the needs of the community and become the expression of Christ’s love to many children in need of a home.

The home was initially run by Catholic Nuns who cared for the children. Some parents returned for their children when they were able to care for them, whereas potential adoptive families were located for orphaned children.

Over the years, the STVCC Children’s Home has adapted to provide services specific to the needs of the community during that particular era. During the 1960’s the facility was ‘home’ to many Cuban refugee children following the Cuban Revolution; when the communist party came into power. Many Cuban children were relocated to Michigan with or without their families for safety.

Community advocates and STVCC staff,  stepped forward to help the children feel secure and assist the parents resettle once they were reunited with their children.

The foster care system became progressively organized in response to the rising societal awareness of child abuse and neglect. As children began to be increasingly removed from abusive situations, it became evident that many needed a safe place to receive treatment so they could heal from the trauma of their past abuse before they could be successful in a home setting. The expertise of the STVCC Children’s Home uniquely positioned it to help with this need. To date the STVCC Children’s Home has served thousands of children who suffered from severe abuse and neglect and it continues to expand and develop effective services and programs to best serve the needs of the community and our children.

Service Statistics

First, here are some Federal and State stats on children in care:

• There are approximately 18,000 children living in Michigan Foster Care. Over 6,000 of them are eligible for adoption.
• This year approximately 450 children will turn 18 years old while living in Michigan foster care.
• Over 500,000 children living in the United States are in foster care.

Demographic Profiles for The STVCC Children’s Home: CPP = Short Term Assessment | LTP = Long Term Treatment

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE