NCJ Number
87790
Date Published
Unknown
Length
14 pages
Annotation
The HomeQuest program treats delinquent youths and youths with mental health problems while they remain living in their own homes. HomeQuest is part of VisionQuest, which uses a milieu treatment approach and a multidisciplinary staff to give severely troubled adolescents the chance to achieve success through positive experiences and to avoid institutionalization.
Abstract
In the HomeQuest program. VisionQuest staff provide counseling, support, structure, and availability 24 hours a day for crisis intervention to the youth and family. The staff also develops and maintains a closely supervised peer group and a working relationship with the school. During the day, programming focuses around the educational program, which takes place either at the HomeQuest Learning Center or in public school. During the afternoon and evening, counselors work to both augment and support the existing family controls and discipline and to address peer group relationships. For each seven youths, the program provides a family coordinator, a youth counselor, and a supportive staff member. The counseling team designs a milieu program which structures the youth's time within the family, the local community, the peer group, and in VisionQuest services. These services include psychiatric evaluation, treatment planning, crisis intervention, limited medical and dental services, family counseling, school services, peer group sessions, wilderness expeditions, recreation and athletics, aftercare planning, and followup contacts. The VisionQuest clients are youths who have multiple referrals to the criminal justice or mental health systems. Descriptions of each of the services are included.