Hillside Children’s Center will launch a new residential program for young women at the Auburn campus this summer. GROW (Gaining Resiliency through Overall Wellness) is a residential program for girls ages 12 to 18 who have suffered significant trauma. It is one of the first gender-specific residential treatment programs in the region.

 

According to Alison Clemett, Central Region Service Leader, “Traditional residential care models were developed primarily to meet the needs of males. They provide a very active and structured setting that is well suited for a majority of young boys.  There’s extensive research documenting the fact that young women who’ve experienced trauma don’t do well in these models. We’re on the leading edge of what is becoming a national trend toward gender-specific treatment.” 

 

Participants will come primarily from communities throughout the Syracuse/Central New York area and remain in the program for nine months, on average. Willowview cottage is being renovated to provide a safe and healing environment for up to eight female residents. In addition to therapeutic programs and classes at the campus school, the young women will participate in a range of activities that address their emotional and physical wellbeing, including journaling, yoga, nutrition and health education, family nights, and discussion groups.  

 

One of the goals of the GROW program is to help participants develop a network of at least two supportive adults, as well as community resources for ongoing healthcare and education. Mentors are being recruited from the community to provide ongoing support and guidance. Hillside will provide aftercare for up to three months to ensure that each participant transitions successfully. 

 

“We worked closely with referral sources, parents, and young women to develop the GROW program,” Alison says. “We built the program around the needs they identified, and we have very high expectations for positive outcomes.”

 

About the Hillside GROW Program (Gaining Resiliency through Overall Wellness)

 

Background

  • Based on current research: 11 Components to Gender-Specific Programming for Girls:

    Emotional and physical safety

    Cultural appropriateness

    Relationship-based approaches

    Positive female role models and mentors

    Addressing the abuse in girls’ lives

    Being strength-based, not deficit based

    Addressing sexuality, including pregnancy and parenting

    Equitable educational and vocational opportunities

    Addressing the unique health needs of females, including nutritional concerns and regular exercise

    Nurturing the spiritual lives of participants

    Involving individual members of the girls’ families

    (Iowa Department of Human Rights, Commission on the Status of Women, 1999)

  • Based on a proven-effective treatment model – Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT): Treatment is focused on changing behavior by correcting thought patterns/distortions in thinking and increasing access to personal coping mechanisms using the following four core tenets:

    Mindfulness

    Distress Tolerance

    Interpersonal Effectiveness

    Emotion Regulation

  • November 2006: Conducted two, in-person focus groups with girls currently residing in residential programs at Hillside Children’s Center to hear their ideas

  • December 2006: Conducted two co-creation groups regarding program design with representation from local county representatives, parent perspective, direct care staff, medical staff, educational staff, nutritional staff, Psychiatry, and Hillside Children’s Center administration

General Description

  • Eight beds for 12-18 year old females with histories of self-harming behaviors, depression, severe anxiety, and/or general feelings of hopelessness.

  • Co-located on a 26-acre campus in Auburn, NY. Also present on this campus is a 9-bed Non-secure Detention facility and 40-bed Residential Treatment Facility (RTF). RTF clients and GROW Program girls attend the campus school.

  • The facility will be renovated to meet the individual needs of young women, which will include private bedrooms, subdued lighting, and aesthetically pleasing accessories and colors throughout the building. In addition, multi cultural artwork that represents the population served will be incorporated. Individual clients will be encouraged to personalize their living space.

  • Anticipated average length of stay: 9 months.

Program Goals - Upon completing the GROW Program, girls will:

  • Have at least two more informal support resources available to them and to their families (e.g., mentors, community contacts, etc.)

  • Experience fewer symptoms of trauma – lower levels of stress, decreased anger, less self-inflicted harm, reduced feelings of negativity

  • Experience more positive feelings – self confidence, supports and resources, healthy outlets, improved social skills, better family relationships when applicable

  • Be satisfied with the treatment they received, as will their parents/resources.

Program Activities

Along with day-to-day routine activities, the program will also include but will not be limited to the following healing elements:

  • Family Nights

  • DBT Skills Groups

  • Sexuality and Health Psycho-education

  • Journaling

  • Yoga Classes

  • Nutrition, Menu Planning, and Culinary Skills

  • Community Outings

  • Community Service Opportunities

  • Women’s Circle Group

  • Mindfulness Group/Meditation

  • Community Guest Speakers

  • Movement Therapy

Our staff – Who we are

All staff, clinical and direct care, will be trained prior in the DBT and gender-specific models and will incorporate the ideals of the program into every aspect of daily interaction.

  • Sociotherapists will be our direct care team responsible for the daily functioning of the unit.  These team members take the girls through their day, ensuring safety, providing programming and activities, supporting the young women emotionally, and guiding them in their development and learning throughout the course of treatment.

  • A Recreation Worker will coordinate and facilitate the daily recreational pursuits for the group of young women, including games, outings, sports/exercise, arts and crafts, and leisure.

  • A Program Manager will be oversee the entire GROW program and will provide clinical treatment and case management for the eight young women

  • A Case Manager will manage discharge and transition planning for the eight young women during their stay and for three months after leaving the program. This includes coordinating home visits, linking youth with community resources, making referrals to other programs, and helping the young women increase their informal support system

  • A Family Advocate will work closely with each client and her family/permanent resource to identify and access informal supports and to teach families/resources how to access and advocate within various systems (schools, medical, social services)

  • A Psychiatrist will act as consultant to the clinical team

  • A Psychologist will provide testing as needed and feedback about programming, treatment

  • The medical team is comprised of a Nurse, a Pediatrician, a Psychiatrist, and consultation from a Registered Dietician.