Programs and Services

Programs and Services

Community and Campus-Based Residential Treatment Programs
MercyFirst, a Sanctuary® trained agency, provides a wide array of treatment and support services to the children and adolescents in our residential group home and campus-based programs. Education, pastoral care and recreation are provided, on our campus, or in the community.

Community Group Homes
Each day our Group Home program provides 105 youth from Nassau, Suffolk, Queens and Brooklyn with the guidance they need to become responsible and contributing members of the community. Our Group Home program includes the following:
The Diagnostic Program which provides a safe haven for young people, who are in need of assessment and/or emergency placement.

Group Homes provide long-term care to adolescents giving them the opportunity to develop important skills and learn social behaviors necessary to succeed in independent living. Some of the homes work with youth who have special emotional or behavioral needs.

The Supervised Independent Living Program provides young adults, who have completed high school or attained a GED, with the opportunity to live in the community with extra support from MercyFirst.

The Mother/Baby Program assists teen mothers, as they cope with their own emotional issues, while learning to parent effectively. Direct care staff provides supervision for the babies allowing the mothers to attend school, work and develop the life skills they will need to live independently and raise their child safely.

Campus Programs
The following programs are offered to 122 adolescent boys at MercyFirst’s Campus in Syosset, NY. All of the campus residents are involved in a full-time educational program in the on-grounds school and are provided with medical and mental health services, recreational and career development opportunities.

The Residential Treatment Center (RTC) provides a structured and nurturing experience for boys who have serious emotional and/or behavioral difficulties that necessitate separation from their home and community.

The Residential Treatment Facility (RTF) serves boys who suffer from emotional disturbance and/or persistent mental disorders. This program, licensed by the New York State Office of Mental Health, helps the residents to develop coping mechanisms and socialization skills necessary for successful community living.

The Diagnostic Program assists boys needing temporary or emergency placement.

Non-Secure Detention Services offer short-term care to boys who are referred by the Nassau County Family Court due to ungovernable behavior. This highly structured program encourages the child and his family to work out difficulties during the child’s stay at the facility.

Foster Homes and Adoption Services
Foster families in Brooklyn and Queens provide loving, nurturing, temporary homes for children unable to reside with their biological family because of serious allegations of abuse and neglect. Therapeutic Foster Boarding homes meet the needs of children with more serious emotional problems who require a higher level of care and supervision. MercyFirst works intensely to reunite children with their families. When this is not possible, we seek permanent homes for the children through adoption or discharge to a relative or family friend.

Family Support & After-School Programs
Our Family Support and After School Programs offer a variety of services to help resolve issues threatening the family unit. Through the following programs we work with over 650 families and their children every day to support and strengthen them.

Our general preventive service programs work with families with children who are at risk of foster care placement due to abuse, neglect, parental absence or inability to properly care for the child. The goal is to keep families safely together. Our programs are located in Brooklyn, Queens and Nassau County and we serve 475 families each day.

The Foster Care Diversion program serves adolescents from low income families by providing services to bring about positive adolescent development necessary to prevent the placement of the youth in foster care or juvenile justice placements.

The Queens Intensive Prevention & Aftercare Program serves families with youth exhibiting high-risk behaviors.

Our Three After School Programs provide academic enrichment and extracurricular activities for vulnerable middle school children high school youth. The programs provide them with a safe and supportive environment that encourages both academic achievement and self development during hours when youth are most likely to engage in at-risk behaviors.

Medical and Mental Health Services
MercyFirst provides on-going medical and dental services to all youth involved in our residential programs and foster homes. The clinical staff provides diagnostic and treatment services, including individual, group and family therapy and medication as needed. Medical services are provided by our own physicians and nursing staff as well as in coordination with North Shore University Hospital and physicians.

Bridges to the Future
MercyFirst provides a range of youth development services to help prepare youth for when they leave our care.

Our Skills for Life Program provides a variety of classes and activities through which youth learn household management, job search and soft workforce skills necessary for a smooth transition into adulthood.

Financial Literacy Program: Economic empowerment is vital to our youth, many of whom come from financially impoverished families. Through banking seminars offered by State Bank of Long Island and classes provided by the Agency, we help the youth develop the ability to make appropriate decisions in managing their personal finances.

Community Service Activities provide opportunities for residents to participate in activities such as fund raising walks, food drives, community clean-ups, nursing home visits etc., designed to develop their awareness of the importance of community needs.

Permanency Planning: MercyFirst offers additional permanency planning and support to young adults who, lacking family connections, will be discharged to their own responsibility.

Service Dog Program: provides youth with the unique opportunity to train service dogs that will assist people living with disabilities.

Our Mentoring Program provides youth with a one-to-one relationships with supportive adults.

Our Strong Foundations Programs address the educational and vocational needs of the young people who are transitioning from our residential and foster care programs to adulthood and independence. Academic Support, including tutoring and assistance in attaining a high school diploma or G.E.D, is provided. We also offer college tours to expose youth to the college experience.

Employment/ Job Development/Job Shadowing: We work to develop employment opportunities in the various communities where our youth live, as well as offering job fairs with representatives of various careers fields. Apprenticeship opportunities allow youth has the opportunity to learn a trade as well as to manage their money properly.

The Scholarship Fund Program provides deserving MercyFirst high school graduates with stipends to help them attend college or vocational training programs, that will enable them to secure higher paying jobs and become self-supporting members of the community.

Drop In Center: Former residents are invited to return once a month for a social evening where they can reconnect with staff and other youth, discuss their adjustment and receive emotional support and help with any pressing issues.

Housing Linkages: We employ a Housing Specialist to develop affordable housing resources for youth who are leaving our programs to live independently.