Crisis Shelter Care

Recipient of Service:
Youths age 12 to 17 are accepted for residency if they have run away from home, have been kicked out of their home (throwaway youth), or are at risk of becoming a runaway or throwaway.

Casa also accepts youths in danger of being abused in their homes. These kids may be referred to Casa by Social Services or by a law enforcement agency to allow for a cooling-off period between parent and child.


Goal of Service:
The goal of shelter care is to provide a cooling-off period for the youth and parent(s) while helping the child avoid the dangers of living on the streets. In addition, many Casa services are designed to aid in the reunification of the child and parent(s) in their home.


Schedule:
Casa Youth Shelter is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so troubled kids can be accepted for residency at any time.

The resident's schedule starts at 6:30 a.m. and continues until lights-out at 9:30 p.m. During a typical day, residents will eat 3 meals and snacks, attend group counseling sessions 2-3 times a day, complete 3 sets of chores, and participate in recreational activities. Residents typically attend individual counseling 3 times a week and/or family counseling 2 times a week, and go on supervised outings 2 times a week.


Staffing:
Residents are directly supervised by Youth Supervisors, who work in eight-hour shifts around the clock. There are at least 2 Youth Supervisors on duty at all times. Unlike at other residential programs, the staff at Casa never sleep, but instead work a shift and then go off-duty.

In addition to Youth Supervisors, residents interact with graduate student and MFT intern counselors, undergraduate interns, and community volunteers. The kitchen is run by our food service coordinator, and residents are taught academic and computer skills by our own on-site teacher.

The staffing team is lead by the Clinical Director, who reports to the Executive Director. The Executive Director holds ultimate responsibility for shelter operations and the experience of the youth and families that Casa is dedicated to serving.