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Nestled in a valley among the beautiful Joshua Trees of the High Desert, Alpha Connection Youth and Family Services provides residential counseling for adolescents in crisis situations. With a capacity for 28 children, Alpha Connection offers intense, individual attention that fosters an atmosphere of relationships. This interaction with staff, residents and other families provides an arena for change and a chance to gain wisdom, support, and encouragement through difficult times. When situations of divorce, death, abuse, social difficulties, academic struggles, adoption issues and unhealthy coping mechanisms (lying, selfishness, manipulation, entitlement, depression, lack of motivation, disrespect for authority, confusion) are present, Alpha Connection offers an answer when removal from the home is necessary. Founded in 1988, the Alpha Connection program has proven successful in the lives of hundreds of teens and their families.
Alpha Connection Youth & Family Services, henceforth referred to as ACYFS, are six bed non-profit residential treatment programs located in quiet residential neighborhoods in Apple Valley, CA. These small group home facilities are licensed by the state of California and offers new alternatives for youth. The program’s services are designed to provide a secure, structured and supportive environment. The program will assist residents to develop education, vocational and independent living skills that are imperative for successful adult functioning and independent living.
Program Population ACYFS is designed to serve males and females between the ages of seven and seventeen. They typically have a long history of psychiatric disorder, poor interpersonal relationships and behavioral acting out. When situations of divorce, death, abuse, social difficulties, academic struggles, adoption issues and unhealthy coping mechanisms (lying, selfishness, manipulation, entitlement, depression, lack of motivation, disrespect for authority, confusion) are present.
It is likely that the majority of our residents have a significant historical track record of being committed to or confined to institutional settings ranging within all levels of care, i.e., foster homes to state hospitals. Hence, it is easy to see how these past experiences create institutionalization, defined as an emotional deficiency disease. This also teaches a socially aberrant way of life.
Services and Capabilities The ACYFS program is based within the conceptual framework of a psychosocial treatment model. That is, while each individual resident may need treatment for specific psychiatric issues, the individual’s interaction with the environment is also a major focus of treatment. Simply releasing someone from the “System” after a lengthy period of dependant, closely supervised, highly structured, institutional living does not guarantee successful adaptation to the complexities of community living.
Counseling The residents will receive traditional direct psychiatric services, i.e., individual, group and family therapy. These services will be provided by licensed professions representative of the following disciplines; psychiatry, social work, rehabilitation, and psychology. The services will be administered weekly and evaluation is ongoing by the interdisciplinary team.
In order to increase the probability that residents will successfully adjust and maintain psychiatric stability, adjunctive process must supplement traditional treatment methods. Training is necessary to ensure the development of an appropriate repertoire of adaptive skills to foster successful independent living. Inherent in this approach is the concept of self-regulation: that is, residents can demonstrate an ability to regulate their own behavioral controls. The teaching of problem-solving skills is essential in this process. Once residents can gain the skills to independently manage the problems of daily living, they can generalize these skills to novel situations that may arise. In this vein, residents will learn to build on small successes, moving toward a more independent living style, increasing feelings of self-efficacy, and improving self-esteem. The ACYFS program calibrates its treatment milieu to the individual needs, developmental level and age appropriateness of each resident.
Philosophy The purpose of the ACYFS program is to abolish an interconnected system of thoughts, feelings, social interactions and institutional survival skills that have been individually self-defeating and maladaptive. In view of the definition of “institutionalization” as proposed earlier, it is the charge of the program to instill the virtues of perseverance, respect, integrity, determination excellence. This will modify patterns of thinking, feeling, social relationships and overall independent behavior. Increased awareness within the above mentioned virtues and modification of identified maladaptive behavior patterns are imperative for successful transition to a less restrictive environment and/or community.
Methods Individual psychotherapy session are provided twice weekly by the Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and weekly by the Licensed Psychologist (Ph.D.). Clients will also have the luxury of having a full-time MFCCI therapist at their site for immediate intervention and counseling. Group therapy sessions are held weekly. Residents will in most cases participate in the full complement of direct services. However, for those residents involved in a vocational program, the number of therapy sessions in which they participate may be reduced. Residents who are not receiving the full complement of direct clinical services must be involved in ancillary programs, i.e., ROP, or similar vocational programs. Participation in bi-weekly sessions with the psychiatrist will be required. In addition to the conventional individual, group and family therapy, social skills development training will be held weekly and led by the social worker. The childcare staff will serve as adjunct social skills counselors during other activities.
ACYFS prides it’s self on our Sports and Recreation Therapy. This therapy will be provided by direct care staff and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Therapeutic recreation utilizes a continuum of care, which includes therapy, leisure education, recreation activities, exercise/physical activity, creative expression and active social groups. Leisure education examines daily activities and explores better ways to accomplish what is realistic and responsible in fulfilling their needs. This includes leisure skills development, knowledge of community resources, time management and various coping alternatives of daily stress. Therapeutic recreation is a modality that promotes wellness and improves the quality of life through leisure. Wellness is a concept of health that views the individual as a whole, balancing and harmonizing the mind, body and spirit with the environment. It looks at five core areas of well-being:
1. Fitness (Mental, Physical, Social and Spiritual)
2. Stress Control
3. Nutritional Awareness
4. Environment Regard
5. Self Responsibility
Treatment methods for activities of daily living (ADL) will incorporate active learning and participation through five specialized treatment components:
1. General Office
2. Bus Stop
3. Market/Pharmacy
4.Banking
5. Work Hardening/Job Skills Training
(Wards to Work Program, © ACYFS 2000
Residents will be given a pretest commensurate with their age level to determine their level of knowledge in various component areas, as well their comfort level with the process. A post test will be given to all residents at the end of the program and will be used as a measure of skill/knowledge acquisition to assess whether the program has met it’s stated goals and objectives. The residents will encompass a range from high to medium level of functioning to encourage group sharing and working together.
Goals The primary goal of ACYFS is to ameliorate chronic or acute psychiatric symptomatology and to prepare each resident with activities of daily living skills for community survival and independent adult living. The ultimate goal is to empower and equip residents to take charge of their lives through informed decision making.
Preparation for adulthood and independent living within society is a life long process that begins at birth. The overall milieu will emphasize the virtues of perseverance, respect, integrity, determination and excellence.
The goals are further delineated as follows:
1. Increase self-esteem
2. Utilize internal controls
3. Increase empathy
4. Reduce stress
5. Education
6. Reduce recidivism
7. Enhance independent living skills
8. Teach problem solving
9. Promote overall self actualization
10. Promote job skills
Activities Activities and scheduled events revolve around the need for staff to develop a deeper relationship with each resident. Activities provide healthy and challenging opportunities to build self-esteem and confidence.
Daily and evening structured recreational activities will be organized for the residents. These outings will include trips to state, county and city parks. There will be visits to area museums, public libraries and historic landmarks. Residents will have an opportunity to go roller skating, horseback riding, bowling, professional sporting events, participate in volleyball, basketball, weightlifting, bicycling, music and film production, drama, poetry, arts and crafts.
The backbone of our program is our staff, who relationally commit themselves to the residents and families. Our Residential Staff are vibrant, enthusiastic, post-college men and women who display a keen sense of responsibility and strategic thinking. Our Interdisciplinary Team consists of four professional counselors. Our Administrative Staff brings countless years of experience to the operation and oversight of the ACYFS program. Striving for excellence, pursuant of relationships, and committed to returning each child home as soon as possible. All the ACYFS display a great sense of compassion and empathy when needed, and strength and discipline when needed.
ACYFS’s facilities are located in the rural Town of Apple Valley, in San Bernardino County. Surrounded by the beauty of the High Desert, ACYFS offers residents an opportunity to participate in treatment, away from the temptations of larger cities. Each of four facilities are located on half-acre properties. Available to the residents are basketball courts, volleyball courts, weight training equipment, hand ball courts, and lounge areas. ACYFS Corporate Office is located within minutes of each facility. Residents are given the opportunity to learn basic office skills at this location. The newly opened ACYFS Growth Center offers residents a place to receive academic tutoring, as well as recreation activities.
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