July Member of the Month – Youth Crisis Center

The Florida Network is proud to highlight Youth Crisis Center (YCC) as our July Member of the Month! YCC was recently recognized at the 2016 Florida Network Annual Meeting as an Agency of the Year. YCC Director of Residential Services Stepheny Durham was honored with the Manager of the Year award.

YCC was founded in 1974 as Florida’s first runaway program and has grown to be a national leader in youth services and programs. YCC provides residential shelter, counseling, case management and a transitional living program for children, teens and young adults.

Their services and programs include a Residential Program, Transitional Living, Family Link (counseling), Project SAFE PLACE (for runaway youth), Outpatient Behavioral Health and the SNAP program (Stop Now And Plan).

Recently, the Florida Times-Union put the spotlight on YCC for their implementation of the 13-week pilot program, SNAP. This program provides the tools and resources troubled children and their parents need to learn problem solving, self-control and emotion-regulation.

The program is designed for children ages six to 11 who are engaging in aggressive or anti-social behavior. A boys group and a parents group each meet weekly and engage in activities such as role-playing, interactive games and group discussion. Each group focuses on problems such as family relationships, bullying, anger, defiant behavior, etc.

YCC has fully embraced the SNAP program and with great anticipation is collecting data to measure its success. Although SNAP is only in its beginning stages as a YCC program, the center is not unfamiliar with success and positive outcome. Ninety-four percent of youth who have been in YCC’s programs are still with their families six months after leaving, reports the Florida Times-Union.

“That goes to show what we are doing is working,” said Kim Sirdeva, president and CEO of YCC.

SNAP has been implemented in three other counties throughout Florida including Alachua, Leon and Orange counties.

As a Florida Network member agency, we are proud of YCC’s extraordinary impact on the youth and families in the Jacksonville area. They have continued to grow and adapt to the needs of their community, delivering a consistent and excellent quality of service.

Leaders in their management team, such as Stepheny Durham, have demonstrated respect and commitment toward improving the lives of troubled youth and their families so as to ensure a bright and safe future for them.

The Florida Network is proud to be represented by YCC as a member agency and SNAP pilot program location. To learn more about YCC, visit their website at youthcrisiscenter.org.