To promote healing and wellness for youth and families, the River’s Edge Campus has developed its policies and practices based on the following standards and philosophies:
- The Norris Mission, which is “strengthening youth and their families by providing a ‘circle of care’, a continuum of education, support and treatment”.
- The requirements set forth by Wisconsin DCF Administrative Code 52, which ensures residential treatment centers protect and promote the health, safety, and welfare of youth in care while ensuring that continuous treatment and permanency planning occurs to allow each youth to return to the community as quickly as possible.
- The Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities’, or CARF’s, comprehensive set of standards related to the quality of business and service delivery practices and ongoing commitment to continuous quality improvement.
- The Risking Connection® model guides daily practice around trauma-informed care at River’s Edge Campus by offering context for understanding the effects of trauma on healthy brain development and how to assist youth in achieving personal growth, healing and development during their time in care.
- CPI (Crisis Prevention Institute) provides a Nonviolent Crisis Intervention® program that focuses on safe and least restrictive techniques, including verbal de-escalation, physical disengagement and engagement interventions*.
Clinical Services for Youth In Care
Within the first thirty days of arriving in residential care at Norris, youth are assessed using UCLA PTSD Reaction Index and the Urban Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Additionally, Norris provides psychological, psychiatric, chemical, and psycho-sexual assessments to youth in residential care on an as-needed basis.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) are offered at both the individual and group level*. Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on the relationship between thoughts, emotions, and actions, while DBT uses strategies to increase mindfulness, emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal skills. It can be tailored to meet the needs of youth experiencing negative symptoms of mental health and/or emotional behavioral disorders, problematic sexualized behaviors and sexual abuse, AODA, etc.
Weekly Botvin Life Skills groups address topics such as self-improvement, decision making, social skills, and conflict resolution, as well as the dangers of nicotine, alcohol, and other drugs. It can be tailored to meet the needs of youth experiencing negative symptoms of mental health and/or emotional behavioral disorders, problematic sexualized behaviors and sexual abuse, AODA, etc.
Using an action-oriented approach, adventure-based groups and activities promote trust and team building, positive social skills, and how to have fun during free-time.
*While some “closed” groups are designated specifically for youth in residential care, youth receiving shelter care services may choose to participate in “open” groups including DBT, Botvin, and therapeutic recreation.
