BLUMENTHAL CRISIS NURSERY
Children, ages birth through nine years old, who are in the midst of a family crisis may stay at the Blumenthal Crisis Nursery. The crisis nursery provides these young children a temporary haven from the trouble and uncertainty in their lives. Respite care at the crisis nursery offers families faced with overwhelming stress a safe place to turn before the situation becomes unmanageable or abusive.

COUNSELING
When family problems turn into family crisis, YESS offers support and solutions for kids and parents. Counselors facilitate individual, group, and family sessions to assist the whole family in addressing their issues. Ongoing family counseling services may be available to the family in their home or at the shelter. The primary goal of the counseling program is to offer support to keep the family together.

Youth and parents may also access crisis counseling as early intervention in family problems. Face to face crisis mediation between youth and their family is available at the shelter around the clock. A 24-hour crisis line (515-282-YESS) assists young people and parents who need help working through their problems.

In 2001, YESS began a new Family Group Conferencing (FGC) program. FGC involves preparing families to participate in a group conference with community professionals to discuss issues that exist and potential resources that can be utilized. The family is then responsible to construct its own plan with the help of the YESS facilitator. The FGC program expands YESS’ continuum of services, and in conjunction with existing services will help divert youth from further system involvement.

OUTREACH
Any youth in crisis may enter one of the dozens of metro area or county-wide sites designated as a Safe Place. Project Safe Place is a national outreach program with Polk County, Iowa services coordinated by YESS. Safe Place provides an easy way for kids to access YESS services by seeking help within their own neighborhood. YESS staff respond to the youth in crisis, and may transport the youth from a Safe Place site to the shelter.