Our focus is to empower our clients and their families. The teaching of independent living skills is an integral part of our program. Skills such as personal hygiene, house cleaning, budgeting, money management, doing laundry, menu planning, grocery shopping and food preparation are practiced daily at all the facilities since there are no janitors or cooks. Mastery and integration of these skills into the adolescent s lives makes them more competent and self-reliant. Furthermore, it deinstitutionalizes these residents who have been in numerous previous placements.
School is an important component in each of our resident s lives.
Residents attend the Third Way Center Alternative School, public school, other alternative schools or community-based GED programs. A tutor is also available for additional academic support. We also have a vocational therapist who helps these young people develop short and long-term career plans and obtain gainful employment in order to support himself or herself. We accept referrals from the Department of Social Services, as well as the Division of Youth Corrections.