Directions for Youth and Families – East Main street

Directions for Youth and Families – East Main Street is located in Columbus, Ohio. They strive to help children and families thrive in physically and emotionally safe environments. They offer community based services that focus on prevention and treatment. They have innovative programs focused on helping youth, adults and families reduce self defeating behaviors and lead positive, productive lives.

What I love about this treatment center is the uniqueness of their programs. There is pretty much something for everyone experiencing behavioral health issues, and the programs are very specific.

They have more than 60 social workers and counselors providing resiliency oriented, trauma informed care to help with a number of different issues. Their programs address substance abuse and mental illness along with child abuse and neglect and school based problems such as violence and delinquency. They also help victims of sexual abuse. Their services are mostly offered through outreach programs in schools, homes or community settings.

Their COMPS program, which stands for Children of Murdered Parents or Siblings, offers family and group counseling for 6-18 year olds who have lost a loved one to homicide. They have another program called PROMISES which is for survivors of sexual abuse. This program provides therapeutic individual, group and family counseling to 7-18 year olds who are survivors of reported or suspected sexual abuse. They also have a Building Bright Futures program for youth at risk of failing school. It consists of counseling, advocacy, community support and possible referrals for those in grades 6-12.

They have a Ready Set Go program that helps prepare children for kindergarten. And their Positive Paths Parenting class strives to help improve the quality of family life and also helps reduce the risk of abuse or neglect. They also partner with The Ohio State University for an Early Head Start Collaboration Program that provides case management services to youth ages six weeks to three years old.