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 Family Support Services

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                                                                            Sierra House offers individual support services for eligible children, youth and young adults under age 21 with challenging                                                                              behaviors and developmental disabilities. Services are offered in Essex, Hudson, Union, Bergen, Ocean, Monmouth, and                                                                                  Passaic counties. The purpose of this service is to transfer skills necessary to achieve and/or maintain the outcomes of                                                                                    increased independence, productivity, enhanced family functioning and inclusion in the community.

 

                                                                            Individual support services shall foster and increase the ability of the family, guardian and/or caregiver to provide the

                                                                            youth with needed support to remain home, in school, and in the community requiring minimal, if any, outside

                                                                            intervention. Sierra House Individual Support Services Program is based on the principles of family-focused, accessible,                                                                                  need based, clinically appropriate, and outcome-driven individualized care for children, youth, adolescents and young                                                                                       adults. The program is outcome based and is designed to assist youth with moderate self-care and habitation skills.

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                                                                             Sierra House is committed to providing these services based on the needs of the child and family. Each client receives personalized one on one services and an individual support plan designed just for them.  Furthermore, our staff works closely with and trains parent/guardians in the implementation of the individual support plan to ensure success while increasing the ability of the family and/or caregiver to provide the support that the youth needs to function in his/her natural environment.

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Individual Support Services include but are not limited to:

Basic Activities of Daily Living (BADLs) skill building: BADLs consist of self-care tasks, including but are not limited to:

  • Bathing and showering;

  • Dressing;

  • Eating;

  • Personal hygiene and grooming;

  • Washing hair;

  • Brushing teeth; and

  • Toilet hygiene.

 

Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) skill building: Instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) are not necessary for fundamental functioning, but they enable an individual to live independently in a community and include but are not limited to:

  • Housework;

  • Taking medications as prescribed;

  • Managing money;

  • Shopping for groceries or clothing;

  • Use of telephone or other forms of communication;

  • Using technology (as applicable); and

  • Using public transportation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Individual Support Services- ISS

                                                        Intensive In-Community (IIC) services are goal oriented and needs based clinical interventions that address                                                                                   emotional and behavioral challenges of youth with moderate to high needs. IIC services are provided in the youth’s home                                                                               or in a community location by a licensed behavioral health clinician. The overarching goal of IIC is to stabilize and support                                                                               the youth and their family/caregiver/guardian in an effort to prevent the need for more intensive interventions. IIC is a                                                                                     short-term, solution focused intervention with specific and attainable goals. Services are geared to result in behaviors that                                                                             provide the youth and their family/caregiver/guardian insight to improve the youth’s function at home and in the                                                                                               community.

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IIC services are intended to be part of a comprehensive plan of care that is driven by the youth and family to address assessed needs. The goal of Sierra House’s staff is symptom reduction and individual skill development to restore or maintain the youth’s functioning. Treatment is family driven and youth specific. The identified treatment needs are clearly documented in the treatment plan, which includes specific therapeutic intervention(s) with benchmarks that achieve goals with the intention of:

 

  • improving youth and family dynamics and functioning;

  • preventing/reducing the need for high intensity behavioral health or substance use treatment;

  • preventing/reducing the need and/or risk for inpatient hospitalization or out-of-home treatment;

  • preserving a youth’s current residence; and 

  • transitioning youth from out-of-home treatment back into the community.

 

Our clinicians provide youth and their families with an array of interventions such as psycho-education, negotiation and conflict resolution skills training, effective coping skills development, healthy limit-setting skills, emotional regulation skills development, stress management, and problem solving skills, to name a few. IIC services may also address specialized treatment needs relating to co-occurring substance use, behavioral health, intellectual disabilities, developmental disabilities, and behavioral health challenges. Therapeutic services are typically provided one to two hours per week.

Intensive In Community Services- IIC

Applied Behavioral Analyst- ABA

Applied Behavioral Analyst (ABA) services are to improve the prospects of individual achievement for youth with autism and other types of developmental disabilities by providing services enabling them to reach their full potential. Sierra House strives to provide intensive treatment with the most effective, researched based therapy to make lasting changes in the lives of our clients. The emphasis is always client achievement and maximizing the individuals’ potential in the home, school, and the community to create lasting change throughout their lives.

 

Our Philosophy

Sierra House (SHI) provides data-driven, evidence-based, individualized, one-to-one therapy utilizing the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA).  All training and therapy are provided or supervised by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). Sierra House works on all areas of development including academic, language, motor, behavior, adaptive skills, cognition, executive function, play skills and social skills.  Sierra House staff is highly qualified with backgrounds ranging from early childhood, special education, social work and psychology. Each youth’s program is individualized and based on his or her goals and unique learning style.  Every youth receives an assessment, and, in cooperation with parents, goals and objectives. Sierra House assists each youth to meet his or her individual needs.  

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Sierra House seeks to produce significant results enabling the child to adapt to their environment thus preparing them to reach their full potential. Sierra House utilizes the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis and develops individualized programs or treatment plans that target cognitive, speech, language, academic or school readiness, behavior management, play, and social skills. Each individualized program is based on the child’s strengths and work to strengthen skills.

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