CCSI is a partnership among service systems, families and youth.

• Its goal is to keep children with multi-systems needs at home with their families and in their own schools and communities, whenever possible.
• Services include advocating for and assisting families to access community resources.
• Parents/guardians are given the opportunity to develop the skills needed to improve their parenting techniques and to learn to advocate for their child.

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Adventure By Choice is designed to target and challenge at-risk youth by providing experiential activities in the classroom that increase trust, cooperation and leadership skills.

• Group experiences provide youth with the opportunity to be guided through a series of initiatives, projects and games. Through these activities youth learn responsibility, safety, teamwork, trust, respect for themselves and respect for others.
• Because the children with identified mental health issues are not singled out, every student in the classroom participates.
• Teachers often comment that they are surprised that some of the students who have trouble with schoolwork and socialization, begin to blossom and show signs of leadership.
• ABC has fit into the NYS Department of Education’s directive to provide character education at the local school level.

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The Gloversville At Risk Program provides school-based counseling services to high school and middle school students in the City of Gloversville, in nine self-contained classrooms. These students may exhibit social, emotional and/or behavioral issues that place them at risk of school failure, delinquent behaviors and possible drop out. School- based counseling, crisis intervention and group activities are provided through this sub-contract.

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The Family Support Program works in conjunction with CCSI and the Mental Health Association of Fulton and Montgomery Counties. This program looks at the family as a unit and works to strengthen the entire family.

• Parent Support Groups, Family Nights, and recreation activities provide families with educational information, develop peer support systems and promote healthy interactions between family members.
• Families are encouraged to utilize the mental health clinic, domestic violence services and other local services to meet their needs.
• The staff of Family Support are ‘Parent Partners’ and are raising or have raised a child with special needs.
• Any Fulton County family who has a child with special needs can contact a Parent Partner with questions about local services. They can also request advocacy services for themselves or their child.

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Mobile Crisis services are short term and target setting up a plan to help the child and their family get through the next 24 hour period.

• They are utilized by schools, families, law enforcement and other local agencies.
• A member of the Mobile Crisis Response Team is on-call between the hours of 9:00am and 5:00pm
• The team provides crisis management and post-crisis planning for residents ages 5-18 yrs. old living in Fulton County.

A request may come from school personnel who have utilized their resources, but the child is still not able to regain control of their behavior and/or may pose a risk to themselves or others.

• Mobile Crisis staff respond and assess the child to see if they are able to remain at school, need to be sent home with a parent/guardian or may need further psychiatric services at a near by hospital emergency room.
• Mobile Crisis can issue a 9.45 pick-up order that allows the police to transport the child if he/she is deemed to be unsafe for a parent/guardian to transport.

A parent/guardian may bring the child to the agency to meet with Mobile Crisis staff. Sometimes the police bring a child to be screened by Mobile Crisis. In this case the family has usually called the police for assistance because their child is exhibiting unsafe behaviors.

In all cases, staff first attempt to determine if the child is safe and will remain safe if they return to school or home. Up to three counseling sessions may be offered to the child and family as well as some limited case management services to begin to link the child to needed services.

There is a respite component to the Mobile Crisis program which utilizes the host parents from the Turning Point program or a family member or friend who has a strong and trusting relationship with the child. Usually respite is ‘planned’ when staff and family determine that everyone needs a break from each other. A planned break can help avoid unnecessary hospitalizations or long waiting periods in the emergency room.