Trainings & Events

When children are unable to live at home, residential care programs provide a safe and therapeutic environment while families and staff seek to create plans for restoration of family life.

Interdisciplinary teams of psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses, social workers, child care staff, and educators assist children in residence who present a mixture of emotional, behavioral, and mental health disorders. Family participation is strongly essential. Youth who cannot return to their families are prepared to live in foster homes or to live independently in the community.

Throughout Parsons there is a new philosophy in treating children who are survivors of abuse, neglect, abandonment. It is called Sanctuary and its main focus is to create an environment that is physically, psychologically, socially, and morally/spiritually safe.

Sanctuary embraces children in exploring their feelings in a non-violent way at a place where they can learn and live free from fear and danger.

Community meetings are held throughout the organization multiple times each day and are opportunities for youth to communicate emotions, that otherwise would be difficult to express, and would assumably go unsaid. The community meeting is a gateway to express feelings that one may experience in the present, and is also useful for expressing feelings that may be brought to the surface from the child's experiences that may never been adequately expressed or acknowledged. The meetings are led by staff and clients, and represent a safe place for children to discuss issues that might otherwise be too scary or difficult to bring up.

Another element to Sanctuary is the conceptual tool SELF (Safety, managing Emotions, dealing with Loss and envisioning a better Future) SELF is the roadmap participants can follow to confront their trauma and set goals. Staff are modifying treatment plans to include SELF and clients are asked to focus on the four aspects during their therapy.

Parsons is in effect shifting treatment focus from disability and despair to possibility and hope.

Rathbone and Wasson Cottages are Residential Treatment Centers licensed by the NYS Office of Children and Family Services, and provide care to children ages 8 to 18 on our main campus. Three OCFS-licensed group homes in the surrounding community serve youth up to age 21. Services provided include: assessment, case management, individual and family counseling, outreach services, medical services, special education, coordination with public schools, recreational therapy, emergency placement, independent living skills training, transportation, discharge planning, and transitional support.

The Residential Treatment Facility (RTF) is licensed by the NYS Office of Mental Health for youth ages 12 to 16. The program is designed as an intermediary level of care between psychiatric hospitals and less-restrictive residential placements. The RTF provides initial and ongoing assessment; psycho-education; individual, family, and group psychotherapy; milieu counseling; medical and nursing services; speech and language therapy; art and music therapy; case planning and coordination; activity services; prevocational services; and discharge planning.

Miriam House, an eight-bed coed community residence, is licensed by the NYS Office of Mental Health for youth ages 12 to 17, who are ready to transition from a residential treatment facility (RTF) or psychiatric hospital, or are unable to live at home due to ongoing emotional/mental issues. Youth receive mental health services at their community child guidance clinic and all health related appointments are made in the community. Whenever possible, youth will attend public school. The focus of the program is to prepare youth for a timely return to his/her community. The residence also provides the community with one crisis respite bed. This bed is open to any child, ages 12 to 17, who is in need of respite for a brief time (1 to 14 days). Funding for this bed is based on a per diem rate.

Healy House, a short-term (20-30 days) crisis residence, serves children ages 5 to 11. The program provides children in a situational crisis with customized supervision, clinical support, nursing care, and tutoring. The program focuses on helping the child stabilize through consistent, nurturing structure and behavior modification. The primary goal is to help restore balance to both the child and family unit. Families and treatment providers remain closely involved with children throughout their stay and resume full responsibility for their care upon discharge. The program is funded by the Department of Social Services and Office of Mental Health, and is licensed by the NYS Office of Mental Health. The program serves Albany, Columbia, Greene, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Warren, and Washington counties.