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Youth Assertive Community Treatment (ACT)

An intensive, at-home intervention that brings treatment and services to youth with significant mental health challenges—and their families—so they can remain at home and together

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The Child Center of NY’s Youth Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) serves young people ages 10-21 who are at risk of entering, or are returning home from, high-intensity services, such as a residential treatment facility. We welcome children with significant psychiatric needs who are at risk of institutional-level care, and we also support young people who have been in an out-of-home environment with their transition back to their family and community.

The Youth ACT program provides families with a comprehensive team of professionals—from psychiatrists to peer advocates—to deliver intensive, coordinated, and individualized services and therapeutic interventions to maintain the child in the home, school, and community. We use a strengths-based model that instills our clients with hope and goals for the future and a roadmap for getting there.

The Child Center of NY Youth ACT Program @ GOSO

Address:
201A East 124th Street
New York, NY 10035

Program Hours:
Monday-Friday 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.

Contact:
917-670-4369

Treatment includes:

Individual, family, and group therapy by licensed mental health professionals
Clinical support services
Skill building
Medication management
Family advocates and youth/peer advocates who understand the challenges clients face
Family support
Collateral support that includes working with the important people in the client’s life, such as parents and teachers
Community outreach to services in the community, including school, vocational programs, and afterschool programs

Eligibility:

Youth must be:

between the ages of 10 and 21
residents of Manhattan

They also must meet two or more of the following criteria:

Has not adequately engaged in, or their family has not adequately engaged in, or responded to, treatment in more traditional settings
Has had two hospitalizations within one year or one hospitalization of 60 days or more
Has high use of psychiatric emergency or crisis services
Has persistent severe major symptoms
Currently resides in or is being discharged from an inpatient program, or has been deemed eligible for a residential treatment facility

A note to young people and families: If you or your child does not meet the above criteria and still needs services, please give us a call at 718-358-8288 during business hours, or 718-830-5061 after business hours. We will assist you in finding the right program for your needs. We stand ready to help.

Referrals:

All referrals for Youth ACT must go through Children’s Single Point of Access (CSPOA), a centralized referral system for children who need intensive mental health services to remain at home or in their community. CSPOA can direct patients as old as 21 to a variety of high-end community services. After receiving a referral request, CSPOA will conduct an assessment and interview the family and referrer to determine the child’s needs. If admission to our Youth ACT program is granted, our team works with the child and family to create an individualized treatment plan that focuses on the client’s goals, helping them acquire the skills and support they need to thrive.

CSPOA application

If you are not sure if the Youth ACT program is the right program for your/a child’s needs, please fill out our interest form and someone on our team will contact you. The Child Center of NY offers many home visiting and behavioral health programs and can help you find the right fit.

Youth ACT interest form

Funding and Support

The Child Center Youth ACT program is a New York State Office of Mental Health program. We are also proud to partner with GOSO.

New York is the first state in the nation to enact Youth Assertive Community Treatment teams, which serve children ages 10 to 21 and their families, providing services and support in the home and community settings. The teams allow young people who are at risk of entering residential or inpatient psychiatric treatment to receive services while remaining with their families and in their communities. —GOVERNOR KATHY HOCHUL