Behavioral Health Programs
Since 2010, Operation SafeHouse through a partnership with the Riverside University Health System- Behavioral Health has been delivering mental health and wellness services to youth aged 16-25 who are in crisis and would like to receive assistance at their Middle School, High School or College Campus. Our programs provide youth with assessments, coping and support training, individual and parent counseling and assistance with diagnosis (if needed). We offer coverage throughout Riverside County and work closely with educators and school counselors; as an enhancement to services already provided by the school district.
This prevention service utilizes TAY (Transitional Age Youth ages 16 – 25) who reflect the population they will be serving to provide formal and informal outreach, informal counseling, and support/informational groups to at-risk youth and their families. The target youth are TAY who are experiencing depression early in its manifestation and meet criteria to receive service through Stress and Your Mood (SAYM), an evidence-based practice.
Criteria to be met include TAY who:
- Identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning;
- Are currently in or have been in the foster care system;
- Are transitioning into college; and/or
- Are runaway or homeless.
Outreach activities include going to locations frequented by the at-risk youth they are targeting to discuss and promote healthy lifestyles and relationships, deliver literature on risk reduction of mental illness, and provide referrals for mental health and other services as needed. The Peer to Peer services will also be a referral source for Stress and Your Mood (SAYM) for those TAY who are identified as potentially meeting service criteria. This program will utilize youth speaker’s bureaus to outreach and educate at-risk youth and the community-at-large of the unique issues each group of identified at-risk youth experience as they relate to mental health and interpersonal issues. The speaker’s bureau is intended to educate, reduce stigma about mental illness, and build resiliency in TAY at high risk for the development of mental health problems. Coping and Support Training (CAST) will be offered along with an LGBTQ Support Group, Directing Change Workshops and Mentoring. The programs focus on educating the public about mental health, depression, and suicide prevention.
The primary program goal is to reduce the duration and impact of depression for TAY (Transitional Age Youth ages 16 – 25) in Riverside County that are the target populations. An additional program goal is to reduce the reoccurrence of depressive episodes for the target population. The program will provide services in culturally appropriate settings, incorporating the needs of the target population. Activities will be situated in de-stigmatizing locations to increase the likelihood of TAY accessing those activities. The setting(s) for service delivery will not be a traditional mental health setting and will assist participants in feeling comfortable seeking services from staff that are knowledgeable and capable of identifying needs and solutions for TAY.
Stress and Your Mood SAYM is an evidence-based early intervention program (EBP) used to treat depression. It is based on the concepts of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). A CBT program contains three phases: conceptualization, skills and application training, and relapse prevention. This program, in line with the concepts of CBT, is low intensity and short in duration. Some family psycho-education regarding depression and family or parent sessions will be included. Consistent with the SAYM model, providers will refer the TAY, as appropriate, for a medication evaluation and work closely with the prescribing psychiatrist to ensure continuity of care if needed.
This early intervention is to be provided by a master’s level or higher clinician. The program consists of weekly individual or group sessions (with a maximum of 8 TAY per group) for 10-20 sessions as prescribed by the Evidence Based Practice.
The primary goal of this Prevention and Early Intervention program is to provide support for youth ages 10-15 who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event. The objective of the program is to reduce the youth’s symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), including depression and anxiety caused by exposure to violence, which has been used successfully in inner city schools with multicultural populations.
CBITS has three main goals:
- to reduce symptoms related to trauma
- to build resilience
- increase peer and parent support
The program will also involve the parents and teachers and the facilitators will have individual sessions with these supportive individuals. This early intervention is to be provided by a master’s level or higher clinician. The program consists of weekly group and individual sessions (with approximately 6-8 students) for 10 sessions as prescribed by the Evidence Based Practice.
The primary goals of this program is to reduce the duration and harmful effects of trauma for individuals most at risk of developing mental health problems as a result of traumatic experiences. Transitional Age Youth (TAY) ages 16-25, are to receive early intervention services through the use of an evidence-based practice (EBP) Seeking Safety Program. This will result in increased resiliency and development of coping strategies for program participants and reduce the need for ongoing services within the mental health system.
The program will be provided in culturally appropriate settings, incorporating the needs of the target population. The program consists of weekly group sessions with approximately 6-8 students for 6-8 sessions as prescribed by the Evidence Based Practice.
