Van Vleck Group Home

The Group Home provides court-ordered and private placement for youth 10-18 in need of a structured therapeutic environment in Jackson.

Van Vleck Group Home

The Group Home provides court-ordered and private placement for youth 10-18 years old in need of a structured therapeutic environment in Jackson Hole Wyoming.

Van Vleck Group Home

The Group Home provides court-ordered and private placement for youth 10-18 in need of a structured therapeutic environment in Jackson.

Cost per bed/per day is $233 the State of Wyoming Department of Family Services (DFS) contracts for services at $141 per bed/per day.

During placement each resident goes through program phases that include orientation, identification, application and transition. This program generally takes about five months. During that period, individual, group and family counseling are provided on a weekly basis.

During placement each resident goes through program phases that include orientation, identification, application and transition. This program generally takes about five months. During that period, individual, group and family counseling are provided on a weekly basis.

Adolescence is a time when teenagers begin to question and challenge their parents, schools, communities and themselves. This is a natural developmental stage but can be very difficult particularly if a family has struggled with other problems in the past. Families can find themselves stuck in repetitive patterns that remain unresolved which escalate the tensions in family relationships.

The Group Home provides a safe and structured environment for youth where they can live temporarily while these problems and issues are addressed. Placement may help to ease the tensions and allow the resident and family to identify the problems, find ways to resolve them, and improve their relationships. The process begins in the Group Home but the majority of the work happens during home visits, during the transition period and when the youth returns home, to another living situation or independent living. The emphasis in the Group Home is on identifying skills that have worked, learning new skills, and practicing those new skills in the Group Home and with family and friends, at school and in the community. By experiencing competence, improved relationships and successes in school and the community, youth gain control over themselves and their own lives.
The Group Home provides a structured living environment for up to 9 residents in a home-like setting in Jackson. The Group Home program is divided into four phases:

    • Orientation – Residents are oriented to the rules and expectations of the program. During this time the residents are always supervised by staff except when they are in school

    • Identification – Residents begin to identify areas in which they could improve

    • Application – Residents have identified areas for change and are practicing new skills and behaviors in the Group Home, school, family and community

    • Transition – Residents will be integrating new skills into their daily lives

Expectations and privileges expand with each phase as the resident learns new skills and ways of coping. Components of the program include:

    • Individual and family therapy

    • Individualized treatment plans that residents develop with their therapist and their parents – treatment plans are reviewed and updated as goals are met.

    • Planned home visits that build on residents’ program phase and their progress in family therapy

    • Regularly scheduled supervised activities Point sheets provide feedback to the resident on a daily basis – points are based on following rules and schedule, participation in program, respect for others and general behavior

    • Monthly reports to parents, caseworkers and Guardian ad Litems that are compilations of point sheets and daily logs

    • School monitoring and scheduled study time – residents attend public school

    • Case Management with all those involved including parents, schools and other agencies

    • Discharge planning and aftercare
Family involvement is a key factor in the success of a resident at the Group Home. At intake, family input results in more relevant goals since they know their child better than anyone. As the child struggles with beginning work on goals, family support and encouragement are vital, and in order to return home successfully, the family and resident need to practice new skills together to break old patterns.

Parents participate in family therapy. If a parent is not in Jackson, phone sessions are used. We encourage regular visits and phone calls with families. Home visits are an important part of the treatment process in order to practice new skills at home and evaluate progress.

When parents are involved, residents are motivated and complete the program in a shorter period of time while able to sustain long term improvement.
Common issues for our residents include family conflicts, difficulty following rules, poor decision-making and coping skills, poor school performance and truancy, and minor legal offenses. While they may need special education or behavioral assistance, they should be able to attend public school.

A referral may be made by a case worker or parent, or representative of the court. An initial screening will be conducted by the Program Manager, Therapist or Director regarding the reasons for the request and the appropriateness of the child for Group Home level of care. Psychological evaluations, social summaries, and other relevant documents are requested when available, but since some of our referrals are for those awaiting such assessments and evaluations, they are not required for admission.

Residents are usually placed at the Group Home by the Juvenile Court Judge. However, we also serve children placed for child protective custody (victims of abuse) and private placements can also be arranged.

Youths that are not appropriate for admission to the Group Home have:

    •Recent history of violent episodes

    • Severe developmental limitations

    • Less than 10 years of age

    • Active suicidal tendencies

    • Severe psychiatric conditions that have not been stabilized by medication

    • Need for substance detoxification

    • Major medical problems that have not been stabilized

FAQs

How old are kids that stay at the Group Home?
We serve children 10-18 years old.
How many residents do you have at a time?
We are certified for 10 children at the Group Home.
What is the staff student ratio?
We have a required staff ratio of 1 child care worker to 6 residents in the Group Home but usually operate at 1 to 4 with at least 2 staff during all waking hours. There is one awake staff and one on call available during the overnight shift.
How is a child placed in the Group Home?
Most placements are court ordered by the Juvenile Court because a child is adjudicated a Child in Need of Supervision or Delinquent. We also have children who are placed by the Court on a Child Protection Order, taking them out of abusive situations. We can also take children placed privately. See Admissions section of website or give us a call for more information.
How long does a child usually stay at the Group Home?
It generally takes 4-5 months to complete the program if a resident is motivated.
If a child is court ordered, how much can a parent be involved?
We encourage parent involvement as does the Court. Parents are part of the multi-disciplinary team that makes recommendations to the Court. Residents can receive and make phone calls to family every day, unless problems arise. Visits are also encouraged but we request that they be pre-arranged. From intake on, parents are encouraged to be involved in treatment. We also inform parents of other appointments,- doctors, caseworkers, psychologist, etc – so they can attend as well.
Is the facility locked? Can the residents just walk away?
Doors are locked to prevent people from coming in without our knowledge, but residents are never locked in. Their bedroom doors and windows are alarmed so that we know if residents try to leave, or if someone is trying to come in. The requirements for the Group Home level of care is that they are not locked. Our staff/student ratio helps us keep track and stay connected with the residents.

FAQs

How old are kids that stay at the Group Home?
We serve children 10-18 years old.
How many residents do you have at a time?
We are certified for 10 children at the Group Home.
What is the staff student ratio?
We have a required staff ratio of 1 child care worker to 6 residents in the Group Home but usually operate at 1 to 4 with at least 2 staff during all waking hours. There is one awake staff and one on call available during the overnight shift.
How is a child placed in the Group Home?
Most placements are court ordered by the Juvenile Court because a child is adjudicated a Child in Need of Supervision or Delinquent. We also have children who are placed by the Court on a Child Protection Order, taking them out of abusive situations. We can also take children placed privately. See Admissions section of website or give us a call for more information.
How long does a child usually stay at the Group Home?
It generally takes 4-5 months to complete the program if a resident is motivated.
If a child is court ordered, how much can a parent be involved?
We encourage parent involvement as does the Court. Parents are part of the multi-disciplinary team that makes recommendations to the Court. Residents can receive and make phone calls to family every day, unless problems arise. Visits are also encouraged but we request that they be pre-arranged. From intake on, parents are encouraged to be involved in treatment. We also inform parents of other appointments,- doctors, caseworkers, psychologist, etc – so they can attend as well.
Is the facility locked? Can the residents just walk away?
Doors are locked to prevent people from coming in without our knowledge, but residents are never locked in. Their bedroom doors and windows are alarmed so that we know if residents try to leave, or if someone is trying to come in. The requirements for the Group Home level of care is that they are not locked. Our staff/student ratio helps us keep track and stay connected with the residents.

Contact us at the Van Vleck House (307) 733-7946 for more information on our group home.

Continuum of Care

We always start with the least restrictive care and, if necessary, move on to more involved intervention.