San Diego Youth

SAN DIEGO YOUTH

&

COMMUNITY SERVICES

Our Vision

Is strong healthy communities where all youth are valued and achieve their highest potential

Our Mission

Is to help at-risk youth become self-sufficient and reach their highest potential investing in them, strengthening their families and building their communities.

A brief history

Founded in 1970 as a community response abandoned and neglected youth, San Diego Youth & Community Services ushered in groundbreaking services that led to more humane laws and protections juveniles. It opened one of the first runaway shelters in the nation and introduced the only foster care for special-needs children In San Diego County. Support programs for families were added 1972 to stabilize single parent homes, advocate for affordable housing, provide care for the elderly poor, and supply multi-cultural education and job training programs. The first social service merger in the history of San Diego expanded San Diego Youth & Community Services' programs extending emergency services to "low income and homeless populations countywide. The agency has a legacy of innovative response to emerging social problems, developing programs that creates opportunity and independence for clients of all ages and backgrounds.

EAST COUNTY COMMUNITIES CENTER

COOL BED

PROGRAM

A program designed to

strengthen and empower

youth and families

Funded by San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency, Contract Operations

San Diego Youth & Community Services

Cool Bed Program

What is a Cool Bed?

Cool Beds offer a secure, proven alternative to institutional settings for youth who need a break during stressful situations. Cool Beds are voluntary short-term (14-day maximum) placements in foster homes certified by SDYCS. Foster families receive extensive training prior to certification and are located in the East county region of San Diego. When a youth is matched with a foster family, this family becomes part of a support network geared to ensure the youths successful return home or to another stable environment. Youth will continue to attend school on a daily basis with the support of both their natural and foster families, and the clinician and the case manager.

Who is eligible?

This is a voluntary program for youth and families who desire a cooling-off period. Youth must be an East County resident and at least 12-17 years of age. In addition, youth must not have a history of fire-setting, sexual perpetration, severe psychosis or violence toward self or others, and must not be gang-affiliated. Youth and families will be interviewed by the clinician or the case manager to determine eligibility based on these criteria. How can youth and families sign-up for placement in a Cool Bed?

Youth and families can sign-up for placement in a Cool Bed by calling San Diego Youth & Community Services East County Communities Center (ECCC) at 619-258-6877 or by stopping by ECCC. The center is currently located in El Cajon at 900 North Cuyamaca St., Suite 108. A partial assessment will be taken over the phone or in person to determine a youths eligibility for the program. Eligible youth and parents will be invited for a meeting at ECCC to complete the assessment and placement. Parental consent is required.

What Kind of support do youth and families in the Cool Bed program receive?

Youth and families will be assigned a clinician and a case manager who will assist to support them in all aspects of preparing for the youths return to a stable environment during the cooling-off period. The clinician will continue to provide individual and family counseling to the youth and family during the youths short-term placement. After the youth return home or to another stable environment, family will be invited to come to an aftercare family group. Family can find support and learn more coping skills from other families and group facilitators. In addition, the clinician and the case manager will assist the youth and family to find helpful resources according to need.

Youth receive:

Structured, Nurturing Foster Care

Case Management

Individual/ Group Counseling

Independent Living Skill Training

24-hour Emergency Response

Families receive:

Case Management

Family Counseling

Parenting Support

24-hour Emergency Response

Referrals to Appropriate

Community Resources

Aftercare Family Support GroupEast County Communities Center

Cool Bed Program

900 North Cuyamaca, Suite #108

El Cajon, CA 92020

(619) 258-6877

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