Would you like to learn more about becoming a “Guide” to one of these teens in need? Contact Bill Neaves to learn more.
The Guide Home Program of Youth Homes supports youth at home or places them in individual placements, one-on-one with an individual or family. These juveniles, coming out of the state’s correctional institutions, are supported in their effort to transition from successful institutional stays into productive, positive community lives. This program is provided by a contract with the Montana Department of Corrections, Juvenile Correction Division. The program is offered statewide and Youth Homes contract with Youth Dynamics Incorporated (YDI), out of Billings to serve the eastern portion of the state.
Many of our young people, who wind up in our state correctional facilities, have made very poor choices and threatened the safety of others, property and most often themselves. These choices reflect more on their impulsive behavior and anger rather than a pure criminal mind. All are young enough to recover and find a positive direction if they have the support of caring adults. Many of these young people have found negative peers with whom to perform illegal acts and the idea of individual placements is to remove the youth from close opportunities to form peer relationships that will not support their hope for success. “Guide” is a name chosen to represent the guiding of Montana to find new land, new activities and new direction. Choosing a mentoring approach we are implementing best practices in assisting change in young people. The program is designed to support and hold the juvenile accountable. For each youth served we believe there is the opportunity for honest change to occur.
Youth are accepted based upon the following:
Referrals are made by workers in the state correctional facilities when the youth is preparing to transition out and from the Juvenile Parole Officer when the youth is already in the community. In either case, we expect coordination of information between these two key individuals. A written application is required and those forms are available through the contact person below or here for download. The application is reviewed by our internal Placement Committee and is closely coordinated with the local parole officer. In most all cases we meet the youth through vision.net when we can talk directly and better determination the interest, goals and potential for the youth.
The Guide Home Program serves these young people in homes where they are placed in families who serve as parent, mentor and guide. The program also serves youngsters with Guide Services when the young person is placed back home with his or her birth family and we provide support to the family and guidance to the youth. These youngsters receive supported living (when out of their home), guidance, mentoring, counseling, life skills development, community resources, educational opportunity, relationships at a level they can accept and guidance.
Staff persons who are involved in this program from the Youth Homes include:
We also contract with community therapists and work closely with other contractors (Mountain Peaks and Parish Nurses) in this program.
For more information about admitting a youth into the Guide Home Program contact:
Bill Neaves, Program Director, Dan Fox Family Care Program
515 S. Reserve Street, Suite 5
PO Box 7616
Missoula, MT 59807
Phone: (406) 541-1664
Fax: (406) 543-0356
bneaves@youthhomesmt.org