Beacon-Ohio supports children ages 10-17 in transitional youth homes. These children live with their families, in insufficient residential placements, or are in the custody of children’s services.
Multisystem Youth Program
Why Beacon Is Right For You
In addition to providing waiver funded services, we support children ages 10-17 in transitional youth homes. These children live with their families, in insufficient residential placements, or are in the custody of children’s services. Generally, they need high acuity services as it relates to their developmental disability or mental health diagnoses. We have four, 4-bed homes, serving children for up to six months with the goal of safely reuniting them with their families, providing follow-up care and supports.
These homes are Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICFIID) with oversight from the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD), the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) and Medicaid. This project is a special collaboration with DODD as these children have been identified across Ohio and there have been no other residential services that meet their needs. Only Beacon-Ohio and one other provider will provide services under this project, and Beacon-Ohio will have the largest capacity at 16 beds. The ability to increase capacity is based on the number of children identified and the capacity of DODD to provide additional funding.
Person Centered Care Saves Lives
A heartfelt note from a parent of a loved one at Beacon
Team Shabby and Friends,
I cannot even begin to put into words how incredibly grateful I am for our newest situation. The work that must have happened behind the scenes to bring this into being is nothing short of magical. I am rejoicing in the amazing goodness that this team has created. The Beacon staff are better than I ever could have imagined for Shabby and our family.
Earlier this week, around midnight, I received a call from a Beacon staff member letting me know that Shabby was being pink slipped – taken by police to the psychiatric emergency room. As she has done in the past, Shabby was making her way toward a busy multi-lane road with the intent of running into traffic to kill herself. The Beacon staff was doing all the right things to redirect and keep Shabby safe when a police cruiser happened to pass her and intervene. Beacon staff got me on the phone while they worked with CPD to safely transport Shabby to the emergency room.
As is common, Shabby was discharged before she was actually stable. The next day, Beacon staff called me as Shabby escalated and asked my opinion about if I thought she needed to go back to the hospital or not. They were going to make the decision on their own, but they took the time to include me as a part of the team. They gave me the opportunity to have input. They honored my voice even during a time of crisis.
I could go on and on about how well the Beacon staff has operated as a family-centered, trauma-responsive, developmentally appropriate team. However, there is nothing I can put into writing to truly convey the utter joy and relief that I have knowing this team is caring for Shabby after years of dreading this transition to adulthood. The way that all members of Team Shabby have collaborated to manifest the impossible in a way that effectively and respectfully meets Shabby’s needs is exactly how our systems should operate for every child.
Join me in this moment of celebration. And, let’s continue this work for all of our young people. With gratitude,
Celeste Ferguson
