Childhelp Alice C. Tyler Village

Until at last the village lights appeared before them...

Throughout the breadth of 260-acres of naturally lush and inviting land, the Childhelp Alice C. Tyler Village (the Village) has been providing a healing home environment for severely abused and neglected children since 1993. Producing a true community atmosphere, the Village houses as many as 67 children ranging from age 5 through 14 years old. The children who make their home at the Village are referred to this place of healing by various judicial authorities and child welfare offices after the Department of Social Services takes custody of them. They arrive, experiencing severe behavioral and emotional problems as a result of their previous abusive or neglectful situations. For many of these children, the Village and its multidisciplinary team (MDT) are their last hope in avoiding placement at a juvenile correctional facility.

It takes a whole village to raise a child

A team of mental health professionals greets each child upon their arrival equipped to develop an individualized treatment plan tailored to the child’s needs. While at the village, children receive on-site clinical services provided by Childhelp’s MDT under the direction of a staff psychiatrist. The children learn to love themselves and trust others through comprehensive treatment, including:

• Psychological/clinical therapy
• Recreational therapy
• Educational therapy
• Music therapy

Steady progress can lead a child on a new and healthier journey. While it’s always sad to see a child leave, each staff member strives to see a child discharged to a less restrictive, positive placement such as being reunited with his or her family, adopted, or placedwith a relative or foster family, or relocated to a less intensive treatment facility.

While the Village cannot erase the tragic events of a child’s past, it strives to create a healing home from which a child can emerge with a chance to succeed in the future.

As a way of maintaining a standard of excellence, the Village’s partners include the Virginia Association of Independent Special Education Facilities (VAISEF) and the Virginia Coalition of Private Provider Associations (VCOPPA).

Non-Public School

The Childhelp Non-Public School (NPS) caters to children who require a therapeutic environment as a component of their elementary or secondary education. The NPS serves students with extreme emotional disturbances that cannot be accommodated in a public school. The NPS provides high quality supervision, structure and individual programming designed to transition the child to a functional level in society.

Enrichment Programs

• The Ranch and animal care program provides therapeutic opportunities for children healing from severe abuse through animal care, equine assisted therapy, resident jobs, and special events
• Art therapy program is operated by a licensed art therapist and provides children with an opportunity for non-verbal communication
• Recreation and other outdoor activities such as sports, field trips, biking trails, fishing ponds, etc.
• Garden Club
• Village Special Friend Program matches children within the program with screened volunteers to provide support, mentoring, and interaction outside of the facility.
• Voluntary non-denominational chapel services are made available to those who wish to participate
• The Village has one of only four residential and day-school special education programs (non-public school) that are fully licensed by the Virginia Department of Education and open to children in the community

Program Distinctives

• Childhelp provides intense child to staff ratio of one staff to four children during waking hours.
• The Village is a Virginia and West Virginia Medicaid provider and JCAHO accredited and is licensed one step below an acute-care psychiatric hospital.
• Childhelp provides specialized clinical services for children who have suffered severe abuse; a full-time child psychiatrist is on staff who also serves as the medical director; 24-hour medical nursing and a full-time psychologist (Ph.D.).
• The therapist to child ratio is one to eight. In addition, Childhelp has a full-time recreational therapist, a music therapist, an animal therapy specialist, and offers speech and occupational therapy to all residents.
• Individualized treatment plans and an In-Patient Sensory Integration Program are within the residential experience for all children with developmental needs.
• Children in residence attend the on-site non-public school; Childhelp has one of only two or three residential and day-school special education programs that are fully-licensed by the Virginia Department of Education.

Program Goals

1. Secure approval as a Medicaid provider in New Jersey and the District of Columbia in order to expand the number of children we can serve from those areas.
2. Focus on and develop plans for performance improvement by enhancing quality assurance measures and data tracking to allow for evidence based practice with multidisciplinary treatment planning.
3. Expand facilities for non-public schools and for additional beds in specialized short- and long-term residential care programs. The Village recognizes the need to expand services to at-risk children who simply cannot benefit educationally from mainstream public education.