Chimo Youth & Family Services Residential

We currently have 2 residential programs. Each program has a maximum of 8 clients at a time. Sprucehill is located just outside of Kinmount and is the boys residence. Lakeside is located in Port Bolster and is the girls residence. An educational component is provided by both the Durham District School Board and Trillium Lakelands District School Board. Each home has a section 23 classroom attached to the unit.

We service youth ages 12 - 17 from the City of Kawartha Lakes, Durham Region, Northumberland, Peterborough and Haliburton counties, who cannot remain in their community using less intrusive community-based services. Youth whose families for a variety of reasons with the assistance of community-based service have not been able to assist the youth move toward more positive ways of relating to others and acting responsibly.

A structured skill building program is used to provide an opportunity for youth to learn new ways of relating with those around them. Direct care workers intervene in daily life events and assist the adolescents with making more positive choices in these situations. Goals are developed for each youth and reviewed every three months. Families are very important in the process and family sessions are held weekly with a Family Services Worker. A clinical worker is also assigned to those adolescents who would benefit from individual therapy. Psychological testing and support is also available.

We are unable to accommodate youth with disorders that require intensive medication monitoring or those who are in need of regular emergency medical services i.e. those who are actively suicidal or not stabilized on required medications given the locations and lack of immediate available medical facilities.

Our goal is a prompt return to the community. The average length of stay is 12 - 18 months as it can take at times from six months to a year to develop a relationship with a youth and family, to enable treatment to occur. All of this depends on the clients motivation. Youth have visits home every other weekend to work on their newly developed skills in the community.