Buffalo resource book

1
Social Work
Resources
An Introduction to Available Services in
Buffalo, NY
This document provides a list of agencies in the Buffalo, NY region
and the services they provide. It was complied as a means to help
practitioners and clients find potentially helpful resources for a
variety of situations.
2015
Emily Sebian
University of Buffalo
4/30/2015

Buffalo Resources 2
Table of Contents
By Agency
Aspire…………………………………………………………………………………………….12
Back to Basics Ministries………………………………………………………………………...13
Baker Victory Services…………………………………………………………………………..14
Beacon Center……………………………………………………………………………………18
Big Brothers Big Sisters…………………………………………………………………………19
Boys and Girls Club……………………………………………………………………………..19
BryLin Behavioral Health System……………………………………………………………….21
Buffalo Employment and Training Center………………………………………………………23
Buffalo Pregnancy Care Center………………………………………………………………….24
Buffalo Prenatal Perinatal Network Program……………………………………………………24
Buffalo Urban League……………………………………………………………………………25
Catholic Charities………………………………………………………………………………...27
Child and Adolescent Treatment Services (CATS)……………………………………………...30
Compass House…………………………………………………………………………………..33
Compeer………………………………………………………………………………………….33
Crisis Services……………………………………………………………………………………34
ECMC Psychiatric Emergency Room…………………………………………………………...35
Every Person Influences Children (EPIC)……………………………………………................36
Families’ CAN…………………………………………………………………………………...38
Family Justice Center…………………………………………………………………………….37
Focus on Consequences………………………………………………………………………….32
Gateway Longview………………………………………………………………………………39
Gay and Lesbian Youth Services of WNY………………………………………………………42
Gerard Place……………………………………………………………………………………...42
Harvest House……………………………………………………………………………………44
Heritage Centers………………………………………………………………………………….44
Horizon…………………………………………………………………………………………..45
Independent Living Center………………………………………………………………………46
International Institute of Buffalo………………………………………………………………...47
Jericho Road……………………………………………………………………………………...47
Jewish Family Services…………………………………………………………………………..48
Kids Escaping Drugs……………………………………………………………………………..49
Lakeshore………………………………………………………………………………………...50
Mental Health Association of Erie County, Inc………………………………………………….51
MidErie…………………………………………………………………………………………..52
Neighborhood Legal Services……………………………………………………………………53
New Directions…………………………………………………………………………………..54
Parent Network of WNY………………………………………………………………………...55

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PFLAG…………………………………………………………………………………………...59
Pride Center of WNY…………………………………………………………………………….60
Response to Love………………………………………………………………………………...61
Society of St. Vincent DePaul…………………………………………………………………...61
Spectrum…………………………………………………………………………………………62
Stanley Falk Schools……………………………………………………………………………..63
Summit Educational Resources………………………………………………………………….64
Transitional Services Inc…………………………………………………………………………66
Tutor Doctor……………………………………………………………………………………...67
VA…………………………………………………………………………………....................67
WNY Heroes……………………………………………………………………………………..68
Women and Children’s Hospital – Children’s Psychiatry Clinic………………………………..69
By Topic
Bilingual Services Offered
Buffalo Prenatal Perinatal Network Program……………………………………………24
Child and Adolescent Treatment Services (CATS)……………………………………...30
Crisis Service…………………………………………………………………………….34
Families’ CAN…………………………………………………………………………...38
Gateway Longview………………………………………………………………………39
International Institute of Buffalo………………………………………………………...47
People, Inc.……………………………………………………………………………….56
Counseling/Substance Use Treatment
Aspire…………………………………………………………………………………….12
Baker Victory Services…………………………………………………………………..13
Beacon Center……………………………………………………………………………18
BryLin Behavioral Health System……………………………………………………….21
Buffalo Urban League……………………………………………………………………25
Catholic Charities………………………………………………………………………...27
Child and Family Services……………………………………………………………….31
ECMC Psychiatric Emergency Room…………………………………………………...35
Focus on Consequences………………………………………………………………….32
Heritage Centers………………………………………………………………………….44
Horizon…………………………………………………………………………………..45
Jericho Road……………………………………………………………………………...47
Jewish Family Services…………………………………………………………………..48
Lakeshore………………………………………………………………………………...50

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Mental Health Association of Erie County, Inc………………………………………….51
MidErie…………………………………………………………………………………..52
New Directions…………………………………………………………………………..54
People, Inc………………………………………………………………………………..56
Spectrum…………………………………………………………………………………62
Transitional Services Inc…………………………………………………………………66
VA………………………………………………………………………………………..67
Women and Children’s Hospital – Children’s Psychiatry Clinic………………………..69
Court Involvement/Advocacy
Back to Basics Ministries………………………………………………………………...13
Crisis Services……………………………………………………………………………34
Families’ CAN…………………………………………………………………………...38
Family Justice Center…………………………………………………………………….37
Independent Living Center………………………………………………………………46
Mental Health association of Erie County, Inc…………………………………………..51
Neighborhood Legal Services…………………………………………………………....53
Parent Network of WNY………………………………………………………………...55
Summit Educational Resources………………………………………………………….64
Women and Children’s Hospital – Children’s Psychiatry Clinic………………………..69
Crisis/Emergency Services
Crisis Services……………………………………………………………………………34
Family Justice Center…………………………………………………………………….37
Harvest House……………………………………………………………………………44
Lakeshore………………………………………………………………………………...50
New Directions…………………………………………………………………………..54
MidErie…………………………………………………………………………………..52
People, Inc………………………………………………………………………………..56
Transitional Services……………………………………………………………………..66
WNY Heroes……………………………………………………………………………..68
Developmental Disability Services
Aspire…………………………………………………………………………………….12

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People, Inc………………………………………………………………………………..56
Educational Resources
Big Brothers Big Sisters…………………………………………………………………19
Boys and Girls Club……………………………………………………………………...19
Every Person Influences Children (EPIC)……………………………………………….36
Gerard Place……………………………………………………………………………...42
Harvest House……………………………………………………………………………44
Jericho Road………………………………………………………………………….......47
Kids Escaping Drugs……………………………………………………………………..49
Response to Love………………………………………………………………………...61
Tutor Doctor……………………………………………………………………………...67
Special Education
Aspire…………………………………………………………………………….12
Baker Victory Services…………………………………………………………..14
Gateway Longview………………………………………………………………39
Heritage Centers………………………………………………………………….44
New Directions…………………………………………………………………..54
Parent Network of WNY………………………………………………………...55
Stanley Falk Schools……………………………………………………………..63
Summit Educational Resources………………………………………………….64
Emergency/Urgent Assistance (ex: heat, food, housing, finances)
Buffalo Pregnancy Care Center………………………………………………………….24
Compass House…………………………………………………………………………..33
Crisis Services……………………………………………………………………………34
Gerard Place……………………………………………………………………………...42
Response to Love………………………………………………………………………...61
Society of St. Vincent DePaul…………………………………………………………...61
Employment Assistance (general)
Buffalo Employment and Training Center………………………………………………23
Harvest House……………………………………………………………………………44

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Heritage Center…………………………………………………………………………..44
Pride Center of WNY…………………………………………………………………….60
Response to Love………………………………………………………………………...61
VA………………………………………………………………………………………..67
Foster Care/Adoption Services
Immigrant Services
Jericho Road……………………………………………………………………………...47
Medical/Physical Health Services (independent of other programs)
Aspire…………………………………………………………………………………….12
Buffalo Pregnancy Care Center………………………………………………………….24
Buffalo Prenatal Perinatal Network Program……………………………………………24
ECMC……………………………………………………………………………………35
Harvest House……………………………………………………………………………44
Jericho Road……………………………………………………………………………...47
People, Inc………………………………………………………………………………..56
VA………………………………………………………………………………………..67
Networking/Group Work
Gay and Lesbian Youth Services of WNY………………………………………………42
PFLAG…………………………………………………………………………………...59
Parenting Skills Training
Every Person Influences Children (EPIC)……………………………………………….36
Gateway………………………………………………………………………………….39
Kids Escaping Drugs……………………………………………………………………..49
Lakeshore………………………………………………………………………………...50

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People, Inc………………………………………………………………………………..56
Residential Treatment/Services
Aspire…………………………………………………………………………………….12
BryLin Behavioral Health System (hospital)…………………………………………….21
Compass House (shelter)………………………………………………………………...33
Gateway………………………………………………………………………………….39
Horizon…………………………………………………………………………………..45
Lakeshore………………………………………………………………………………...50
People, Inc………………………………………………………………………………..56
Respite
Aspire…………………………………………………………………………………….12
People, Inc………………………………………………………………………………..56
VA………………………………………………………………………………………..67
Senior Services
Compeer………………………………………………………………………………….33
People, Inc………………………………………………………………………………..56
Social Skills/Support and Life Skills/Mentoring
Aspire…………………………………………………………………………………….12
Back to Basics Ministries………………………………………………………………...13
Compeer……………………………………………………………………………….....33

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Families’ CAN…………………………………………………………………………...38
Society of St. Vincent DePaul…………………………………………………………...61
Workplace Services
Compeer………………………………………………………………………………….33
Wraparound Services
Child and Adolescent Treatment Services……………………………………………….30
Families’ CAN…………………………………………………………………………...38
MidErie Counseling and Treatment Services……………………………………………52
New Directions…………………………………………………………………………..54
People, Inc………………………………………………………………………………..56
Veteran Services
Compeer………………………………………………………………………………….33
Horizon…………………………………………………………………………………..45
Response to Love………………………………………………………………………...61
VA………………………………………………………………………………………..67
WNY Heroes……………………………………………………………………………..68

Buffalo Resources 9
Commonly Used Acronyms
Definitions may also be provided in the text.
AA: Alcoholics Anonymous
ABA: Applied Behavioral Analysis
ACCE: Adult Career and Continuing Education
ACT: Assertive Community Treatment
ADD: Attention Deficit Disorder
ADHD: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
ADL: Aids to Daily Living
APA: American Psychological Association
ASD: Autism Spectrum Disorders
AT: Assistive Technology
B2H: Bridges to Health
BIP: Behavior Intervention Plan
BPS: Buffalo Public Schools
CBT: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
CHPS: Centralized Housing Placement System
CISM: Crisis Incident Stress Management
CPEP: Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program
CPS: Child Protective Services
CPSE: Committee on Preschool Special Education
CSE: Committee on Special Education
DBT: Dialectic Behavior Therapy
DMH: Department of Mental Health
DOH: Department of Health
DSS: Department of Social Services
ECT: Electroconvulsive Therapy
EI: Early Intervention
EIO: Early Intervention Official
EMDR: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
ESL: English as a Second Language
FBA: Functional Behavior Analysis
GED: General Education Development, or General Equivalency Diploma
GSA: Gay-Straight Alliance
HPOT: Hippotherapy
HSE: High School Equivalency
ICF: Intermediate Care Facility
ICP: Individual Career Plan
IEP: Individual Education Plan
IRA: Individual Residential Alternatives
ISE: Individualized Service Environment
ISSW: In-School Social Work
LGBTQ: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans*, Queer/Questioning
LPN: Licensed Practical Nurse
MICA: Mentally Ill Chemical Abuser
OCFS: Office of Children and Family Services

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OMH: Office of Mental Health
OPDD: Office for People with Developmental Disabilities
PBIS: Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support
PCIT: Parent-Child Interaction Therapy
PDD-NOS: Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified
PINS: Persons in Need of Supervision
PTSD: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
RN: Registered Nurse
RTF: Residential Treatment Facilities
SCIS: Specialized Classrooms in an Integrated Setting
SIS: School Intervention Services
SNAP: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
SPOE: Single Point of Entry
SSDI (SSD): Social Security Disability Income
SSI: Social Security Income
STD or STI: Sexually Transmitted Disease (or Infection)
TAP: Telephone Assistance Program
TBI: Traumatic Brain Injury
TCI: Therapeutic Crisis Intervention
VESID: Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities
VR: Vocational Rehabilitation
WIC: Women, Infants, and Children
Related Offices
New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH)
Western New York Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD)
Erie County Department of Social Services (DSS)
Erie County Department of Health (DOH)

THIS IS NOT A CONCLUSIVE LIST.
Unless otherwise labeled, the area code for all phone and fax numbers is (716). Physical
addresses, web addresses, fax numbers, and phone numbers given are the primary ones listed for
each agency per their websites, and are given here as provided (unless otherwise labeled).
Contact information for specific programs usually may be found on agency websites.
Information is taken from each agency’s respective website between October 2014 and April
2015. While every effort is made to ensure accurate representation of each agency’s information,
they may change without notice; therefore, it is recommended that you confirm the information
to make sure it is up-to-date before utilizing a service. Brief summaries of services are given in
order to provide an overview of each agency and to help determine which agencies might be
helpful for a case. Additionally, although many types of service are listed in the Table of
Contents, agencies may offer services that go beyond this list. If you are using the digital copy of
this document, you may look for keywords (for instance, “refugee”) by selecting the “Find”
option (top right corner in Microsoft Word or under “edit” as a PDF in Adobe).
Important Phone Numbers
24 Hour Hotline – Erie County: 834-3131
Kids Helpline: 834-1144 or 1-877-KIDS-400
NYS Domestic and Sexual Violence 24 Hour Hotline: English: 1-800-942-6906
Spanish/Multi-language: 1-800-942-6908
Central Referral Services: 211 or 1-888-696-9211
Alcoholics Anonymous: 853-0388
For the Deaf or Hard of Hearing: contact through National Relay Service at 711
Interpreters may be available over the phone 24/7 according to agency resources.

Aspire
Phone: 838-0047
Email Address: info@aspirewny.org
Website: www.aspirewny.org
Aspire was created to serve clients with developmental disabilities, and offers them a wide
variety of services to assist with many aspects of life. For clients looking for volunteer
opportunities or employment assistance, Aspire can help them look for appropriate opportunities.
Through this program they also offer vocational evaluations, internships, technical evaluations,
job coaching, and employment support services.
Younger clients 0 – 21 years old may find more help with the educational services. Over the
summer, students may participate in the Summer Work Skills program, which offers supported
internships and a comprehensive classroom. In-home (or community) early intervention (EI) is
available to children 0 – 3 years old. At 3 – 5 years old they are able to join a comprehensive and
integrated preschool, and at 5 - 21 years old they may move to a comprehensive classroom in
Aspire’s school. Additionally, these classrooms include advanced technology to enhance
student’s learning. Included in all educational programs are services for educational support,
visions, behavior interventions, occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech-language therapy,
and nursing (if required by student IEP), and students receive education, psychological,
occupational, physical, speech-language, and vision evaluations. Teams are arranged to provide
comprehensive care for each student, and parents are invited to all team meetings.
Primary and secondary care is provided to clients of all ages. At Aspire’s facilities, clients may
receive a comprehensive health assessment, care management (through a nurse), and medical
evaluation by a neurologist and/or psychiatrist. There is also physical therapy, occupational
therapy, speech therapy, and behavioral health services offered on site, and someone is on call
24/7. Clients may also receive rehabilitation services with physical, occupational, and/or speech
therapies, and specialty health services in neurology, podiatry, orthotics, feeding/swallowing
assistance, and augmentive communication. Mental health diagnosis and treatment are also
offered. This includes psychiatric evaluation, treatment, and medication monitoring in addition to
counseling (for individuals, families, or groups), programming, testing, and assessments.
Aspire’s mental health services specialize in issues related to developmental disabilities and
communication barriers.
Similarly, Aspire has an Assistive Technology Network to help clients maneuver through
everyday life more easily. Through this, clients receive therapy, support, and training with their
assistive technology (AT), along with general education about AT and available devices. Clients
work with occupational, physical, and speech therapists; technical specialists; vision
professionals; EI and/or special education services; vocational specialists; and wheelchair

evaluation, ordering, and fitting professionals to receive the best care possible. After a client has
their AT, computer training and software and/or hardware modification may be provided as
needed. Adaptive toys and seating/mobility devices are also available.
For clients that may not be able to live with family or who are looking for a more independent
living arrangement in which they may still receive the support they need, Aspire has 43
Individual Residential Alternative (IRA) homes that serve 320 clients. In addition to 24/7
community and independent support for residents, these homes educate caregivers and help
improve their skills. For caregivers, several respite options are offered, including “freestanding”
hourly and overnight care for all ages, along with after-school (at Aspire Center for Learning for
3 – 18 year olds) and daycare (for clients 12 years old or younger) options.
Service coordination is open to all clients. It emphasizes self-advocacy, self-direction, and
empowerment while helping clients to find their own interests and goals. Workers link clients to
community resources, help them with benefits and financial planning, help them navigate the
guardianship process, and advocate for them. In some cases, Aspire can help clients access funds
to afford environmental modifications or AT to help them stay in their home or community.
Back to Basics Ministries
Phone: 854-1086 Fax: 854-1089
Address: 1370 William St., Buffalo, NY, 14206
Website: http://backtobasicsministries.com/
Back to Basics Ministries works primarily with individuals involved in the criminal justice
system. Their first program is Prisoner Re-entry. Education is provided on living skills, civic
responsibility, and community service in order to attain the smoothest re-entry possible. Court
Advocacy is also provided to all clients, but youth and young adults mandated to work with Back
to Basics receive a higher priority. The agency provides reports and recommendations to the
court, focusing on alternatives to jail time (for instance, community service). The ultimate goal is
to decrease crime and repeated offenses.
A Family Reunification program for offenders with substance abuse issues or working on re-
entry is also offered. Sessions are 1-on-1 and focused on development and promoting family
stability and safety. Group and individual counseling are provided for families with a member
who has a substance abuse problem. Another program they offer is Choices. This is a holistic
support group that uses CBT, journaling, and value examination to help offenders with re-entry.
Youth Mentoring and Strengthening is offered to violent youth to help them build conflict
avoidance and decision-making skills, in addition to helping them avoid gangs and substance

abuse. Supportive Living/Transition Housing is available to homeless clients who are struggling
with sobriety. These sober locations help them to build supports and find their own housing.
Similarly, Back to Basics Ministries has a food pantry/clothing referral system open Monday
through Friday from 10am – 2pm, where clients can receive food, clothing, and referrals to other
local resources.
Baker Victory Services
Phone: 828-9500 or toll free: 1-888-287-1160
Address: 780 Ridge Rd., Lackawanna, NY 14218
Website: http://www.bakervictoryservices.org/
The focus of Baker Victory Services (BVS) is children. For many children, services include
foster care or adoption. Support is provided for families to find children in need domestically or
internationally for all interested families that fit BVS’s criteria. There is a 2 – 3 year waitlist for
families wanting to adopt American children (typically, these children are Caucasian infants).
There are fewer non-Caucasian infants, so typically the waitlist is shorter for these families to
adopt a child. After a domestic placement, 2 visits are required to monitor the adjustment. For
international adoptions, the process is more complex – to start, requirements for families
(available online according to situation/country of interest) are stricter than for domestic
adoptions. BVS will help with linking families to international agencies, the legal process and
clearances, notarization, documents, consultation, counseling, training and preparation, post-
placement supervision, and support.
Not all families or children are looking for, or need, adoption. For those that are not sure or are
looking for an alternative opportunity, there are the Summer Victories (connections with a variety
of countries) and Host to Adopt (specific to Columbia) programs. These allow families to open
their homes to international children for 1 month; after this, the child will return to their home
country and the family may apply to adopt that child. 24/7 support is offered, as well as weekly
support meetings and activities. Additionally, for families interested in foster care, BVS offers
24/7 case worker support, family training, and assistance in placement.
Residential services are available to developmentally disabled individuals and those with special
medical needs of any age. Different housing formats provide options for clients based on their
abilities – facilities range from individual apartments with few staff members to a 13 bed home
with staff present 24/7. They are divided into Intermediate Care Facilities (ICF), Individual
Residential Alternatives (IRA), and Individual Service Environments (ISE). Services in these
homes include physical, occupational, and speech therapies; medical; social work; nursing;
nutrition; recreation; psychological; psychiatric; educational; and spiritual. These services are

meant to encourage and promote each client’s skills and interests, and clients are able to attend
school, supportive employment, day programs, etc. as they would normally.
For clients with disabilities who are 3 years or older, services coordination is also offered. To be
eligible, the client’s life must be hindered by their disability, which may include autism,
epilepsy, traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), etc. Services are free with the acceptance of the proper
physical, psychological, and social assessments. These services go together with BVS’s Adaptive
Equipment Lending for clients’ homes. This program sends a professional to assist clients, along
with certain types of equipment, for 6 months. Equipment for rent includes mobility and
positioning devices, therapy equipment, and aids to daily living (ADL) items.
BVS also has a number of educational services, all of which use the Sanctuary© model. The first
of these is Child Pro for children of all ages. Here, children can receive evaluations, speech and
language therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, special education, social work, service
coordination, hippotherapy (HPOT), family training and support, audiology, assistive
technology, self-contained classrooms, specialized classes in an integrated setting (SCIS), and
access to parent-child groups. Necessary services are determined by Early Intervention (EI), the
Committee on Preschool Special Education (CPSE), or the Committee on Special Education
(CSE) according to each child’s age and abilities. The preschool uses a few other techniques as
well, including creative dramatics, therapy dog visits, Jump Bunch, and sensory experiences.
Child Pro also collaborates with several other local child care organizations to enhance learning.
The Early Childhood Program (ECP) uses special education; counseling; family training; and
speech, occupational, and physical therapy to help preschoolers (2½ - 5 years old) with
developmental delays such as ASD, Down’s Syndrome, ADD, sensory integration disorders,
social anxiety disorders, etc. Their curriculum, which is offered for half or full days in fully
integrated classrooms, includes a number of courses to help students with both academic and
social skills. Class sizes are about 12 – 14 children, with at least 1 special education teacher and
2 certified assistants per room. BVS’s Monarch Little Learners Academy, on the other hand, is a
full-day day care program that focuses on language, literacy, cognitive, social, and emotional
growth in a setting that encourages children to develop self-motivation skills, problem solving
skills, and self esteem. Parents can sign up their children for the full-day day care, Toddlers and
Twos (for 18 – 36 month old children), preschool, or the before and after school program.
Included with this is the Moments Notice option, which requires pre-registration but allows
access to childcare when schools are closed for holidays, bad weather, etc.
Youth and young adults can work on developing employment skills, work with tutors, attend life
skills workshops, or receive job counseling, job readiness counseling, crisis intervention, or
career exploration through the Work Appreciation for Youth (WAY) program. This is designed to
help clients appreciate the value of education and work. To be eligible, youth must be a student
at the Baker Hall School or BVS boarding school, or in a community program for high risk youth
(such as a Wraparound program). Adult eligibility is based on a referral from the OPWDD or an

ACCES/VR Supported Employment program; additionally, they must have a developmental
disability and/or mental health diagnosis. WAY offers clients translations, supported
employment, and community worksites (these provide vocational training and development, and
assessments; fields include culinary, catering, marketing, and cleaning).
As mentioned earlier, BVS has a few schools. Baker Academy has 90 special education students
with serious emotional and/or behavioral problems in 6:1:1 classrooms. All staff members are
trained in Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI), and the school as a whole uses Positive
Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS) to help students with improve their academic
performance by decreasing their behavioral issues. Occupational, physical, and speech therapy,
along with weekly individual and group counseling are available. Baker Hall School (BHS), on
the other hand, is a residential school, open to extremely challenging clients 11 – 21 years old in
grades 6 – 12. This school aims to promote growth, safety, responsibility, hope, communication,
emotional management skills, and diversity. Students with emotional disturbances, intellectual
disabilities, multiple disabilities, and/or traumatic brain injuries have a highly structured and
supportive environment to promote their growth. Classes are held in 8:1:1 rooms with a total
student body size of 120 – 130, to provide adequate care and attention. Available services
include speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, individual and group counseling,
transitional planning and support, and job skill development. Seniors have the option of taking
the elective class Student Leadership in Action, which teaches project management and
evaluation, goal setting, and proposal writing.
The day treatment program combines school and a treatment program that abides by NYS
curriculum standards and is certified by the Office of Mental Health (OMH). All clients receive
both individual and family counseling (mandatory; family sessions are required 2 times a
month), along with psychiatric services, occupational therapy, and speech therapy if needed. A
nurse and a guidance counselor are both on staff and in the building. Classes are comprised of a
maximum of 8 students, and at least one teacher and one aid. There are 9 classrooms that
encompass kindergarten through 12th
graders, as children are placed by both age and needs.
However, there is only a difference of 3 years between the youngest and oldest class members.
Although the client’s home district must provide transportation, services are free.
Residential Treatment Facilities (RTFs) are also a large component of BVS. Their standard RTF
is a 24/7 therapeutic home open to 12 – 21 year old males and females. While here, clients have
access to psychiatric, psychological, social work, and nursing services, in addition to recreational
staff and school personnel and administration. This facility concentrates on helping clients deal
with interpersonal, emotional, psychiatric, social, family, and educational issues while working
on a discharge plan and transitional services. The Special Services RTF is for hard-to-place 12 –
17 year old boys that have been previously rejected from care agencies based on their emotional
and behavioral problems. Here, the staff (with a 2:1 ratio) promote social skills, safety, decision-
making skills, anger management, and family/peer relationships. The Multiple Diagnosis
Program RTF is also for 12 – 17 year old males, open to those with an IQ from 50 – 80, with

borderline intellectual functioning, low adaptive functioning, ADD, disruptive behaviors, and/or
an emotional or behavioral disorder. This RTF focuses on teaching clients coping skills for daily
living with the goal of enabling them to live in the least restrictive environment possible. Clients
have a highly structured environment, single rooms, a comprehensive assessment, on-campus
schooling, recreational opportunities, family counseling, and specialized vocational programs.
Care teams are comprised of a Master’s level therapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, and other
professionals according to each one’s need. Services include individual and family counseling
and referrals to occupational, speech, and physical therapy as needed. The on-campus school has
a student/teacher/aid ratio of 12:1:3, a sensory room, and a behavioral specialist. Curriculum
encompasses academic, functional, and vocational growth while working on a discharge plan and
continuing care options.
The Dorothy Miller Residence is unique from the other RTFs at BVS. This home serves girls and
expectant mothers 12 – 18 years old referred by the DSS. Residents must attend school while
enrolled here and be actively involved in their treatment, which includes weekly parenting
groups and developmental play sessions with their children. This residence is highly structured to
help clients develop daily living skills for integration or reintegration. Services include medical
care, counseling, educational support, vocational training, and employment opportunities for
youth. Education is provided regarding relationship skills, vocational readiness, community
resources, conflict resolution, stress and anger management, assertiveness, and coping as a single
parent. Additional hands-on education includes personal care, nutrition meal planning and
preparation, budgeting, household management, parenting, and child development.
Outpatient counseling is available to individuals 5 – 21 years old. This includes individual,
family, and group therapy, along with medication management. BVS counseling incorporates
play and art therapies, self-psychology, and sexual abuse treatment in order to serve even the
youngest clients. Family advocates are also available to help navigate the special education
system and link families with other helpful resources.
Preventive Services are available by DSS referral. Referrals may be given to help clients with
parenting, interpersonal, or education issues; alcoholism; drug abuse; family or community
violence; or sexual abuse. This program aims to avoid out-of-home placement and to preserve
the family. Clients receive psychological consultation and individual, family, and/or group
counseling to help them build skills related to parenting, nutrition, financial management,
homemaking, good health and hygiene, and medicine care management. They may also be
referred to other agencies for counseling, stress support, advocacy, psychological consultations,
or psychiatric assessments. Families may also be referred to Intensive Preventive Services, which
includes many of the same services, with many performed in the home. This is a shorter
program, lasting 8 – 12 weeks, with 24/7 availability of the worker to the family.
BVS’s last program is Bridges 2 Health. This is open to foster families or families with children
in Office of Children & Family Services (OCFS) custody. The goal of this program is

reunification or permanency. Families may choose from support, skill building, day habilitation,
special needs community advocacy and support, prevocational services, supportive employment,
planned respite, crisis services, adaptive/ assistive equipment, accessibility modifications, and
crisis avoidance services to obtain this goal.
Beacon Center
Phone: 831-1937 Fax: 831-8837
Address: 3131 Sheridan Drive, Suite 106, Buffalo, NY 14226
Website: http://www.beaconcenter.net/
Services here focus on alcohol and drug abuse; treatment is intended for the client and for
significant individuals in the client’s life. Several programs are offered according to the type of
addiction/use affecting a person. The broadest is their outpatient counseling. Drug tests (urine or
hair) may be used throughout treatment, including during the intake process. A thorough intake
process, including a physical examination if adequate proof of a recent physical cannot be
provided, is required.
More specialized programs start with Compass House. This is open to clients with dual
substance abuse and mental health diagnoses. They use 2 phases of evidence-based treatment to
educate clients on the interactions of diagnoses and on changes in emotions, behaviors, thoughts,
and perceptions that are initiated by substance use. The next is an opiate addiction treatment
program. Evidence-based counseling is used with buprenorphine (Suboxone ®) with the goal of
minimizing withdrawal symptoms while creating a long-term change in client behavior. Learning
skills for relapse prevention and managing triggers and cravings are part of this change.
Treatment is supervised by a physician and medication is managed by the physician and the rest
of the treatment team.
There are population-specific groups as well as problem-specific groups. Clients in the
adolescent/young adult program meet with a counselor once a week individually, 2 times a week
in a group, and may attend a Family Day held 1 time a month. They receive education regarding
substance use and substance-free lifestyles, and their families are educated about substance use
and how to cope with a family member that is struggling with use. There is also a Women’s
Group that looks at substance use as it relates to gender roles within a social context. Often, there
is a focus on past and/or present sexual issues, as they are often linked. Because of this, there is
also an emphasis on self-esteem. The Men’s Group similarly looks at substance use within the
context of gender in society, focusing on values and issues related to being male in this society.
Topics usually include domestic violence, relationships, and how to handle emotions. This
program aims for life-long recovery and to improve clients’ relationships.

Big Brothers Big Sisters
Phone: 873-5833
Address: 85 River Rock Drive, Suite 107, Buffalo, NY 14207
Website: www.beafriend.org
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) offers 1-on-1 mentoring to children 6 – 16 years old through a
few variations of their program, all of which focus on the relationship between the child (the
“Little”) and the volunteer (the “Big”). They are intended to provide the child with a positive
role model, support, and a friend. Community Based Mentoring requires a few hours per month
in which the Little and Big take part in positive recreational activities. A more formal program
offered is the Mentor/Advocacy Program. This involves a case manager and a case advocate
helping (and making sure that) the client attends counseling, goes to court, completes educational
responsibilities, obtains or maintains employment, or helps them get along with family members,
as needed. Additionally, they provide support and guidance, encourage participation in
extracurricular and educational activities (such as school events), and promote community
service and engagement.
In Buffalo, BBBS has undertaken some educational programs as well in the effort to keep
students in school and improve their learning and the overall graduation rates. Their Site Based
Program brings volunteers into schools during the day to meet with students for 1 hour a week.
In this time, they engage in planned, approved activities and are supervised by a BBBS
coordinator. Meanwhile, the Transforming Buffalo through Mentoring and Education™ program
specifically aims to raise high school graduation rates. Bigs encourage Littles to attend school,
perform to their best ability, attend school events, and maintain a positive attitude. For a few
hours, 2 or more times per month, the Big will combine activities with school lessons, for
instance, by taking students to a museum, talking about their day, or working on a school project
together. The Big also makes a relationship with the Little’s teacher(s) and attends events with
the Little. A BBBS case manager will also work with the Big, Little, and the Little’s family.
Boys and Girls Club
Phone: 825-1016 Fax: 825-0243
Address: 282 Babcock St., Buffalo, NY 14210
Website: http://www.bgcbuffalo.org/default.asp
This agency serves youth and their families. There is a focus on the development of several types
of skills here: character and leadership, education/career, health, life skills, fitness and recreation,

and the arts. Through this development, they aim to increase clients’ self esteem, encourage
positive attitudes and behaviors, and improve their lives. One of the main goals of the Boys and
Girls Club is prevention. Their programs are designed to help youth with behavioral issues and to
keep them from following poor examples. Staff will engage with parents, family members, peers,
and other adults to meet these ends.
The first character and leadership development program is Torch Club. This is for 9 – 13 year
olds; they may elect officers and participate in service projects and social activities. At 14 – 18,
youth move into the Keystone Club, where they take a greater role in the same activities and also
have a chance to attend Keystone Conferences. Meanwhile, the Youth for Unity program
addresses biases and stereotypes while providing cultural education. More hours spent working
with these programs can equate to financial assistance to pay for college or school loans.
Job readiness training, to help youth find, get, and keep a job, is the broadest education and
career service offered. Power Hour offers homework help, tutoring, and practice for skills that
help them become more independent learners. Project Learn blends education with recreation;
activities such as leisure reading and writing, informative talks, helping others, homework help,
tutoring, and cognitive games (such as Scrabble) are emphasized in order to encourage clients to
engage in these activities independently. Similar to this program are Kids Litz and Math Litz.
Kids Litz has one weekly meeting where youth can read novels – sometimes aloud – to help
improve their literacy skills. This provides them with a fun, non-judgmental, and less academic
setting to practice. Similar to this is Math Litz, where youth can work at an age-appropriate level
with math-related and interactive games, activities, and stories. The last of these programs, Goals
for Growth, is aimed at 8 – 12 year olds to help them set and achieve goals, identify strengths,
and improve their self esteem.
Arts programs go beyond the academics to engage the creative side of clients. It begins with
Young Audiences, which gives youth on-site exposure to visual arts, theater, music, dance, and
literature. The next step is Fine-Arts Exhibit Program; this runs year-round for 6 – 18 year olds.
This program gives them the opportunity to experiment with drawing, painting, print-making,
collages, mixed media, and sculpture. Client artwork is displayed, and winning pieces are
entered in the national Boys and Girls Club conference. Photographers can likewise participate in
the National Photography Contest for the Boys and Girls Club. Youth can also go on guided
tours of Griffis Sculpture Park. These displays are interactive, meaning they are able to climb on
and play with the artwork. Youth also receive lessons in art with steel, pastel, print-making,
mixed media, and collage sculptural designs.
There are a number of youth health and life skills programs offered, which are meant to increase
positive behaviors, help them set goals, and improve their life skills through education. The first
is SMART Moves – this is a prevention program aimed at decreasing, or at least increasing the
safety of, drug and alcohol use and sexual activities. Street SMART helps clients with anti-gang,
violence, and negative street influences. It aims to increase their awareness of and ability to

resolve conflict. Girls 10 – 15 years old may also join SMART Girls, which promotes healthy
attitudes and lifestyles. It emphasizes nutrition, healthy habits, communication skills, and self-
appreciation. The parallel program for 11 – 14 year old boys is Passport to Manhood. This is
meant to help boys with transitions and challenges in their pre-teen years/early adolescence. All
youth are able to attend Kids Café. This program focuses on nutrition, food preparation, and food
storage education, and clients learn how to prepare healthy meals. It is designed so that youth
must apply and earn points to spend within the club, much like a job. Social skills, etiquette,
manners, and patience are emphasized, as are communication, writing, and math skills. Health
360 concentrates on nutrition information, including choice, calories, vitamins and minerals, the
food pyramid, portion size, and physical activity.
Connected to the health and life programs are the sports. The Varsity Club Hockey Program
offers recreational and competitive hockey for youth. Teamwork, individual development,
healthy competition, and fun are emphasized. A broader range of sports, including baseball,
hockey, volleyball, flag football, basketball, and softball is available through Inner-Club,
Sports/Activities. This group also has activities like picnics and field trips for the youth. Other
recreation activities are open for clients; these include going to Buffalo and college sporting
events, museums, theater events, conferences, parks, etc.
A few school-related options are open as well. The first is the out of school suspension (OSS)
program for students suspended from public and Buffalo United Charter schools. The focus here
is on the social influences for negative behaviors and individual challenges. It is a structured
program that dedicates 2 hours to educational activities and 1 hour to why the student was
suspended. The second program is home instruction, which is also aimed at suspended students.
This is only offered for a few schools now and they use the same outline as OSS. Students that
do well in this program may then join the Boys and Girls Club if they wish to do so.
Harder services are also provided in the form of drives; these include Operation Santa, School
Supplies, Clothing Program (by referral only), and Sight for Students (referral only, dependent
on income). A Wraparound Initiative is open to clients referred by a care coordinator, and
Parent Social Nights is open to clients’ parents to give them the opportunity to meet with staff
and socialize 2 times a month.
BryLin Behavioral Health Services
Phone: 886-8200
Address: 1263 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14209
Website: https://www.brylin.com/

BryLin Behavioral Health Services (BryLin) is perhaps most well-known for their short-term,
crisis stabilization hospital; there is no psychiatric emergency room or emergency evaluations
here. Voluntary patients are accepted 24/7, and most insurances are accepted. Patients 21 – 64
years old should note that straight Medicaid is not accepted for this age group. However, they do
offer a number of other services for those struggling with severe mental symptoms.
Specialized child and adolescent inpatient services are provided for patients 5 – 17 years old
with severe emotional or behavioral disorders. A team with a psychiatrist, psychiatric nurse,
counselor, recreational therapist, and other mental health providers (as needed) is used to provide
holistic treatment, always while keeping a safe discharge plan in mind. An education coordinator
is also involved to support each patient’s academic progress. This starts with an assessment of
the patient’s medication, psychological, psychiatric, social, nutritional, educational, spiritual, and
cultural standing. The treatment plan includes educational and therapeutic group that focus on
emotional well-being, self worth, health and wellness, and relationship development. The entire
family is also actively involved with the planning and treatment process. Adult inpatient services
are also available for patients 18 years or older. Individual, group, and pet therapy are used with
stress and medication management. These traditional techniques are used alongside supplemental
holistic treatment options offered include yoga, massage, tai chi, and pastoral care. While family
involvement is highly encouraged, it is not required for adult services. Peer advocates are also
available in this program to help support both patients and their families.
BryLin is one of few local places that use electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), which is an
American Psychological Association (APA) endorsed treatment. This is used most often for
clients experiencing severe depression, mania, schizophrenia, or other psychiatric disorders, and
has been shown to have success rate that is 2 – 3 times more successful than medication. More
information about ECT and the process can be found on their website.
Outpatient adult mental health services are offered to clients over 18 years old. This is designed
to help with symptom management and reduction, skill building, coping skills, and to provide
support. Treatment includes psychiatric evaluation and assessment, individual and group therapy,
medication management, crisis intervention, etc. Additionally, several therapies are offered:
anxiety, depression, and stress management; trauma focused; dialectic behavior therapy (DBT);
CBT; eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR); emotional regulation, and
mindfulness. This program goes along with BryLin’s outpatient substance abuse counseling for
adolescents and adults. Here, individual and group counseling are used for all, and family
participation is required for adolescents. Treatment involves options such as opiate recovery,
various groups, meditation and relaxation, co-occurring groups, and free weekly family group
sessions (for those that call ahead to reserve space). There is also a specialized Impaired Drivers
Program for those charged or convicted of impaired driving that works with clients’ attorneys
and the DMV. Clients need a clinical screening or assessment to be eligible for this program.

Buffalo Employment and Training Center
Phone: 856-5627 (JOBS) Fax: 856-5670
Address: 77 Goodell St., Buffalo, NY 14203
Website: http://www.workforcebuffalo.org/default.asp
As implied, the Buffalo Employment and Training Center (the Center) offers free employment
related training, and child care is provided. To start, they offer workshops on computers and
various programs (such as word processing, Exel, powerpoints, etc.) and on job skill (like job
searching, resume and cover letter assistance, and interview tips). Education is also provided for
the GED, math and reading skills, etc. Clients also have access to clerical services, computers,
and the internet while at the Center. Career counseling is also available to help deal with the
stress of finding a new job.
After education and training, career planning and assessment are offered. Staff members help
clients make a plan, conduct work skills assessments, and help test clients to best prepare them
for the workforce. Test guides and samples are available for police, correctional officer, and toll
collector positions. When clients are ready, help with searching for jobs, preparing for
interviews, and sending resumes is available. Once hired, on-the-job training is available to
benefit both employees and employer.
Veterans (and eligible spouses) are given priority treatment at the Center. They are served first
by the staff and receive top priority for jobs and training. They may also be linked to the career
one-stop Veterans’ ReEmployment site, where they are linked to employers and further training
services.
Youth-specific services are also offered. Youth whose families receive TANF may obtain
summer employment. Other low-income youth 14 – 21 years old or who did not complete high
school may come to the Center for career advice and counseling, academic help and GED
preparation workshops. Assistance is also available with resumes, job searching, networking,
and interviews. They provide education on laws related to youth employment, working papers,
job outlooks, apprenticeships, colleges, financial aid, and Americorps, and can link clients to job
searches, including for summer employment. Although this program is intended to help open
employment opportunities for youth, there may be conditions that must be met at the discretion
of Center staff according to the circumstances.
The Center also offers services to help ex-offenders search for employment. They are connected
to the Federal Bonding Program and Tax Credit Program if they are hired within 1 year of their
conviction or release.

Employers looking for staff can access a database of youth and adults looking for jobs. The
database allows employers to screen members to help them find a good fit for their company.
Buffalo Pregnancy Care Center
Phone: 833-7100
Address: 3210 Main St, Buffalo, NY 14214
Website: http://www.buffalocare.org/
Services offered here are free, confidential, and specific to pregnancy related considerations.
Tests and verification of pregnancies are offered with ultrasounds. Other hard services include
assistance obtaining baby clothes and other items. They also provide education and information
on abstinence, prenatal development, abortion and alternatives, pregnancy prevention, and STDs.
Clients can also get referrals to other agencies and services if needed.
Buffalo Prenatal Perinatal Network Program
Phone: 884-6711
Address: 625 Delaware Ave., Suite 410, Buffalo, NY 14202
Website: http://www.bppn.org/
The primary goal of this agency is to decrease the socioeconomic differences in perinatal and
maternal health, especially as they are correlated so highly with racial and ethnic minorities.
With this in mind, services are available in English and Spanish. For clients with children up to 5
years old, Healthy Families NY provides education on child development and linkage while
promoting self-advocacy. This program is intended to help parents promote healthy child
development while appropriately meeting their child’s needs.
Healthy Start is one of these programs. It is culturally, ethnically, and linguistically sensitive and
aims to provide services in a way that makes clients as comfortable as possible. Workers target
neighborhoods with poor infant health factors and work with families before, during, and after
pregnancy to promote their child’s health. Maternal Infant Community Health Collaborative
works with families during those periods as well, although their focus is more on the mothers.
They provide referrals, education on family planning, and assistance getting insurance and
medical care. Follow-up is also available for clients.

Buffalo Urban League
Phone: 250-2400 Fax: 854-8960
Address: 15 Genesee Street, Buffalo, NY 14203-1405
Website: http://buffalourbanleague.org/
This agency aims to improve the lives of Buffalo residents and thereby the city as a whole. This
starts with the family system and adoption and foster care services. This starts with a home
evaluation, which includes counseling, training, advocacy, and support. Children and families are
matched and counseling continues throughout the process. Counseling, support groups, medical
services, and advocacy are provided for the children, while birth parents receive counseling
(especially for separation and loss issues) and support group access.
For families that are trying to avoid out of home placement or aiming for reunification three
programs are available, starting with family group conferencing. This program is designed to
help families make decisions independently – staff members intentionally do not make decisions
or recommendations. It is for families with children 5 years old or younger who are in foster
care, or children under 18 years old who are at a high risk of placement. Similarly, WRAP
services are available to families of children aged 5 – 17 years old with high social, emotional,
mental, and/or behavioral needs who are at risk of out-of-home placement. This includes
individual, family, and group therapy; skill building for parents and children; in-home behavioral
services’ diagnostic assessment; and Rise and Shine. Preventive Services are similar for families
with children 18 years old or younger. A case manager helps clients with home-based services
and referrals while a parent aide helps educate parents on child safety and development,
discipline, supervision, household management, and other parenting skills. Families must be
referred through Erie County’s DSS.
The Multi-Service Center houses a number of services. Included here is a food pantry that may
be visited 1 time a month by residents of zip code 14202 and those in urgent need. A photo ID,
along with proof of residency and income are required for the whole household. The Center also
serves breakfast, lunch, and a snack daily. Workshops for meal preparation and preventive health
care are offered, along with screenings, an exercise and education program, van transportation
for sponsored events, a telephone assistance program (TAP) for homebound seniors, recreational
activities, and support in filling out forms.
Several services are open to youth exclusively; the first is Youth Engagement Services (YES) for
at-risk 14 – 21 years olds enrolled in Buffalo Public Schools who are TANF eligible. This
provides them with academic support, social development, life skills, and career exploration.
The Your Life Change Opportunity is intended for at-risk 17 – 24 year olds in Erie County living
below 70% of the living standard. They should be sober and committed to change. Here, they
receive GED preparation, certification trainings, and field experience – some with stipends. This

aims to prepare youth for employment, higher education, an apprenticeship, or the military.
Another youth-specific service is tied to adoption: Prevention and Post-Adoptive Services. Youth
participate in 1-on-1 and group mentorship and case management. They develop an individual
career plan (ICP) in which they assess clients’ career exposure and education and/or training.
Workshops are provided on financial literacy, cooking, nutrition, health care, and parenting
while providing access to mental health assessments and treatment, substance use treatment, and
public assistance. Services focus on self-esteem, self-worth, empowerment, and social skills.
The Employment Transition is similar to the youth services. It is for 18+ year olds in Erie County
who are under- or unemployed, or that are dislocated workers. This service provides case
management, job training, and job searching assistance in order to increase clients’ prospectives.
The Green Jobs Construction Program is also for 18+ year olds in Erie County. It teaches basic
construction skills and energy efficient techniques in carpentry, windows, doors, electric,
drywall, plastering, painting, roofing, siding, cement, masonry, landscaping, paving, heavy
equipment, and safety. The youth version, for clients 17 – 24 years old, is called Youth Build.
The skills taught are slightly different and include: OSHA training, lead safety, energy
efficiency, health, safety, carpentry, electrical, drywall, painting, roofing, siding, digital literacy,
and financing. Participants receive a National Work Readiness credential, and may also take
GED, Driver’s Education, and heavy equipment operation classes.
Re-entry services are available to 18+ year olds who were convicted as adults of non-sex-related
crimes. After receiving a referral from NYS Parole, workers start teaching work readiness before
clients are released, or to those who are on parole. They aim to help with the transition through
family reunification and job placement leading towards long-term employment through services
such as family reunification, family court support and enforcement assistance, benefit access, job
training/coaching, getting identification, housing assistance, job assessment an placement, GED
or other education or training, mentoring, and support.
The Housing Counsel was created to help clients avoid mortgage foreclosure. Workers help
clients find affordable housing or a rental, with limited financial assistance in extreme cases.
They may also provide up to $500 for minor home repairs. If they are unable to prevent fore-
closure, they provide food pantry and emergency shelter links. To help clients get on their feet,
they provide financial literacy education that includes information on budgeting, credit repair,
predatory lending, etc. Fair housing counseling and education is also available; this focuses on
fair housing rights and responsibilities, along with the process of reporting a violation of these.
Buffalo Urban League also supports small businesses and the self-employed. The Minority and
Women’s Business Technical Assistance and Loan program provides loans to business in Erie
County that have been open for 1 year or more, along with post-loan technical support, training,
and referrals. These loans are meant for equipment, inventory, or working capital.

Catholic Charities
Phone: (Service Information and Referral) 856-4494 (or main office: 218-1400)
Address: (Service Information and Referral) 525 Washington St., Buffalo, NY 14203 (or main
office: 741 Delaware Ave., Buffalo, NY 14209)
Website: http://www.ccwny.org/
As a long-established agency, Catholic Charities offers a great number of services. For those
looking at chemical dependency treatment program or mental health counseling, there are a few
options. The Monsignor Carr Clinics offer chemical dependency treatment that includes eval-
uation, therapy (for individuals, groups, and families), and crisis intervention, and is integrated
with mental health treatment as well. Groups are offered for Adult Children of Alcoholics, co-
dependency, relapse prevention, women’s issues, young adult issues, and anger management.
Some clinics concentrate only on mental health, and certain ones specifically serve children 3 –
18 years old and their families. These offer individual, group, and family therapy; medication
and behavior management; and parenting skills. Mental health counseling may also include
therapy, workshops, psychological assessment, spiritual direction, and some neuropsychological
assessment. Specialized treatment is also available for victims of abuse. Mental health
counseling is offered for the homebound, in in-patient centers, at certain Catholic Charities
offices, for clergy members, members of religious communities (and their candidates), and lay
church ministers. Similarly, Multisystemic Therapy Services are open to 12 – 17 year olds who
exhibit delinquent behavior in 2 or more settings and are at risk of the Persons In Need of
Supervision program (PINS) or out-of-home placement. This program is family focused, offers
24/7 support, and lasts about 3 – 5 months. It aims to decrease arrest, substance use, and out-of-
home placement while improving the family’s functioning and relationships and the youth’s
school attendance.
Emergency assistance is available for those in desperate need of help accessing food,
prescriptions, housing, or heating. Catholic Charities helps clients with National Fuel’s Neighbor
for Neighbor heat fund, which is designed to help high-need individuals (such as the elderly,
handicapped, and impoverished) who have exhausted their HEAP benefits are in an emergency
situation. More information is available at www.natfuel.com. Catholic Charities has information
on, may refer to, or have food pantries for clients in need in East and South Buffalo,
Lackawanna, and the Perry Projects. Through their affiliation with the Ladies of Charity, clients
may also receive clothing if needed. Care coordinators may also refer clients to Catholic
Charities’ holiday donation services, the Bookbag Program (for school supplies), Fresh Start
(for displaced clients in need of basic household items), the Layette Program (provides clothing
to newborns and their mothers), First Communion (provides clothes to those about to make the

sacrament), or the Reading Enrichment Program (volunteers read to kids in a library or daycare,
provide individual attention, and new books for the children).
A number of services are offered related to foster care and adoption, including a 10-week
training for potential parents. The Incredible Years Parent Training is also used here; this is a
free, evidence based, 12-week program that provides education and support to parents regarding
discipline and communication. Free childcare and transportation are available. For more severe
cases, Intensive or Supportive Case Management is offered to help keep the child in the home
while reducing the need for and level of care. The Monitored Exchange program is available for
separated families with an Order of Protection in place or with extreme parental conflict to
provide a safe place for the child(ren) while the parents are in close proximity. A social worker
facilitates the exchange and tries to help parents improve their communication and problem-
solving in order to minimize conflict. A sliding fee option is offered for this service. The
Therapeutic Supervised Parent/Child Access program is similarly aimed at separated families,
but who are involved in Family Court. For a sliding fee, it provides a safe place for children to
see their non-custodial parent. The Our Kids program is likewise designed for separating parents:
it offers education on child development and the implications of this on the impact of such
separation on the children, family law, conflict management, and problem solving. Ex-partners
will be placed in separate groups, and a sliding fee is offered for this as well. Therapeutic
Visitation is offered for free to clients referred by the Erie County Department of Social Services
with the goal of reunification and/or permanency. Therapeutic, supportive, and step-out options
are available. Another free program is connected to WIC. Through this, Catholic Charities
educates clients on breastfeeding, nutrition, support, food vouchers, and referrals; application
forms are available online. The Young Parents program is open to pregnant or parenting
individuals 12 – 25 years old. It provides home-based education and support to help improve
clients’ parenting skills.
Catholic Charities offers a PINS program as an alternative to court or probation. This service is
free with a court referral and is designed to mediate between the youth, parents, and others. With
a referral from Social Services, preventive services are available to provide family counseling
and linkage for children at high risk of out-of-home placement. Specialized care is given to
children already residing with non-parent family members.
There are also some school-related services offered, such as Closing the Gap. This is in place
only in certain schools, but it integrates health and human services to help students and families
with non-academic barriers that might impede the student’s academic performance. Another
program is In-School Social Work (ISSW). This offers individual and small group counseling,
classroom presentations, parent/teacher/principal collaboration, and staff development to
strengthen students and improve their character. Focuses of these interventions include healthy
relationships, safety, conflict resolution, school success, responsibility, peer pressure, bullying,
and more. School Intervention Services (SIS) is offered to at-risk clients of any age. Family
counseling and school advocacy are offered, and for students who have dropped out,

education/vocational counseling, job search skills education, individual and family counseling,
and referrals are offered as well.
Other services for youths are offered outside of schools, such as the Catholic Charities Service
Corps (CCSC). This program is for young adult volunteers who wish to live for one year
(August to August) in a volunteer community (with concentrations in health clinics, inner city
schools, etc.) that integrates faith and life skills. The Cheektowaga Youth Engaged in Service
(YES) program is for 12 – 18 year old volunteers to work with children, seniors, and the
physically challenged. Services are free and include workshops, leadership opportunities, and a
mandatory orientation. There is also a program for Education and Workforce Development for
16+ year olds to earn their high school equivalency, apply for their GED, and gain employment.
Tutoring, diagnosis of needs, and evaluation of personal goals are offered. Job readiness skills
classes concentrate on resume writing, cover letters, thank-yous, understanding rights,
networking, resources, decision-making, conflict, resolution, and career exploration. Project
Jump Start is designed for 14 – 17 year olds who live in Buffalo and have been involved with the
juvenile justice system in the past year. This helps them with education, employment, case
management, and mentoring services. The Work and Gain Education and Employment
(WAGEES) works on the same goals with 18 – 24 year olds who have been involved in the
juvenile justice system and live in Buffalo.
Specialized services are offered to victims of domestic violence. The broadest are counseling and
advocacy, offered to victims and children. Support groups are also offered weekly for victims.
Their Domestic Violence Program for Men is a collaborative effort with the police, Family and
Criminal Justice Courts, the District Attorney’s office, Probation, and Victim Services aimed at
systemic reformation. This program is designed for court-mandated male offenders 18+ years
old. It is a 26 consecutive week program, 1.5 hours a week, which educates clients about the
history of and how to end domestic violence, and the impact of such violence on the family. The
Journey Forward Resiliency Enhancement Program is the corresponding 2 – 5 week program for
the mothers and children. Its primary purpose is to educate clients on the impact of domestic
violence and how to end the cycle. Creative art outlets are offered, as is an optional camping trip
at the end, which is intended to promote bonding.
Refugee Services are another type offered. The Immigrant and Refugee Assistance Program
helps clients from the US Conference of Catholic Bishops/Migration Refugee Services
(USCCB/MRS) with issues related to housing, food, clothing, and employment. Employment and
support services are offered for free to all local refugees. English as a Second Language (ESL)
classes are offered through BPS Adult Education – more can be found at www.upskill.org.
Naturalization application help, workshops, citizenship classes, and immigration legal
consultations are also offered.
A Gathering Place is a program offered for senior citizens who are frail, functionally impaired,
isolated, or cognitively challenged. This program offers assessment, a plan of care, group and

individual activities, a hot lunch, snacks, and some showering and transportation. Help with
mobility, eating, toileting, and hygiene is provided, and some subsidized slots are available. The
seniors’ Comprehensive Care Program is offered with free, sliding scale, and flexible payment
slots. Consultation, assessment, comprehensive evaluation, care planning, case management and
coordination, help navigating the system for entitlements, referrals, links, follow-up, advocacy,
family/caregiver support, and community education are available through this program. The
Foster Grandparent Services is a different type of program for seniors: income-eligible
individuals 55+ years old are paired with children with special needs. A stipend, transportation,
and a meal are provided. Meanwhile, Project HOPE (Helping Older People Excel) offers in-
home care coordination for a short amount of time for 60+ year olds with a mental health
diagnosis. This provides links, referrals, advocacy, and formal and informal interventions to
decrease clients’ risk of out-of-home placement. It also helps seniors navigate entitlements,
provides support to their families, and offers workshops for skill-building and networking. The
last senior-specific program offered in Telephone Assistance Program (TAP). This free service
has volunteers call homebound seniors or disabled individuals regularly in order to check on
their well-being and to provide them with an opportunity for socialization.
Catholic Charities offers sundry other services as well. Parish Outreach is provided to help
parishes grow by developing parishioners’ skills. Consultation, supervision, and training are
provided. A unique program for the Buffalo diocese is the Catholic Guild for the Blind; this
offers social and spiritual opportunities, as well as transportation and other services to those who
are totally or legally blind.
Child and Adolescent Treatment Services (CATS)
Phone: 819-3420 Fax: 819.3430
Address: 301 Cayuga Road, Suite 200, Cheektowaga, NY 14225
Website: https://www.mentalhealthforwnykids.org/default.aspx
CATS offers counseling, group treatment, suicide prevention services, services for victims of
sexual acts, psychiatric and psychological consultation, medications, and educational
presentations for clients 2 – 21 years old and their families. They often employ DBT and Parent-
Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), depending on the needs and age of the client.
An Independent Living program is offered for 14 – 21 year olds with a DDS referral. Here, the
client learns skills for independence, employment, self-support, and stability, in addition to
receiving help to access resources, find productive opportunities, improve their quality of life,
finish their education, and access the mental health system. Clients with their own children can

enroll in the Powerful Families Program, which concentrates on financial literacy, personal
advocacy, and community leadership skills.
There is an Intensive Case Management (ICM) Wraparound program intended to keep youth in
their own homes and help them to increase their own independence. The whole family is
involved in creating a treatment plan, and a team is comprised of natural supports for the client.
Clients that have mental health, behavioral, or other disruptive issues may be referred by the
Family Service Team, Juvenile Delinquent Service Team, Formal Probation, or the Family
Voices Network for Supportive Care Coordination (SCC) (Spanish-speaking workers are
available). SCC is intended to help families avoid out-of-home placement and stabilize the home
situation by linking them to community resources.
The Lee Gross Anthone Child Advocacy Center (CAC) is a “one-stop” team of medical, mental
health, and child protection professionals; prosecutors; and police that is meant to protect clients
from abuse and further victimization. In a trauma-informed approach, they collaborate in order
avoid forcing the client to retell their story and risking further re-traumatizing the client. Nurses
and pediatricians are specialized and trained in the effort to further protect clients.
Child and Family Services
Phone: 842-2750 Fax: 842-0668
Address: 330 Delaware Ave., Buffalo, NY 14202
Website: www.cfsbny.org
As their name implies, Child and Family Services offers a number of services in the effort to
assist children and their families experiencing a variety of situations. Individual and family
counseling are offered for clients of all ages. Walk-ins and pre-made appointments are both
available, and most insurances (including Medicaid and Medicare) are accepted. Anger
management classes are also available. This is an 8 – 10 week program for 13 – 20 year olds,
designed to help them take responsibility for themselves, identify triggers, and give them the
opportunity to practice adaptive responses. Medicaid and Child Health Plus insurances are
accepted, otherwise, classes are about $65 each. Another program offered is their Sexual
Offender Management Program (SOMP) for men and women 12 years and older. Through
personal assessment and group therapy sessions, it aims to reduce future abuse and collaborates
with courts, WNY probation departments, and NYS parole. Additional services are offered for
clients’ family members so that they may support the client through their treatment while dealing
with the abusive behavior. Adults must be mandated by the court, but adolescent offenders may

be referred by the Department of Social Services, courts, probation officers, professionals,
agencies, or their parents. For adolescents, most insurances are accepted.
Preventive Services are also offered to help prevent out-of-home placement and promote healthy
family functioning through problem solving, coping with other people, and in-home counseling.
These services are free, but a referral is needed from the Erie County Department of Social
Services. Specialized Kinship Preventive Services are offered as well; counselors help families
with problem solving skills and help them to identify other necessary services. Although similar
to traditional preventive services, this aims to prevent out-of-home placement, but it also works
with the child(ren)’s birth family to aim for reunification. Foster care and adoption services are
offered also. Child and Family Services will help match children and families, including those in
need of therapeutic placements. After-hours Child Protection Services looks into reports of abuse
and neglect, and provides emergency foster homes if necessary.
Another type of service offered is residential treatment. This is available to clients up to 21 years
old with special behavioral or emotional needs. Small groups are held to help clients work
through trauma and other challenges, with the ultimate goal of helping them return home or to
move to the least restrictive residence possible. The Home and Community-Based Services
Waiver Program (HCBSW) allows for 5 – 17 year old clients with a serious emotional diagnosis
to stay in their own home (or other setting) during treatment. This includes crisis response,
intensive in-home services, respite, skill building, and family support. Intensive Care
Management (ICM) Wraparound Program is open to clients 17 years old or younger with an
emotional, behavioral, or mental diagnosis at high risk of out-of-home placement. For those in
Child and Family Services’ wraparound, HCBSW, or outside Bridges to Health (B2H) programs,
vendor services are available. Clients will be linked to services such as counseling, mentors,
tutoring, parent skill builders, respite, crisis training, therapeutic recreation, etc., in order to help
prevent out-of-home placement.
For local companies, Child and Family Services offers an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
This offers consultation and training to employees and employers to assist with emotional,
family, and substance abuse issues. Other associated organizations are as follows: The Center for
Resolution and Justice similarly offers mediation for families, neighbors, employees/employers,
parents/schools, landlords/tenants, etc. who need extra assistance solving their disputes. They
also provide education, training, and workshops to the community. Haven House is a safe,
confidential, home- and community-based resource for victims (and children) of domestic
violence. Here, clients can be linked with other resources, and children are offered education on
coping and conflict resolution skills. The last listed association of Child and Family Services is
with the Stanley Falk Schools.

Compass House
Phone: 886-1351 Fax: 886-8387
Address: 1451 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14209
Website: http://www.compasshouse.org/
Compass House provides runaway, homeless, and high-risk youth with free, confidential,
voluntary services. They offer shelter for 12 – 17 year olds. The home is staffed 24/7 and
provides clients temporarily with crisis counseling, hot meals, and a bed. The Resource Center,
on the other hand, is a non-residential program for 14 – 24 year olds to access case management,
cooking and laundry facilities, and personal care items, and independent living skills education.
Individual, group, and family counseling are also offered.
The Street Outreach Team, meanwhile, visits neighborhoods, youth centers, and other places for
youth to share information about local, youth-centered resources. They also hand out toiletry
bags to youth who need the supplies. Additionally, fundraising is done by various special events
held throughout the year.
Compeer
Phone: 883-3331 Fax: 883-3395
Address: 135 Delaware Avenue, Suite 210, Buffalo, New York 14202
Website: http://www.compeerbuffalo.org/
The primary focus of Compeer is mentoring, with several categories available. The first is a
mentoring program for kids 3 – 7 years old. This is meant to provide them with a role model and
friend. They meet for 1+ hours per week for at least one year. There are additionally two options
for middle-school aged children; the first is Across Ages. This is intended to help prevent risky
behaviors in vulnerable youth – the unique aspect of Across Ages is that the mentor is 50+ years
old. They concentrate on life skills, community service, academic assistance, and family
activities in order to achieve their goals. The second option, which is attended by the youth and a
mentor, parent, or other adult, is called Second Step. It targets impulsive and aggressive
behaviors by increasing clients’ empathy, internal problem solving, anger management, and
other related behaviors.
A more specific option is Mentoring Children of Prisoners: Caregiver’s Choice. Open to youth
with 1 or both parents incarcerated in either state or federal prison (including those who are close
to release from prison and re-entry), this allows caregivers a say into which mentoring program

they would prefer for their child, beyond those offered at Compeer. All options have been
screened for safety and quality.
For adults in need of mentoring, programs are available according to age: 18 – 59 years old or
60+ years old. These programs offer companionship, mentorship, socialization, and recreation to
clients who may otherwise be lonely or otherwise isolated.
Compeer offers 2 veteran-specific services. One volunteer program is Vet2Vet. Trained military
veteran volunteers are matched with veteran clients in what should be a mutually fulfilling and
beneficial relationship. While the client receives support, empathy, and encouragement to help
them through difficult times, the volunteer has an opportunity for fulfilling and meaningful
community service. The relationship provides both with a connection and support. Along similar
lines, Operation Family Caregiver is open to all service members and veterans who have
recently returned from a deployment. This service is personalized for each family to help the
service member transition back into daily State-side life.
The last service offered by Compeer is a type of employee assistance program. Called Workplace
Wellness, this is an 8-hour evidence-based certification for mental health first aid. It aims to help
employees identify mental health symptoms and prepare them for the possibility of crisis
intervention. Education is provided on leading by example (for managers), daily practices
employees can use at work to promote good mental health, the mind-body connection and its
relevance in the workplace, bullying and mental health, harassment, and morale.
Crisis Service
24 Hour Hotline: 834-3131 Kids Helpline: 834-1144 or 1-877-KIDS-400
Phone: 834-2310 Fax: 834-9881
Address: 2969 Main Street, Buffalo, New York 14214
Website: http://crisisservices.org/
Whether emergency services are required for an individual or a group, Crisis Services is
equipped to handle a variety of situations. Volunteers and staff are all trained to react to a variety
of situations in the most effective and helpful ways possible. Perhaps their most well-known
service is their 24 hour hotline (and their Kid’s Helpline, specifically meant for children),
available to clients of any age for free. Workers are all trained professionals or paraprofessionals,
ready to deal with personal, emotional, and mental health crises. Over the phone they can
provide crisis counseling, lethality assessments, and offer support, referrals, and information. For
callers that present with high lethality or suicidal intent, workers can connect them with the

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