OMAHA, Neb. — This week, the Omaha Home for Boys is launching their brand new Crisis Stabilization Program to help at-risk youths with therapy, support and family reunification. The program was able to come to fruition thanks to an anonymous donor.
The Crisis Stabilization Program is a short-term, 45-day program with a 45-day goal.
"The majority of our young people, we want that goal to be reunification with their family unit. There may be occasion when we have to look at a different goal. However, our primary goal is always going to be reunification," Omaha Home for Boys chief program officer Brandy Gustoff said.
The hallways of the center may be empty now, but Gustoff says that will not be the case in a few days once the program kicks off.
"If we could open today, we would be filled with eight young people right away. So there's clearly a need in the community for programs like this," she said.
They can't open yet due to some minor technical issues. But once the doors are open, the 12 to 18 year olds from juvenile probation will receive therapy, education and housing.
"We were approached by local probation and there is a strong need in our community to have programs like ours, Crisis Stabilization. We aren't putting young people in detention because there's something going on in their life or putting them in foster care placement," Gustoff said.
If all goes according to plan, the center will open Wednesday. Organizers say there's already a list of people that hope to attend. The program is able to house eight boys and girls at a time.
