About Youth Health Service

All services at YHS are guided by a set of basic beliefs. The following five core beliefs are held by all YHS staff members. We believe:

• Communities and families must provide environments were children and young people are cared for, encouraged and assisted in their growth and development.
• Problems in the lives of children and young people represent undiscovered opportunities for growth rather than insurmountable deficits or obstacles.
• Young people and their families have a right to be served by mental health and child care professionals who are ethical, culturally competent and able to serve them without discrimination.
• YHS supports and encourages collaboration and coordination of local resources in efforts to meet community needs.
• Young people and their families have a right to make informed life choices including choosing to participate in YHS services and the planning of such services.

History

Youth Health Service (YHS) was established in 1978, by the Family Health Service, Inc., to serve the health needs of children and adolescents who live in all of Randolph and Tucker Counties and the connecting regions of Barbour and Pocahontas Counties.

Licensed Behavior Health Center
In 1989, YHS became a licensed Behavior Health Center providing mental health and social services to children ages birth through 17 years.

Home Ties Child Care and Development Center
In 1997, YHS established the first nationally accredited Child Care and Development Center in Randolph County, known as Home Ties. This center today serves 40-60 children from 6 weeks to 12 years old on a daily basis.  Children at HTCDC enjoy small classroom sizes with children of their own age and developmentally appropriate activities planned by qualified early child care staff members.

The School-Age program offers homework help, experiential learning opportunities and after-school, snow-day and school break care.  Our trained/certified drivers provide transportation from four area elementary schools so that children transition easily to the center.  HTCDC accepts WV Mountain Heart as well as private pay tuition families and offers several payment options.

If you are the parent of a child 6 weeks to 12 years and are searching for a safe, nurturing environment with opportunities for early learning for your child, check out our Home Ties Child Care program. We are now accepting new enrollments in all age groups.

Strength Builders Child & Adolescent Trauma Center
In 2005, Youth Health Service, Inc. responded to a growing community need to accurately assess and treat childhood trauma. Funded by a grant  from the Federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, YHS  Strength Builders Child and Adolescent Trauma Center was established as part of the U.S. National Child Traumatic Stress Network, a network made up of hospitals, universities, and community based treatment centers throughout the United States dedicated to the research and treatment of childhood trauma.

In West Virginia, about 1 in 4 children experiences a serious traumatic event before the age of 16 that can result in emotional upset, aggression, depression, anxiety, behavioral changes, difficulty learning in school, problems maintaining relationships, difficulty eating and sleeping, aches and pains, withdrawal, substance abuse, dangerous behaviors, or unhealthy sexual activity among teens.

The following milestones chronicle the organizations growth and development:

1986 – Became an independent corporate, non-profit, private community-based organization with a nine member Board of Directors made up of community volunteers.

1989 – Licensed by the State of WV to provide mental health services to children ages birth to 18 years.

1997 – Opened the Home Ties Child Care and Development Center.

2003 – Established the first Family Specialist Training Program for providing high quality social services to children, adolescents and their families enrolled in mental health services.

2005 – Established the Strength Builders Child and Adolescent Trauma Center, providing high quality evidence-based mental health treatment for children and adolescents exposed to traumatic experiences.

2009 – Established a service site in Buckhannon serving Upshur County, WV.

2009 – We established school base services in Tucker Co.  Since then we have grown to provide these school based services in Pocahontas Co, Randolph Co, Barbour Co and Upshur Co.