Arjun’s Story

When Arjun joined SCO’s Individual Residential Alternatives program in 2014, his developmental disabilities and behavioral challenges greatly impacted his ability to function. They were so severe that he could not be in crowds, public spaces, and was unable to socialize. There were times when Arjun would refuse to eat meals with his housemates.

With the help and dedication of SCO’s staff, a plan was developed to help Arjun address these challenges and work towards achieving his goals. Last summer, Arjun attended the YMCA Camp Huguenot with his peers where he had a blast doing a variety of activities such as archery, rock climbing and canoeing. The fun did not stop there! After the camping trip, Arjun took a major step forward and drove to Battery Park with his sister and aunt. He entered the car with no hesitation and walked the High Line, went for pizza and drove around Manhattan with his family where he showed almost zero signs of anxiety.

Today, Arjun attends SCO’s community habilitation, partakes in various activities such as volunteering at canned food drives, delivering food to elderly adults, going to the bowling alley, and going to the local church’s gym to play basketball and soccer. Arjun spends quality time with his peers and he is now able to enjoy going out and be among his friends and family. He is also taking road-trips with his parents to Virginia and going on camping trips with his housemates without having anxiety.

Arjun’s breakthrough is the definition of a success story! He continues to thrive, and we are sure that Arjun will continue to work towards more independence and integration into his community.

 

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Our Impact

SCO is focused on providing the best care and services to help our clients succeed. We are with them every step of the way, helping to open doors to opportunities, gain access to resources, and improve the quality of their lives.

How do we measure success? Through their success in achieving their goals in three overarching areas: Learning, Work and Well-being.

Learning

  • 94% of students in our 5 preschools met or exceeded goals for social-emotional development
  • 94% of students at Westbrook Preparatory School passed the Regents exam on the first try
  • 87% of young adults in foster care (18+) are enrolled in school or working
  • 4 out of 5 young adults (21+) at our Residential Treatment Center for youth with developmental disabilities participate in Day Habilitation or are enrolled in school

Work

  • Our Center for Family Life connected 1,470 youth to summer work opportunities that generated over $2.1 million in earnings for youth and their families
  • 90% of clients at our Brooklyn Youth Center achieved their employment goals
  • 96% of students at our Westbury campus are working or interning in the community
  • 100% of eligible residents at our Madonna Heights Residential Treatment Facility participated in work, internship, or volunteer activities
  • 98% of the young adults in our Scattered Site Supportive Housing program were gainfully employed, engaged in school, or both

Well-being

  • 99% of at-risk families throughout Brooklyn and Queens remained together and stable with family support services
  • 96% of students at our Dix Hills campus participated in weekly wellness activities
  • 91% of women in our residential recovery program remained substance free

In FY 2019, SCO:

  • Sheltered 4,600 youth, adults and children experiencing homelessness
  • Helped 4,100 individuals with special needs develop skills to reach their full potential
  • Guided 9,900 children and teens on the path to academic success through after school, summer and work-readiness programs
  • Prepared 1,700 young children for kindergarten in our early childhood programs
  • Served 1,300 children and young adults in foster care and their families
  • Strengthened families and communities across the metro area, providing 24,000 New Yorkers with counseling, support and community-based services

Declan’s Forever Family

"Adopting Declan was life-changing. You felt the ground shift." Learn More

Arjun’s Story

Overcoming Challenges to Achieve Personal Growth

With the help and dedication of SCO’s staff, a plan was developed to help Arjun address his challenges and work towards achieving his goals. Learn More

4 out of 5

young adults (21+) at our Residential Treatment Center for youth with developmental disabilities participate in Day Habilitation or are enrolled in school

Almost

90%

of clients at our Brooklyn Youth Center achieved their employment goals

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