Selena’s Story

Selena first came to SCO’s Scattered Site Supportive Housing Program, in August 2017. This program provides housing and transitional services for young adults who have been in foster care and are at-risk of homelessness. Selena, who had been in foster care since age 9, was dealing with a lot of family and personal issues. She was feeling frustrated and depressed. The tipping point came when her biological father passed away.

As a way to help cope with her loss, Selena decided to write a book about her experience. She hoped sharing her experience might inspire others…turning her personal tragedy into something positive. Ever resourceful, Selena wrote her entire book on her cell phone and uploaded it onto Amazon where it is currently sold as a Kindle format e-book.

Selena’s entrepreneurial spirit had been unleashed. Following her book, Selena developed her own podcast where she talks about life issues and how she has dealt with them in the hopes of motivating others. Since establishing her podcast last year, she has attracted over 20,000 followers worldwide.

She didn’t stop there. Selena then decided that she wanted to sell merchandise with inspirational messages. She started her own online t-shirt company – printing, packaging and shipping orders out of her apartment.

Selena has found her calling. She has found healing through sharing her story and inspiring others and she has experienced personal growth in the process.

SCO staff are encouraging her to utilize her abilities and resilience to pursue her education. In doing so, Selena will be able to use her knowledge to promote and expand her budding enterprises and find other employment opportunities to help her as she transitions to independent living.

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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High Fidelity Wraparound

High Fidelity Wraparound (HFW) provides services for youth ages 12-21 with high acuity, complex mental health needs and their families. HFW is a youth-guided, family-driven planning process that uses an evidence-based model of care coordination to improve outcomes while giving families a greater voice in decision-making. The HFW team partners with the child and family to develop intensive, individualized plans and care coordination, enabling the child to remain at home or in the community.

We get to know YOU – your strengths and needs; who you are as a family and what’s most important to you.

We create a team together that meets monthly, where you are supported to take the lead in developing a plan to reach your goals.

We’ll work closely with you and your team to learn what works best for you and your family. We will support you to recognize your progress and make changes where needed.

We’ll celebrate your success along the way and support you to discover your power to face and overcome any challenges you may meet after Wraparound.

To learn more about Wraparound services and how they can help your child and family, check out this video.

Who Can Benefit from this Program?
Families living in Brooklyn or Queens with youth with high acuity, complex mental health needs.

How to Access this Program
Families may apply through the NYC Mental Health Services: Children’s Single Point of Access (CSPOA) (Write “High Fidelity Wraparoud” at the top of the application.)

Related News

SCO’s Jennifer Fuchs on OMH Peer Support Panel

October 26, 2023

SCO to Open High Fidelity Wraparound Program in Queens

January 22, 2021

Selena’s Story

Harnessing entrepreneurial spirit to pursue long-term goals with help from SCO

Read Selena’s Story

Arjun’s Story

Overcoming severe anxiety to achieve personal growth at SCO Individual Residential Alternative (IRA)

Read Arjun’s Story

93%

of adults with developmental disabilities living in SCO’s IRAs (group homes) made meaningful connections by participating in community inclusion activities

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