Welcome to the
Youth Development Center
About Us:
The Youth Development Center (YDC) is owned and operated by the County of York. The Center is licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Welfare and consists of a 12-bed secure detention unit and a 12-bed emergency shelter unit.
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Contact Us:
Youth Development Center (YDC)
3564 Heindel Road
York, PA 17402
(717) 840 - 7570
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Program Overview:
The administration and staff of the YDC subscribe to the principles of balanced and restorative justice. In keeping with that philosophy, staff is committed to the protection of the community, to hold youth accountable for any crimes they may have committed, and have them recognize the plight of those victimized by their actions. Staff also assist them in the development of "competencies" that shall elad them to being productive members of society. The entire program is designed to provide a safe environment for all youth, where short-term emotional, physical, educational, social, and spiritual needs are accomodated.
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Services:
The program at YDC is administered by a group of highly skilled, treatment-oriented staff. It is a program that is intended to keep the youth safe and secure, ensure they are treated with dignity and respect, andprovide an environment in which all youth are motivated to begin the process of self-evaluation and betterment.
All youth entering the detention unit are administered the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument (MAYSI-2). The MAYSI-2 is a brief screening tool designed to identify signs of mental/emotional disturbance and/or distress. The focus of the screening is to ascertain whether a youth has mental health needs that require more or less immediate attention so that YDC staff can respond accordingly.
Licensed, Board-certified physicians provide medical services. Physical health services that are provided are of a routine nature to ensure optimal quality of healthcare, including the administering of physical exams, medication monitoring, and assessment of non-emergency injuries that may have occurred while in placement. The YDC does not provide medical services above the usual and customary. Those services are outsourced and the responsibility of the contracting agency.
A contracted psychiatrist is employed to monitor the administration of psychotropic medication and to attend to the emotional needs of youth in crisis.
Dental services are provided for basic dental care.
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Detention Unit:
The detention unit provides short-term, secure care to pre-adjudicated youth who are awaiting action on behalf of the Court and/or adjudicated youth who are awaiting disposition by the Court. The use of the detention unit is based on the following criteria:
- The need to protect the person or property of others or the child; or
- There exists the possibility that the youth may abscond or may be removed from the jurisdiction of the court; or
- There is a need to provide supervision and/or care to the youth because said youth has no parent, guardian, or other person able to do so; or
- An order for the youth's detention has been made by the court pursuant to The Juvenile Act.
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Shelter Unit:
The shelter unit provides for the emergency and immediate care and custody of youth whose circumstances require that they be held in a short-term, closely supervised, yet non-restricted setting. Youth remanded to the shelter unit are youth who have been adjudicated or deemed dependent by Commonwealth Courts. While in placement in the shelter care program, youth can be assured of the following:
- The right to adequate shelter, food, clothing, and medical care; and
- All legal rights governed by Chapter 3800, Child Residential and Day Treatment Facilities; and
- The right to both formal and informal education.
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Admissions Criteria:
The detention and shelter units serve both males and females. The age of a youth may not be younger than ten (10), or older than twenty-one (21). Although lengths of stay vary on an individual basis, generally they are not to exceed thirty (30) days and provisions must be made by contracting agencies to ensure that youth are not detained unnecessarily or for inordinate amounts of time. All youth admitted to YDC must be medically healthy and may not be under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Should a youth arrive at YDC for intake that presents with a medical emergency or appeats to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol as assessed by a YDC staff member, he or she must be cleared by the proper authorities of all infirmaries or influences prior to admission. YDC has a right to refuse any youth for immediate admission who appears to be physically and/or emotionally unstable due to a medical condition or drug/aclohol influence.
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Referrals:
Referrals are accepted by calling YDC's main telephone number ((717) 840-7570). Contracting agencies are advised to have all pertinent information available at the time of the referral.
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Welcome to the
Youth Development Center
About Us:
The Youth Development Center (YDC) is owned and operated by the County of York. The Center is licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Welfare and consists of a 12-bed secure detention unit and a 12-bed emergency shelter unit.
Return to top of page
Contact Us:
Youth Development Center (YDC)
3564 Heindel Road
York, PA 17402
(717) 840 - 7570
Return to top of page
Program Overview:
The administration and staff of the YDC subscribe to the principles of balanced and restorative justice. In keeping with that philosophy, staff is committed to the protection of the community, to hold youth accountable for any crimes they may have committed, and have them recognize the plight of those victimized by their actions. Staff also assist them in the development of "competencies" that shall elad them to being productive members of society. The entire program is designed to provide a safe environment for all youth, where short-term emotional, physical, educational, social, and spiritual needs are accomodated.
Return to top of page
Services:
The program at YDC is administered by a group of highly skilled, treatment-oriented staff. It is a program that is intended to keep the youth safe and secure, ensure they are treated with dignity and respect, andprovide an environment in which all youth are motivated to begin the process of self-evaluation and betterment.
All youth entering the detention unit are administered the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument (MAYSI-2). The MAYSI-2 is a brief screening tool designed to identify signs of mental/emotional disturbance and/or distress. The focus of the screening is to ascertain whether a youth has mental health needs that require more or less immediate attention so that YDC staff can respond accordingly.
Licensed, Board-certified physicians provide medical services. Physical health services that are provided are of a routine nature to ensure optimal quality of healthcare, including the administering of physical exams, medication monitoring, and assessment of non-emergency injuries that may have occurred while in placement. The YDC does not provide medical services above the usual and customary. Those services are outsourced and the responsibility of the contracting agency.
A contracted psychiatrist is employed to monitor the administration of psychotropic medication and to attend to the emotional needs of youth in crisis.
Dental services are provided for basic dental care.
Return to top of page
Detention Unit:
The detention unit provides short-term, secure care to pre-adjudicated youth who are awaiting action on behalf of the Court and/or adjudicated youth who are awaiting disposition by the Court. The use of the detention unit is based on the following criteria:
- The need to protect the person or property of others or the child; or
- There exists the possibility that the youth may abscond or may be removed from the jurisdiction of the court; or
- There is a need to provide supervision and/or care to the youth because said youth has no parent, guardian, or other person able to do so; or
- An order for the youth's detention has been made by the court pursuant to The Juvenile Act.
Return to top of page
Shelter Unit:
The shelter unit provides for the emergency and immediate care and custody of youth whose circumstances require that they be held in a short-term, closely supervised, yet non-restricted setting. Youth remanded to the shelter unit are youth who have been adjudicated or deemed dependent by Commonwealth Courts. While in placement in the shelter care program, youth can be assured of the following:
- The right to adequate shelter, food, clothing, and medical care; and
- All legal rights governed by Chapter 3800, Child Residential and Day Treatment Facilities; and
- The right to both formal and informal education.
Return to top of page
Admissions Criteria:
The detention and shelter units serve both males and females. The age of a youth may not be younger than ten (10), or older than twenty-one (21). Although lengths of stay vary on an individual basis, generally they are not to exceed thirty (30) days and provisions must be made by contracting agencies to ensure that youth are not detained unnecessarily or for inordinate amounts of time. All youth admitted to YDC must be medically healthy and may not be under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Should a youth arrive at YDC for intake that presents with a medical emergency or appeats to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol as assessed by a YDC staff member, he or she must be cleared by the proper authorities of all infirmaries or influences prior to admission. YDC has a right to refuse any youth for immediate admission who appears to be physically and/or emotionally unstable due to a medical condition or drug/aclohol influence.
Return to top of page
Referrals:
Referrals are accepted by calling YDC's main telephone number ((717) 840-7570). Contracting agencies are advised to have all pertinent information available at the time of the referral.
Return to top of page