Program areas at CHS
Psychiatric residential treatment and education is provided for children aged 4-14 through black hills Children's Home near rapid city, sd and through sioux falls Children's Home in sioux falls, sd. Chs partners with parents and caregivers to serve children with emotional, behavioral, or mental health needs who may have experienced domestic violence, neglect, and emotional, physical, or sexual abuse. The program's objectives are empowering children to overcome trauma, treating educational needs and guiding families toward strength, stability, and safety. In fy 2023, 156 children and youth were served.
The bright start program is based in sioux falls, sd and serves portions of the southeastern side of the state. Bright start nurses assist first-time mothers to receive the care they need throughout pregnancy and for the first two years of their child's life. The objective is to help first-time expectant moms focus on their own health and well-being so they can have healthier babies. In fy 2023, bright start served 205 families with Home visitation services. Eight nurses completed 1,795 visits with the mothers.
The Children's Home shelter for family safety, located in sioux falls, sd, provides emergency shelter to women, children, and men who are victims of domestic violence, stalking, elder abuse, sexual assault, and child abuse or neglect along with crisis intervention services. The program's objective includes empowering victims to overcome trauma and rebuild their lives free from abuse. In fy 2023, the shelter provided emergency refuge to 1,006 adults and children, and 3,119 individuals received crisis intervention services.
Chs recruits, trains, and supports therapeutic level foster and adoptive families. Chs is a licensed child placement agency, authorized to place children for treatment foster care and adoption. The objective is to unite children with families and empower them to be safe, healthy, and strong. In fy 2023, chs served 36 children. Chs conducts forensic interviews to provide child evaluations through the Children's Home child advocacy center (chcac). The chcac empowers children who have experienced trauma to find justice and healing, together with their families. In fy 2023, the chcac performed forensic interviews for 335 children. In addition to these services, chs provided 210 trainings for 5,566 adults and youth through our prevention, training, and education program. At chs, the objective is ending the cycle of abuse and building safe, healthy, and strong communities.