New Alternatives (NAI)

Children, families and youth- the core of New Alternatives' system of care for children is residential and foster care. The residential programs operated by the agency accept referrals from san diego and orange county agencies, such as the children and family services, mental health services and juvenile probation department. During 2023, the agency operated multiple residential facilities in san diego county and orange county. These facilities provide a safe and stable living environment, with nearly 230 residential treatment beds that serve hundreds of clients annually, ages 6 to 18. The residential programs provide twenty-four hour adult supervision of children in a safe and nurturing setting and provide services to families that encourage the maximum permissible child/family contact. The youth attend either on or off grounds public or non-public schools depending upon individual needs. The agency also provides specialized residential services including sibling assessment programs, specialized treatment for sexual abuse victims, transitional living for adolescents and specialized programs for young children. New Alternatives' in-home service programs provide care for victims of abuse and neglect by using emergency caretakers, respite care, parenting education and parent aides. The agency's array of prevention and intervention services are designed to keep children at home while endsuring their safety and well-being. These services are provided to a wide range of families such as those at risk of having their children removed from their homes, relatives who voluntarily assume the role of caregiver, and families at risk due to family violence and poverty. The goal of all the programs is to provide early treatment in an effort to preserve the family unit. The service programs include: in-home crisis counseling; in-home support and parent education; teaching and demonstrating home making services; in-home parental aides; parenting classes; monitored visistation and transportation. New alternative'Alternatives's foster finding agency certifies foster parents who are committed to providing a stable home for difficult to place youth. New Alternatives places county court dependents in these families homes and provides support to the foster family until the county locates permanent placement for the children. Foster parents come from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds and bring a variety of life experiences to their roles as "specialized parents". Foster parents are provided with comprehensive training and New Alternatives' support staff is available twenty-four hours a day. New Alternatives operates mental health programs that serve a wide range of youth and families in a variety of settings such as: out patient, day treat, school classrooms, home and residential facilities. Program services are client and family centered and designed to meet the unique needs of each individual. Program staff work within the client's family system. Mental health services include assessment; case management; individual, group and family therapy; psychiatric services and medication monitoring.