Charity: The Village - Hope in Action for Children and Families
TheVillage is celebrating its 140th anniversary of providing services to children and families. Established in 1877, TheVillage started as an orphanage operating out of Southwest Philadelphia. In 1960 the non-profit relocated its residential programs to Bryn Mawr. Today the residential programs are for adolescent and teen girls with behavioral and mental health challenges. The girls in the residential programs at theVillage may have suffered from neglect, abuse or trauma and are therefore dealing with emotional and behavioral issues that affect their home environment and relationship with their primary caregivers.
Through three tiers of care, theVillage helps these girls and young ladies get the attention and care they deserve while transitioning to foster care, adoption, or to return to their own homes and families. The most intensive program is a residential treatment for girls with serious behavioral and mental health challenges. They receive clinical services, therapy, on-site education, and creative arts integration to help them feel safer and in better control of their emotions. Art therapy and other evidence-based therapies are crucial to theVillage’s success and treatments. Their expansive arts program allows for expressive therapies like knitting, fiber arts, equine and pet therapy, dance, and movement. The arts are an incredible way for adolescents struggling with self-esteem and trauma to open up and push forward towards recovery.
The Supervised Independent Living Program is for ages 18-21 as they transition to a more self-sufficient lifestyle while still receiving life skills training, counseling, case management and healthcare services. Most of these girls have previously been in foster care or the residential program. The Group Home Cottage is an on-campus group home for girls who have experienced instability at home. Likewise, these girls may be in transition to living at home after completing the residential program. In all of these treatment programs, clients receive encouragement to work towards recovery from adversity in the home.
Community and outpatient services are also available. While the residential programs are for girls only, all other Village services are co-ed. These include an Out-Of-School Program for kids who need a place to go between the period after school until their parents come home from work. Another program is the Outpatient Therapy program. TheVillage utilizes several treatment modalities in this program including play therapy, Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and Parent Child Interactive Therapy (PCIT). PCIT is best for kids ages 2-7 and helps provide primary caregivers the resources and skills they need to handle their children’s emotional dysregulation and outbursts.
About 1,500 children and families are helped each year across all of theVillage’s programs. The staff is made up of professionals in the behavioral health and social work fields and over 100 volunteers assist the organization in various aspects each year. These individuals are dedicated to helping these children feel safe and valued as well as become equipped to process their emotions, deal with adversity, and look forward to a hopeful future. Besides their residential and outpatient counseling services, theVillage provides in-home programs like prevention, case management, and support, as well as foster care and adoption services.
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