MYS Programs:

At Chancellor, we believe that nurturing relationships, established within a consistent and structured long-term placement, will enable a young person to develop skills and practice making positive, healthy choices for themselves. The team assists youth in developing their strengths and learning to manage their limitations. We believe that healthy relationships are an integral component that facilitates this process. We also believe that the long-term placement at Chancellor enables youth to learn and practice new skills within relationships, in a safe and caring environment. We work with families, whenever possible, to foster and maintain healthy caring relationships.

The Chancellor team maintains a safe, predictable, consistent and supervised environment 24 hours a day. They do this by modeling and teaching through their daily interactions with youth. The team will work with youth on teaching appropriate boundaries, limit setting, problem solving and life skills. The team is aware of how attachment disorders, developmental delays and a history of abuse and neglect can cause difficulties in emotional and skill development. The team works with youth to begin to resolve past and present issues. They do this through reframing, through assisting youth to connect issues to behaviours and by promoting socially appropriate responses. It is in this safe environment that youth establish the daily routines that assist them in stabilizing their behaviour.

The therapeutic programming is comprised of several distinct components including psychological assessments, group treatment, life-skills training, sex education, victim and offender specific treatment, educational/vocational programming, recreational programming and whenever possible, family involvement. This program is carried out within the context of a therapeutic milieu, with attention constantly focused on fulfilling previously unmet developmental needs, balanced with learning the acceptance of simple structures, responsibilities and boundaries.

The Therapist provides ongoing individual therapy to youth as needed. This contact enables youth to work on issues that may involve past traumas, present struggles, or future goals. In consultation with the youth, the staff team, the Child and Family Services worker and the family, where possible, a service plan is created focusing on positive skill development, and the goals the young person sets for himself.

The Chancellor program offers a higher staff to youth ratio, which ensures: closer supervision; more individual time with each youth, and a greater opportunity for the development of therapeutic relationships between the youth and the team. The Chancellor Program is intended as a long term program, and as such, can be a significant part of the permanency planning for each youth.