Foundation For Focus House

Programs: Reporting center- service provided to approximately 75 individuals. Provides individuals with alternatives to school suspension and expulsion.

needy kids fund - service provided to approximately 50 individuals. Assists in providing basic needs to disadvantaged individuals and families who are living at focus house. Revenue for this account comes from personal contributions, fundraising events and corporate giving.

freetime/recreation component- residents earn more privileges as they are promoted. This can include later bed times and more free time for watching tv, playing video/board games, or requesting the use of the gymnasium or fitness room facilities. Additionally, focus house maintains an excellent library on campus, stocked with resource and leisure materials and newspapers and magazines are subscribed to for the residences. Staff members also plan special evening functions such as movie nights or theme meals around holidays and special events. Volunteers are used for those residents who earn outings during the week, giving them an opportunity to spend some quality time with a qualified adult mentor. Finally, as time and schedules permit, field trips are planned. Occurring usually in the summer or over school holidays, these trips have involved such activities as fishing, attending baseball games, and chicago sightseeing.

counseling component - to improve the mental well-being and lifestyle functionality of the youth and their families. As such, because a child's success is directly related to their home environment, parents and caregivers actively participate in the counseling process throughout the child's involvement in the focus house program. Motivational interviewing and other services are provided based on the principles of risk, need, and responsivity. Upon placement in focus house, each child is assigned a primary counselor who develops a treatment plan based on each youth's identified criminogenic needs. These plans are reviewed during quarterly treatment-planning meetings, and adjusted accordingly. All youth are involved in individual, group, and family counseling. Groups for parents are also scheduled and the topics vary based on need.

jobs program- youth that earn through good behavior the opportunity to work. They are employed and paid by the foundation. They clean the local park and/or provide the daily janitorial service for the focus house building. The hours are compiled and reported to the park district and school district. Those organizations then pay the foundation for the youths' work hours.

other programs