Facts at a Glance

WHAT WE PROVIDE

BYS provides children with a nurturing therapeutic environment designed to help them develop sustainable coping skills and healthy peer relationships in an effort to improve their behavior in home, academic, and community settings. BYS youth receive highly individualized clinical treatment drawing on a variety of therapeutic models designed to address their presenting behavioral concerns, build their self esteem, develop the skills needed to manage their own behavior, and increase their ability to effectively regulate their emotions and behaviors.

PROGRAMMING AND SERVICES

• Child empowerment activities
• Mentoring
• Individual therapy
• Supportive group therapy
• Art expressive therapy
• Dance and movement therapy
• Trauma-informed yoga
• Gymnastics
• Athletic clinics
• Opportunities to play musical instruments
• Nutritional cooking group
• Young women’s identity group
• Free play on the playground or in the gym
• Homework time in which youth can get help with their homework or read a book with staff
• Closing circle in which youth reflect on their day and come together as a community
• Free transportation from school and to home
• Nutritionally-based meal
• Educational advocacy
• Family support services

OUR SPACE

BYS is an 11,000 square foot recently renovated educational space located in Lower Mills Dorchester. The BYS facility is a bright and colorful space designed to be trauma sensitive. The BYS facility provides:

• A gym
• Children’s library
• Art studio
• Adjacent public playground
• Individual therapy rooms
• Group therapy room
• A hub that is the focal point of community development
• Ample space for free play
• Accessibility via public transportation

THE BYS TEAM

The BYS team is comprised of licensed child clinicians, case managers, art expressive therapists, a therapist/yoga instructor, certified gymnastics and dance instructors, administrative and milieu supports, and experienced consultants. Our multidisciplinary team brings extensive experience from previous work in a variety of social service, educational, and mental health settings. BYS staff come from a range of backgrounds and individual experiences, and our collaborative team approach enables BYS to better serve the whole child. BYS values a commitment to racial/ethnic diversity, multilingual language capacity, and the inclusion of members of the community as part of the BYS team. BYS staff are committed to helping youth and their families achieve long term stability and success by responding to the individual needs of each child and creating child specific treatment plans and goals. BYS team members are trained in evidence-based practices for trauma intervention including the Attachment, Self-Regulation, and Competency (ARC) framework designed by the Trauma Center at Justice Resource institute, Management of Aggressive Behaviors (MOAB), as well as Child CPR and First Aid Certification.