Aurora House

Children and Youth Community Residence

Aurora House is a Youth Community Residence treatment program for children and adolescents with mental health diagnoses and SED (Severely Emotionally Disturbed) classification. Aurora House is a co-ed, 24-hour supervised facility that houses a maximum of eight adolescents, ages 12-17. The treatment period is estimated to be from six months to one year. Youth attend school, work, volunteer, activities, and appointments within the local community.

Referrals are accepted from local mental health providers and area inpatient psychiatric units, the Department of Social Services, the New York State Office of Children and Family Services, families and other service providers. The community residence is part of the western region "catchment" area, and provides services to youth from Niagara County and the surrounding counties of Western New York State. Our guiding principle is to provide a community based structured living setting that relies on competent 24-hour staff and a continuum of support from parents, local service providers, educators and other resources. The staffing component consists of the Program Manager, Clinical Manager, Program Specialist, Family Peer Advocates, Team Leaders, Special Needs Youth Care Workers, and Overnight Workers.

Program services focus on individualized service care plans, education, therapy, daily and independent living skill instruction, medical management, and self-awareness of youth disabilities. The goal for every youth is to establish and achieve personal growth that will enable them to return to their families and localities, independent living or chosen housing goal, as soon as appropriate.

Check out Aurora House by clicking on the walk-through video below (click the square at the bottom to view full screen):

Note to parents: Aurora House does not accept direct referrals from community providers or families. The referral needs to be approved and endorsed by Child - Single Point of Access (CSPOA). In order to get your child referred to Aurora House, please complete a CSPOA application (part 1 & part 2 below) and submit to your local county CSPOA. If you would like your youth to come to Aurora House, in the application you can request your first choice to be Aurora House. Upon submitting your application to CSPOA, they will review the application and submit it to the appropriate level of care. If we are that level of care that is needed, we will receive the application with CSPOA’s endorsement. Once we receive the application, the program manager and/or Family Peer Advocate will be in contact with you.