About Family Guidance

The Bergen County Division of Family Guidance provides clinical, residential, educational, correctional, case management, and monitoring services to at-risk children, adolescents, and families, particularly those who are otherwise unable to receive needed services. It is Bergen County’s resource for youth and families in need.

Values:

• Collaborative, Creative, and Empirically Driven Programming
• Safe, Respectful, Dependable, and Therapeutic Environments
• Developmentally Appropriate Expectations
• Empowerment through Opportunity
• Community Safety

If your family is in conflict or has other mental health needs, ask about:

• Juvenile Family Crisis Intervention Unit (JFCIU): a 24/7 program which manages conflicts between adolescents and parents, and addresses situations involving endangered juveniles, runaways, and truants. Call 201-336-7360.

For the truancy reporting by school personnel:

1. Download the form and save it to your computer
2. Complete the form.
3. Email the form here

• Adolescent and Family Treatment (AFT): an outpatient therapy program which offers consultation, counseling, and therapy services to youths and families without insurance or access to services
• Children’s After-School Treatment Services  (CATS): an activity-based, therapeutic after-school program designed to help improve the social skills of elementary and middle school-aged children
• Multi-Systemic Therapy (MST): a federal “blueprint” program that addresses the needs of juveniles with severe behavioral problems by providing intensive in-home family therapy
• Empower House: a program designed for young women ages 16 – 22 who may benefit from extra support from both peers and role models in a warm and nurturing home-like setting. The program offers therapeutic, prosocial, and recreational services. To learn more about Empower House please call (201) 336-6915 or (201) 336-6900.
• Essex House is a program created for young men, ages 16 to 22. The program provides life skills, prosocial activities and therapeutic services in a supportive, home-like environment. Activities include music, culinary arts, multi-media studio, and other activities intended to assist the participants in reaching their full potential and master the skills needed to transition to adulthood. 

Do you want your GED? Or do you want to do something different with your life? Ask about:

• Connections: an all-day GED preparation program to increase participants’ chances to succeed in life
• Reflections: an improvisational theatre group that explores adolescent issues
• Youth Resource Center: an after-school program with visual arts, music, dance, cooking, and homework help for 13-18 year old youths

If you need a safe place to stay:

• Bergen’s Place Youth Shelter: a shelter for male and female juveniles between the ages of 11 and 17 years old who are Bergen County residents
• Shelter Plus Care, through collaboration with the Bergen County Housing Authority, provides permanent supportive housing, housing subsidies and case management for homeless young adults.
• Visions: a transitional residential program for males and females, 16½ – 21 years old, that develops independent living skills

If you are involved with the Family Court you may be referred to:

• Alternatives To Detention (ATD): a service which works closely with the Superior Court of NJ-Family Part to allow youths to remain in their community rather than at detention, while ensuring the youths’ safety and the safety of the community
• Adolescent Substance Abuse Program (ASAP): a licensed outpatient substance abuse treatment program to assist youths and families recovering from substance abuse and chemical dependency
• Forensic Unit: a diagnostic team which conducts court-ordered pre-sentencing evaluations of juveniles in order to assess the risk for sexual re-offense and violence in the future
• Positive Strides is a diversion/education program that provides anger management and character development programming for teens to improve coping skills, curtail future maladaptive behaviors, and prevent involvement in the judicial system.
• Regional Stationhouse Adjustment Program (RSAP) is a case management program to assist local municipal police departments with station house adjustment options for youth to avoid filing official delinquency charges. This program also assist youth to complete assigned educational program requirements and prevent further involvement in the judicial system.
• Teen Education About Cyber Harassment (TEACH) is a diversion program that provides interventions and education for teens who are involved in cyber harassment, with the goal of decreasing future similar behavior and preventing further involvement in the judicial system.
• Teens Using Technology Responsibly (TUTER) is a diversion program that provides interventions and education for teens who engage in cyber behavior that involves sexually inappropriate behaviors, with the goal of decreasing future similar behavior and preventing further involvement in the judicial system.
• Tolerance, Empathy, Acceptance and Respect program (TEAR) is a psychoeducational program that addresses youth bias incidents. This program is available to law enforcement as a diversion option, as an option for the Court, and for youth referred by other interested community stakeholders.
• Juvenile Detention Center (JDC): a secure residence that temporarily houses youths who have committed a delinquent act and are awaiting court action.
• Supervised Visitation Program (SVP): a court-ordered program that allows a non-custodial parent to visit with his/her child in a safe environment when supervision is required.
• Teen Re-Adjustment Program (TREAD): an outpatient program for juvenile sex offenders, focusing on eliminating further sexual misconduct
• Transition: a program which monitors juveniles who have completed their sentences in Bordentown or a Fields program, and assists them in making a successful transition to their families and community.

If there are significant educational issues you may be referred to one of these Division of Family Guidance and Bergen County Special Schools collaborative programs:

• Bridges to Employment is a job readiness, career development program that assists participants in becoming effective members of the workforce.
• Connections is a High School Equivalency (HSE) preparation and life skills education program for Bergen County residents, ages 16 to 21, who have dropped out of high school. Connections provides work readiness education, computer training and life skills.
• North Street School: an alternative therapeutic educational experience for court involved youth unable to attend classes in their home district school
• Suspension Alternatives Program (SAP): a collaboration with the Bergen County Special Services and the Police Athletic League that intervenes with adolescents who are in conflict with their school systems
• Venture: an extended school year program which addresses the therapeutic and educational needs of middle and high school aged students who are psychiatrically fragile

Available Resources

• Youth Suicide Prevention (English)
• Youth Suicide Prevention (Spanish)
• Children’s System of Care (English)
• Children’s System of Care (Spanish)
• Bergen County Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA), Investigation Procedures
• PREA Third Party Reporting
• PREA Victim Support
• PREA Report
• BCJDC Final Audit Report 2019
• BCJDC Final Audit Report 2016