You are on this page: Office of Youth Health and Wellness
Under the direction of an associate commissioner, the Office of Youth Health and Wellness is responsible for medical, nursing, nutrition and dental services to youth as well as mental health services in OCFS’s residential and community programs, including treatment units for substance use disorders, sexual offense behaviors and intensive mental health.
Bureau of Health Services
Under the direction of a medical director, the Bureau of Health Services provides direction, leadership and support for facility programs to develop and maintain adequate medical, nursing, nutrition and dental services to meet the needs of resident youth and staff. This bureau also collaborates with other units in OCFS to provide technical assistance with regard to medical, nursing, and dental issues.
Bureau of Behavioral Health Services
This bureau oversees the provision of mental health services in all residential and community-based programs within DJJOY. BBHS is committed to providing youth and families with treatment milieus in trauma informed environments with evidence-based interventions that support the youth and her/his family's functioning. The bureau develops the agency's behavioral health policies and procedures which facilitate best mental health practices within DJJOY settings throughout New York State. It is responsible for the direct supervision and professional growth of all mental health clinicians within DJJOY including: psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and psychiatric nurse practitioners.
The bureau further oversees three types of discrete units:
- substance abuse treatment units,
- sexually harmful behavior treatment units and
- mental health units.
The Bureau of Behavioral Health Services is responsible for building relationships with community-based treatment agencies and for fostering these agencies’ understanding of the treatment needs of youth and families DJJOY serves. Developing such community partnerships assists in ensuring that youth and families have their treatment needs met beyond the youth's placement with OCFS/DJJOY. The bureau also supervises two counseling liaisons who provide coaching and support to residential youth counselors in effective case management skills and in facilitating psycho-educational and therapeutic groups.