Children, Youth & Family Services

Children, Youth & Family Services

A teenage girl with red hair smiles for the camera surrounded by other kids her age. They are all wearing light blue shirts and are socializing among themselves at an event.

We Are Here For You

UCS provides a system of care for children, youth and families to build positive family dynamics, personal self-esteem, and vital social skills. We provide an extensive array of home and community-based services for children and adolescents. Children, Youth, and Family Services (CYFS) offers support and safe community environments that promote growth, development, physical and mental health and foster positive relationships.

General Services

UCS provides emergency services to any child, youth, school, family, or caregiver in Bennington County who needs help to deal with a youth-related mental health crisis. For a youth related crisis call (802) 442-1700 or 1 (800) 360-6621.

FES provides emergency services to any child, youth, school, family, or caregiver in Bennington County with a youth-related crisis. FES serves children and youth up to age 18.

PUCK provides a safe alternative to the Emergency Department for youth experiencing a mental health crisis. The program provides outreach by crisis clinicians to support youth with child-centered mental health care in a more conducive environment.

CIS supports early childhood mental health to children under the age of 6. CIS provides consultation, education and treatment services with family and community-based groups to support the social, emotional, and behavioral health and development of young children and their families. CIS also provides consultation and education to childcare providers.

IHCBS provides children, youth and families who require an intensive level of mental health treatment a variety of services to support and keep kids in their own community.

Community-Based Services

Community-Based services are designed to support children in their home and community.

Clinicians provide counseling and case management to families who have not been able to work in an outpatient model. Services may be provided in the office, home, school, or another appropriate community setting.

This program is open to at-risk youth age 18 and under and provides community trauma informed case management for youth at risk and their families.

Community Supports serves children and their families when a child is experiencing an emotional or behavioral issue or has a developmental disability. Group Community Supports are also available.

The Respite Program provides a break for families in need of such support.

This program offers a highly structured 6-to-8-week series, designed to aid children in a wide variety of skills.

School-Based Services

These services are contracted through local schools in Bennington County and provide emotional and behavioral support. Services provided are individualized, strength-based, and child and family-centered.

School-Based Clinicians

School-Based clinicians help students participate in regular classroom learning by providing emotional and behavioral support in coordination with school personnel.


Behavior Interventionist Services

Behavior Interventionists provide one-on-one mental health support to students in need of behavior management to enable a child to attend classes and access their learning.

Transitional Age Youth Programs

The Transitional Age Youth Programs support at-risk teens and young adults aged 14–21.

YIT works with older teens and young adults to successfully transition into adulthood. YIT offers case management to young people ages 16–21 who are dealing with mental health issues.

JOBS is an innovative case management program serving young adults ages 16–21 who are at risk. The program works to develop positive work ethics, help with career exploration and more. JOBS also works with community partners to maintain a supportive work environment with community and youth.

Download JOBS Brochure

PSYF serves at risk youth ages 12–23. This program provides support for youth and families by developing well-being, education and employment, permanent connections, and stable living environments.

T4C is a peer-led group that helps youth interact with each other and build community connections while learning social-emotional and leadership skills.

Summer Programs

Summer Programs were developed to provide children with summer camp experiences that may not always be available to them because of cognitive, physical, and behavioral challenges.

Camp Be A Kid is a therapeutic summer camp experience designed for children with a mental health diagnosis. The camp runs in July and August.

This is a summer activity group for teens that provides them with positive, healthy, supervised, and safe experiences. Activities include field trips and various activities that are of interest to the group.

This program offers children in the Manchester area an opportunity to work on skill-building with a range of activities in the community including visits to Emerald Lake, biking, horseback riding at Kimberly Farms, and more.

Curriculum-Based Programs

These programs are designed to provide an educational experience for families and adolescents.

Resource Parent Curriculum (RPC)

RPC is 25-hour curriculum designed to teach trauma-informed skills to nonbiological caregivers of children.


Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP)

PREP is a 10-week curriculum designed for adolescents ages 10–19. The course teaches skills around healthy relationships and making educated choices.