This short-term acute residential treatment program (known familiarly as START) was started at The Children's Center of Hamden in late summer 2000.   It is an intensive 24-hour, out-of-home alternative to hospital-based acute care.   It is also a "step-down" service for youth who have been sufficiently stabilized in a hospital setting and are ready for discharge.  Lengths of stay can vary from several days to several months, depending on the individualized needs and circumstances of each child.  A discrete living unit segregated from our other programs, this program has a capacity of 16 beds.

The target population is boys aged 7 to 13 who are in need of a moderately intense, staff secure, out-of-home setting because of factors which include: significant behavioral/emotional disruption in current living environment; sufficient progress in acute hospital setting to indicate discharge; brief out-of-home care for the purpose of child and/or family stabilization; planned respite care to assist in the success of the current placement setting.

For more information about START, please contact Program Director Nick DeMaio,MA,LCSW at (203) 248-2116 x282.