Ascension - Lourdes Youth & Family Services

Overview

Ascension’s Lourdes Youth Services has been serving parents and young people since 1996. It offers many prevention and-intervention programs designed to suit the needs of the community’s youth and their families. Ascension’s Lourdes Youth & Family Services continues to grow. Programs fall into three core focus areas:

• Health and wellness programs including dental and mental health services (to include improving policies and programs for youth in the juvenile justice system)
• Parenting programs through the Parents and Children Together (PACT) program
• Alcohol and drug prevention programs to include education and student assistance

Programs are added and existing programs are expanded to meet the needs of the community.

Impact

Lourdes Center for Mental Health has 858, with more than 19,000 visits. The Mental Health Juvenile Justice Project has 64 participants. The Detention Alternative Afterschool Program has 37 clients. The Student Assistance Program helps more than 6,400 families. The PACT program helps 341 families. The alcohol/drug education prevention team has provided 2,871 units of service. And the Lourdes Oral Health clinic, mobile dental van, and sealants have helped nearly 5,500 patients.

Lessons Learned

A variety of funding streams is needed. By expanding billable revenue generated from clinics (dental and mental health), Ascension has successfully maintained its grant-funded programs.

Future Goals

Develop and implement a Minority Youth Violence Prevention Program; provide family engagement programming to further engage at-risk youth/families; and reduce the rise in the number of drug overdose deaths.

Contact: Nick Ragone, Esq.
Senior Vice President/Chief Marketing and Communications Officer
Telephone: 314-733-8941
Email: nick.ragone@ascension.org