Conducting treatment during the pandemic

WITTENBERG — Homme Youth and Family Programs is a self-contained residential treatment facility, so they have been able to keep operations going during this pandemic with a few adjustments. All home and campus visits, part of the therapy process, were suspended March 12 due to COVID-19. Homme now uses video conferencing to aid in connecting youth with their families while following the Safer at Home edict from the governor.

According to HYFP Director Pamela Cotten, campus visits give the youth and their families the opportunity to have in-person family therapy sessions, and the residents get to practice the skills they learned in therapy to interact with their families differently. Generally, family therapy occurs once or twice per month, Cotten said, depending on the family’s level of engagement and availability.

“Campus visits give therapists and staff a look at family dynamics at play, which are not always clear from court reports or telephone contact,” said Cotten, who added that she appreciates the option to use video conferencing. “It’s an opportunity to see more clearly if a youth is ready to transition to some in-home visits, in preparation for a return home.”

Youth from all over Wisconsin are generally placed in this residential treatment facility through the Department of Corrections for sexual abuse offenses. The campus has about 30 residents ranging in age from 10 to 21 years old, and an average stay is nine months to a year.

Lutheran Social Services, the parent company of HYFP, implemented guidelines right away related to possible exposure of the virus. Cotten said that they had a few HYFP staff members who needed to self-quarantine, but they haven’t had anyone diagnosed with COVID-19.

As a larger organization, Lutheran Social Services has a nurse on staff who regularly visits Homme and is available for consultation, as there is not a dedicated nurse at Homme. If a youth became ill with COVID-19, they would be able to quarantine the individual in a unit not currently being used. Cotten noted that the plan has already been approved in advance by their licensor.

“We are very experienced in handling other forms of illness in youth, such as influenza and strep, which impacts a handful of youth each year,” said Cotten.

The Acceptance Unit, one of three on campus, is for 18- to 21-year-olds who are transitioning back into society, which sometimes allows residents to gain work experience in off-campus jobs. Cotten noted that one youth did need to stop working, due to the risk of infection from the coronavirus. All outings and trips had been suspended, as well.

Because the school is on campus, there has been no change in the routine, and all classes are still held in person.

Homme has always been a Christian-based organization, and Monte Smith is in charge of spiritual guidance at HYFP. Even though participation in chapel services or Bible studies is not mandatory, he said there seems to be more of an awareness of God in this population due to the pandemic.

“I would say a good portion of our kids have no family experience, as far as the things of God. An example is a resident who told me that the things we teach at Homme about the love and grace Jesus offers us is something he never even thought of,” said Smith.

Due to the fact they cannot have all three units together during this time for a regular chapel service, Smith has been having a Bible study on the units on Saturday afternoons. Smith noted it’s a more casual setting, and he can have a more interactive Bible study with the kids and the staff.

In 1881, when HYFP was established as an orphanage, a bell was often a way of communicating — whether it was to call farmers in from the fields or let neighbors know there was an emergency. HYFP holds a bell ceremony for the youth who are discharged successfully, and they get to ring the Homme bell once for each month of their residence.

They have had two youth discharged during the restricted access, but unfortunately they couldn’t allow anyone from off campus to attend the services. For one of the residents, the ceremony was recorded for his family to see.

Cotten noted she can only assume the residents’ families are practicing Safer at Home measures, but she acknowledges they can’t be certain since they can’t do home visits after their release.

At a time when many companies are laying off employees, HYFP is hiring for the positions of youth counselor, care advocate specialist and school teacher.

mnelson@newmedia-wi.com