CEO Message

Dear Stakeholders,

 

For years we have had the honor and privilege of working on behalf of children in the State of Florida. We have had the opportunity to work with kids experiencing mental health and substance abuse problems in a variety of settings, and believe that at Manatee Palms Youth Services, Group Homes and Day School we have assembled the most dedicated and innovative team of professionals in the field today. Our vision of “Empowering children to make safe choices through supportive, active relationships” is something we take very seriously. Each day we strive to promote the safety and dignity of every child we have the privilege of treating and educating. 

 

At the core of our values is an emphasis on evidence-based Trauma Informed Care practices. Far more than a model, we believe we have an obligation to fully understand a child’s past trauma experiences and how they have impacted the child, to ensure our culture and environment does not re-traumatize the child, and then to teach and instill coping skills that will help that child live a safe and full life. We accomplish this via a multi-systemic assessment and treatment planning approach individualized to each child’s needs. We utilize the most current treatment approaches such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy and we validate these systems of care through partnership and research with the University of South Florida to ensure that we are meeting our obligations.   

 

We also understand that if you have a child that is hurting, the entire family is hurting. We offer a full complement of both individualized family services as well as multi-family groups. We operate our own educational services and blend those with the treatment needs of the child for a better continuum of care. 

 

If you have or know of a child in need of care, we encourage you to contact us directly. We will be honored to work on behalf of your child and your family.

 

Respectfully,

 

Roz Hudson, Division Vice President, UHS

Timothy Macsuga, Chief Operating Officer