A new program dedicated to providing services to young people who need a
holistic approach to help them overcome challenges
The ViaQuest Residential Services Youth Program is a new program dedicated to providing services to young people, ages 7 to 17, who need a holistic approach to help them overcome the challenges they face due to cognitive and mental health disabilities.
Currently in Ohio, many of these young people are sent to live and receive services in Residential Treatment facilities that are located out of state, so the Ohio Department of Development Disabilities (DODD) started a new grant project to develop a solution for providing in-state living and services for young people who have both cognitive and mental health challenges. The DODD selected ViaQuest as one of just a few providers who will participate in this project.
ViaQuest works cooperatively, in conjunction with DODD, the county board, and children services agencies, to develop supports and services to the individual that will help them succeed at home, in school and their communities. In addition, this program allows us to help the youths build a home and relationships that allow them to be kids—to play, laugh, learn and feel safe with the support of their staff.
Currently, ViaQuest is proud to be serving 3 young people, in both Butler and Lucas counties, through our new Youth Program. We will be adding more youth to our program in Lucas county and we also plan to expand this program to Wood county during the grant period.
Because of the new Youth Program, ViaQuest has welcomed some amazing new employees to our team like Stephen Fomba, Operations Manager, whose leadership and passion for helping young people feel safe and at home has contributed to the success of this new program. Or Steven Carner, our very first Program Manager for the Youth Program, who was instrumental in setting up our first youth home and has been doing an amazing job to hire, train and support his Direct Support Professionals (DSPs). We are also honored to have Angelique Kelly as a member of our new Youth Program. Angelique started as a DSP at House of Hope but her leadership skills were quickly noticed and she was promoted to Home Manager. She has contributed greatly to the successful transition of the young person she serves. Another outstanding Youth Program employee is Alona Gimpliuk, a DSP in our Liberty Place site. Alona is the leader in the home and is truly committed to providing quality support and services. She is a hard worker and always has a positive attitude, and if you ask the young person she serves, Alona is her favorite staff.
At ViaQuest, we understand how important it is to provide the highest quality support to young people facing challenges. We are honored to be able to serve these young people and make a positive impact that we hope will last a lifetime.
