Diversion Services

Addresses three critical areas primarily presenting in challenged students: Attendance (truancy), Behavior (disciplinary, referrals, bullying, fights, class disruptions, etc), and School Disengagement

Our wraparound approach provides a continuum of services for schools and students that is modeled upon a paradigm of nationally recognized evidence and research-based programs proven to have achieved dramatic results in improving attendance, grade point averages, and behavior in our schools.

Diversion Programs Include:

Behavior Management Agreement Plan

Enhances protective factors in the student’s life while attempting to mitigate any at-risk concerns.

Check & Connect

Intensive research and evidenced-based mentoring program.

Initial Response Team (IRT)

An intensive individualized program involving a student support team approach to incorrigibility, truancy, and juvenile criminal offenses by developing an intervention.

Peer Mediation

Designed to divert youth from escalating volatile situations that have the potential to result in a suspension or removal from school.

All our Diversion Services are modeled on OJJDP research and evidenced-based programs. Please contact for more information on our Diversion Services and how to bring them to your school/community at (315) 733-SSMV (7768) or info@ssmv.org.

Intervention Strategies

These support services are modeled on research and evidence-based programs and include:

  • Bully Prevention – school-wide awareness and education and target small group activities.

  • Check In Check Out – short-term monitoring program to address specific behavior issues in school by redirecting, reminding, and reinforcing positive behavior from our staff.

  • Crisis Intervention Support – provides de-escalation techniques that are used at various stages during a crisis including behavior management and physical safety interventions.
  • Family Conflict Resolution – using the same principals of mediation, we work with the whole family (if appropriate) typically as a one-time intervention with one or two follow up contacts with the family.
  • Grief and Loss Support– trained staff act as a supportive listener and help students/families/staff use their voice to heal in healthy and/or creative ways and share memories and feelings in a comforting environment.
  • Mediation – designed to divert youth from escalating volatile situations that have the potential to result in suspension, expulsion, or a criminal act.

  • Mentoring – social skills, coping strategies, positive self-esteem, resiliency, and how to self-regulate in stressful situations to build positive and supportive relationships and address minor concerns that could lead to more serious consequences.

  • Resiliency Skills – evidence- and research-based models to create topics and activities focused on improving and obtaining social skills through shared discussion, games, role-playing, journal writing and recreational activities.

  • Reset! – works with students who have difficulty implementing social skills and act out inappropriately to negative feelings.

Urban Leadership Institute (ULI)

ULI is a free 5-day conference for accepted high school students designed to empower the next generation of leaders. ULI works on key leadership traits like communication, decision making, and teamwork, as well service-learning projects. At ULI, youth:

  • Develop valuable leadership and team building skills
  • Experience hands on activities
  • Build their resume for college and career
  • Learn how to get involved in their community
  • Gain a new perspective on the effect they can have on the world

Community Based Services

Our community-based programs provide intensive, wraparound support for youth and families facing significant challenges. Through collaborative partnerships with Oneida County and local agencies, we deliver evidence-based interventions in homes, schools, and communities—meeting youth where they are to create lasting, positive change.

Restorative Integrated Youth Services

RIYS (Restorative Integrated Youth Services)

Provides comprehensive, individualized case planning and evidence-based interventions for youth at-risk of out-of-home placement or further involvement in the juvenile justice system.

RIYS uses person-centered, trauma-informed, and restorative practices delivered in the home, school, and community to address underlying issues causing negative behavior, improve social and emotional well-being, increase academic success, strengthen family relationships, and reduce risk of further justice system involvement.

Our Youth Diversion Specialists work directly with students and families to:

  • Develop individualized intervention plans tailored to each youth’s specific needs
  • Set and achieve personal goals including high school graduation, college preparation, or career skill development
  • Build resiliency skills and coping strategies
  • Improve self-esteem and interpersonal relationships
  • Navigate obstacles and barriers to stay on a positive path toward life goals

Program Impact: RIYS is a collaboration between Oneida County Department of Family and Community Services (OC DFCS), CNYHHN, and Safe Schools Mohawk Valley. In the 2024-25 program year, 51 students received Tier 3 IRT services, with 42 successfully completing the program and/or achieving their goals.

Resiliency Project

The Resiliency Project

Strengthens connections between youth, families, schools, and communities by providing supportive, collaborative interventions to ensure children and families receive the resources and guidance they need to thrive—at home, in school, and within the community.

Our Youth Engagement Specialists focus on the school needs of children by providing:

  • Evidence-based model programs customized to meet each child’s specific needs
  • Support for social and emotional well-being
  • Services addressing housing instability, hunger, unmet medical needs, and school disengagement
  • Tier 2 services that includes mentoring with other individualized prevention services as needed.

Program Reach: The Resiliency Project is a joint initiative led by Oneida County Department of Family & Community Services, CNYHHN, Connect ED NY, Rome Alliance for Education, and Safe Schools Mohawk Valley. Currently serving students in Adirondack, Camden, Holland Patent, and Rome school districts.

In the 2024-25 program year, 241 students received Tier 2 mentoring services.

These programs are funded through Oneida County Department of Family and Community Services and delivered in collaboration with partner agencies. Referrals come from schools and OC DFCS.

Training

We bring over 60 years of combined training experience across multiple industries. Our certified instructors use adult learning principles to deliver engaging, interactive sessions that help participants learn by doing.

Training Programs Include:

  • Bullying Awareness, Prevention, and Intervention Techniques
  • Team Building Workshops
  • Conflict Resolution Skills
  • Creating Successful and Impactful Community Partnerships
  • Crisis Intervention
  • Peer Mediation
  • After School Program Development
  • Creating and Sustaining Successful Outcome-based Programs and Services
  • Effective Youth Diversion Services

School Staff Specific Training Programs Include:

  • Incident Command Systems (ICS) 100 & 200 – for Professionals: Schools and Private Agencies
  • School Resource Officer Training, Facilitating and Implementation
  • Crisis Management
  • De-escalation Techniques based on TCI (Therapeutic Crisis Interventions)
  • Restorative Justice Practices
  • Alternatives to Suspension
  • Restorative Circles

For more information on how to customize these trainings to meet your needs or develop a specific training please contact us.