If a parent feels their child may benefit from receiving treatment services through Ozanam, the initial point of contact would be with office of admissions at 816.508.3628. Admissions staff would then be able to describe all programs and services offered by Ozanam, would be able to address issues of funding, all while also gathering information about the specific needs of the child in question. If it is determined the child would be a good candidate for admission, the admissions staff would be able to set up a visit to the campus and a collection of further background information as the next step toward the child actually entering treatment at Ozanam.

Referrals for the Ozanam Day Treatment program come from a number of local school districts that contract with Ozanam to provide this service. Those children referred to day treatment have typically been unsuccessful in the various education settings offered within the home school district. Day treatment services at Ozanam include daily education in the Ozanam School, which is accredited by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education as well as the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. In addition, each child is assigned a day treatment therapist to provide emotional and behavioral support within a therapeutic milieu. A variety of therapeutic and case management services are provided to each child based on their specific needs and goals. Interested parents might contact the special services department of their home school district to see if that district contracts with Ozanam for day treatment services.

Ozanam came into being in 1948 when a young Kansas City social worker realized that there were very few places in the Kansas City area where emotionally disturbed adolescent boys could be given the long-term care and guidance they needed. To meet this need, this young social worker began to accept custody of boys referred to him by local church-related social services and the juvenile court, accepting custody of 6 boys that first year. Ozanam was named after Frederick Ozanam, a 19th century social worker in the city of Paris, France whose boys' homes in the city of Paris began in much the same way.

An important component of each child's treatment is making sure educational needs are met. Ozanam provides education to children in residential treatment through two primary means: the on-campus school or enrollment in the appropriate grade-level school within the Grandview, Missouri school district. Part of the assessment process for each child coming in to treatment includes a review of past academic success or failure, the presence of and/or need for an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) for special education services, and an evaluation of how current or past behaviors are factors in deciding educational placement.

There are a number of factors that impact how long a child will remain in residential treatment, with two of the most important being the degree of emotional and behavioral problems with which the child presents, coupled with the amount of effort the child puts into their treatment program. Some residential programming, such as the Family Focus program, sees a child in residential treatment for approximately 90 days. Other programming, such as COURAGE, may see a child in placement for 12-14 months. For 2006, the average length of stay for a child in residential treatment was about 7 months.

For some children at Ozanam, residential treatment is a little-known benefit under their parent's health insurance, so that is one possible avenue of funding. Ozanam does receive funding through the Jackson County Mental Health Tax Levy, so that children and families from Jackson County Missouri may be eligible for financial assistance to participate in the Family Focus program based on financial need and available funding. Also, Missouri Senate Bill 923 provides some short term funding for residential treatment for children in Missouri who meet criteria. Contacting your local community mental health agency is the first step in determining if funding under SB923 is an option.

Pathways serves males and females ages 16-23, and youths must demonstrate the following: (1) willingness to find and maintain employment and or enroll in an educational program; (2) some stability in previous placements; (3) 30 days free from physical violence; (4) substance-free for 30-45 days; (5) desire to be successful; (6) homeless or at risk of becoming homeless or in the custody of the state of Kansas or Missouri.

Simply call Ozanam's BIST office at 816-508-3652, visit www.bist.org or e-mail Linda at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Ozanam measures a number of outcomes for children leaving residential treatment to look at program effectiveness. In reviewing outcome data for the 115 children leaving residential in 2006, 78% of those children made progress on their treatment goals, with 69% showing an improvement in academic performance and 68% showing an improvement in social interactions in the community. Further, when follow-up data was collected three-months post-discharge, 74% of children who had moved into a less restrictive environment upon discharge were still residing within that less restrictive environment.

Ozanam's primary phone line (816.508.3600) is answered 24 hours/day year round. In addition, each unit has a designated phone line which is also answered around the clock. Please note that the evening hours are typically filled with residents making or receiving phone calls, so that at times it may be difficult to get though on the first attempt during those time frames. Unit phone numbers are:

ITU-East - 816.508.3655
ITU-West - 816.508.3653
Southeast - 816.508.3682
Southwest - 816.508.3689
Northeast - 816.508.3684
Northwest - 816.508.3683
Gleitsman Group Home - 816.508.3697

On-campus staff has access to administrative and clinical staff at all times. A parent who feels they need to speak with administrative or program staff after hours can call Ozanam at 816.508.3600, and the staff answering the phone can assist with getting in touch with administrative or program staff as appropriate.