Residential Treatment Center

Our Residential Treatment Center, located on our serene, tree-filled 30-acre campus along the Hudson in Yonkers, NY, provides 24-hour residential care to youth ages 12 to 21 who require therapeutic and educational support.

Our enriched, structured program assists youth with emotional disorders, developmental disabilities, challenging behaviors and those who have been abused, neglected, or exposed to trauma. Educational and recreational activities coupled with clinical services develop each youth's ability to participate fully in the community and to return to a less restrictive environment as quickly as possible.  In a therapeutic environment, residents learn effective problem solving, healthy coping skills, and adaptive behaviors. Self-esteem is enhanced, as is their ability to trust others and relate positively to the world.

Nasheema Webster age 18, Shrady Cottage, "I don’t believe in giving up now. I love a challenge. Challenges prepare me for success. The program got me to change and learn that there are consequences for my actions. It taught me to trust. I really do believe that my experience at Leake & Watts is the best thing that ever happened to me."

Our program consists of the following supports and services:

• Therapeutic environment with comprehensive services and creative approaches to engage youth
• Staffing ratios of at least one staff member per three residents
• Guidance from psychologists, social workers and psychiatrists which encourages residents to engage in self-exploration through individual, group and family therapy.
• Attendance at the Carol and Frank Biondi Education Center
• Engagement of PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports), a positive behavior incentive program which guides each resident’s behavioral improvement and growth
• Recreational, educational and therapeutic activities such as art, drama, dance and athletics 
• Volunteer opportunities in the community such as assisting in a local food pantry, caring for seniors, or contributing to a greener community
• Spiritual guidance and the opportunity to participate in religious services in local houses of worship if desired

Distinct programs on our campus serve youth with different needs and characteristics. Some are youth who require additional supports so they can succeed in their educational goals. These youth and their families select Leake & Watts through their school districts’ Committee on Special Education. Other youth are placed here through their local social services department. Parents and school districts often choose Leake & Watts due to our success in working with youth with emotional and psychiatric challenges.

The proximity of the Yonkers campus and access to public transportation provide easy access for home visits for youth and encourage the engagement of families in residents' lives. Social work staff collaborate with residents and their families to strengthen this vital connection, support families in the care of their children, and assist with residents' eventual return home, to a local school, or another less restrictive setting.

For parents and the staff of local school district Committees on Special Education interested in learning more about our Residential Treatment Center, contact us at admissions@leakeandwatts.org.

To view pictures of the Youth Garden, one of our therapeutic programs for youth at the Residential Treatment Center, visit our Leake & Watts Youth Gardens Photo Galleries on Pinterest and Flickr.