Virgin Islands Behavioral Services (VIBS) Serving At-Risk Youth To Shut Its Doors This Summer

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CHRISTIANSTED — Virgin Islands Behavioral Services (VIBS) – a behavioral health facility in Anna’s Hope serving the Virgin Islands since 1995 – will close its doors this summer, the V.I. Free Press has learned.

VIBS is a short term residential evaluation unit with 30 beds on St. Croix designed to respond to youths between the ages of five and 17 years who are experiencing “emotional and/or behavioral difficulties.”

“Currently running several programs that provide respite care for children in foster care who are in crisis,” it says about itself. “VIBS is designed to provide professional residential treatment and counseling services in a family atmosphere. The therapeutic environment fosters positive self-esteem, respect for others and acceptance of responsibility for one’s behavior.”

The at-risk youth programs were located on St. Croix, along with an out-patient program on St. Thomas.

“VIBS also provides a secure treatment environment for severely traumatized and extremely impulsive adolescent females,” the service said.

It said that it served a “diverse resident population” at its offices on St. Croix but must regrettably close its doors soon.

“VIBS provides a healing environment that can foster recovery from trauma and develop new behavioral, emotional and life skill strategies to alter their dysfunctional lifestyles.” it said.

http://06j.731.mytemp.website/2016/04/residents-sea-view-seek-block-shuttering-lawsuit-cms/

 

John F. McCarthy is a veteran journalist in the Caribbean, writing from the "Decision Space" where survival meets the surreal. His reporting steel was tempered by a lineage of legendary editors and broadcasters, including Ed Wynn Brant (The Bomb), Owen Eschenroder (Ann Arbor News), Lynelle Emanuel (BVI Beacon), and Charles Thanas (WSVI-TV). Alongside longtime colleague Kenneth C. "Casey" Clark, McCarthy has navigated the front lines of the territory’s history—from the 1997 volcanic "snow" to every major hurricane since Hugo. Known for leaning out of doorless helicopters to capture the "money shot," McCarthy now edits the V.I. Free Press, providing the essential link between the island's colonial past and its SpaceX future.

2 Comments

  1. The doors will be closed for what now? That was a long speech of positivity and progressiveness only to say “welp! Bye!” We gotta do better. Come correct with these issues.

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