The Avenue House at 437 East Ave. where Monday’s homicide took place had its operating certificate suspended Tuesday. The few remaining youth were moved to another location, according to a spokeswoman for the state agency that regulates such youth facilities.
“In our role of oversight, we will be investigating,” said Pat Cantiello, spokeswoman for the New York State Office of Children and Family Services. She said the suspension applied only to the East Avenue location.
The Avenue House is a six-bed group home for teenage boys, operated by Wyndham Lawn Home for Children and New Directions Youth and Family Services. Cantiello said the staffing level there was appropriate, according to state regulations.
New Directions is a 501(c)3 non-profit agency that helps children with emotional and behavioral problems, along with their families. In operation since 1969, the goal of the Avenue House is to help young men prepare for their future and learn to live within a community.
New Directions has more than 25 programs and services aiding residents throughout New York state, including residential care and treatment programs, foster care, group homes, a home for parenting teens, children’s mental health services, supervised independent living and non-secure detention.
Among the services provided while living at Avenue House is individual and family therapy with a social worker and access to community-based drug and alcohol counseling. There is also full-service medical and dental care. The house also can assist in job placement through the Lockport School District’s job coordinator.
Like the other group homes at New Directions, the Avenue House uses “normative culture,” which means everything residents are taught to do is based on respect, responsibility, safety and setting goals. The program’s Web site said the culture uses peer pressure in a positive way, among both the residents and staff, to create shared expectations regarding attitudes and behavior. Expected attitudes and behaviors are called “norms.” When someone breaks a norm, the people around them are expected to point it out in a helpful manner.
Independent living skills are an important focus of the program, because some youth may not be returning home after discharge. After completion of the program, the youth will be ready to handle the challenge of living independently, said the program’s Web site, www.ndyfs.org.
All those referred to the Avenue House program must be working on their educational or employment goals. They also must be prepared to live in an all group setting and be an active participant in the community.
Contact reporter Joe Olenick at 439-9222, ext. 6241.
Editor Karen Keefe also contributed to this report.
Local News
Related Photos
HOMICIDE: State suspends Avenue House operating certificate
- Local News
-
-
Paying Respect
- Sense of resignation escorts AES tax pact
- Town considering WNYLC's request
-
Palace, Hartland get Greenway funding
The Historic Palace Theatre and the Town of Hartland both were cleared Tuesday to receive Niagara River Greenway funding for improvement projects.
The eight-member Host Communities Standing Committee voted unanimously to approve funding requests of $151,000 for the Palace and $244,000 for Hartland, which is planning a multi-phase town park enhancement project.
-
Erie Canal photo contest underway
The seventh annual Erie Canalway photo contest is under way.
Entries are being accepted now through Sept. 7. Winning photos will be published in the 2013 Erie Canalway calendar.
-
Jobless totals drop slightly
Unemployment in the Lockport area decreased slightly last month, but it wasn't because more people are going back to work.
The New York State Department of Labor reported Tuesday about 1,000 city residents were without a job in April, the fifth straight month with over 1,000 unemployed. That was down from the 1,100 it reported in March, however, the number of employed stayed the same at about 9,700 people.
-
Fishing for 'Ultimate' perks
Olcott teaming up with Ontario town in running for Canadian equivalent.
-
Sprinkler work coming
Piping in high school fire sprinkler system will be addressed in July.
-
Willow Street victim identified
The victim of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Willow Street on Saturday was identified by Lockport Police as Richard Boye, 46.
-
Cutting the travel time
For the most part, there is a lot of planning that goes into traveling. Some like to handle the details on their own, making arrangements on the phone or using travel websites to book hotels, planes, vehicles and so on.
But lately, working with a travel agent is becoming more popular.
- More Local News Headlines
-
Raw Video: 19 Dead in Qatar Shopping Mall Fire
Beryl Makes Landfall on Florida Coast
Service Dogs Help Wash. Soldiers Battling PTSD
Raw Video: Heckler Bursts in on Blair Testimony
Japan Farmers Plant, Seek Radiation-free Rice
UN Blames Syrian Forces for Shelling Houla
Raw Video: Gay Protest Blocked in Moscow
Vatican in Chaos After Butler Arrested for Leaks
Jimmy Carter Endorses Egypt's Election Results
Biden Addresses West Point Graduating Class
Dozens of Children Killed in New Syria Attack
Raw Video: Activists Allege Massacre in Syria
NJ Man Charged With Murder in Death of Patz
Support, Fun for Kids of Fallen Soldiers at Camp
Fugitive Penguin Caught, Returned to Aquarium
50 Years Later, Underground Fire Still Burning
Light Show Transforms Sydney Opera House
Raw Video: Unruly Passenger Restrained in Miami
Raw Video: Robber Uses Drive-thru Window
Raw Video: Dragon Arrives at Space Station
