The Connection Youth Services

The Connection Youth Services

The Connection Youth Services was established in 2001 to help meet the needs of homeless and runaway youth in Livingston County.

All Services provided are free, confidential, and voluntary. TCYS is primarily funded by state and federal grants.

The Connection Youth Services works to increase young people’s access to safe and stable housing, connections to school and employment, enhance social and emotional well-being, increase self-sufficiency, and help to build permanent connections with families, communities, schools, and other positive social networks.

Services

24 Hour Assistance

The 24/7 assistance line can be reached by calling 1-866-440-SAFE (7233). This line is answered by a trained staff person who can assist with resource referral, crisis planning, and emergency shelter access. 

Transitional Living Program

Transitional Living Program (TLP) provides apartment and host home living opportunities to homeless youth 16-21 years old.

Support Groups

TCYS runs weekly support groups for teens. Groups run Monday-Thursday at The Drop in Center.

Drop-In Center

The TCYS Drop-In center program is open Monday-Thursday from 2:00PM-6:00PM. Youth ages 12 to 20 can stop in to get out of the weather, enjoy a warm meal, do homework, meet with a case worker, and attend support groups.

Temporary Housing Program (Basic Center)

The purpose the emergency shelter is to provide temporary, safe shelter, case management, and counseling services to runaway and homeless youth, 11-17 years old, who have left home without permission of their parents or guardians, have been forced to leave home, cannot live safely with a parent, legal guardian or relative, and have no other safe alternative living arrangement. Our program provides trauma-informed individual and family therapy, basic need services, intensive, coordinated case management, follow-up, continuum service linkages, and family reunification, whenever possible. This program is voluntary, free, and confidential.

Individual and Family Counseling

TCYS recognizes the importance of preserving family relationships whenever possible. TCYS offers free individual and family therapy services by licensed therapists.

Street Outreach & Prevention

The Street Outreach Program’s primary goal is to provide street-based prevention and intervention services to runaway, homeless, and street youth who are 21 years of age and younger who are at-risk of becoming homeless or involved in the child welfare or criminal justice systems. Our program focuses on increasing young people’s safety, well-being, and self-sufficiency, and aims to help build permanent connections with caring adults to reduce the youth’s risk of homelessness. We believe that no matter what challenges a young person may face, they deserve and can live a healthy and productive life.

The Street Outreach Team is available to meet with youth and families to address a wide variety of needs and provides FREE presentations to teens in classrooms throughout Livingston county.

Presentation topics; stress and self-care, valuing your individuality, and time management.

This program is voluntary, free, and confidential.

Our Values