Western Arkansas Youth Shelter (WAYS)
Since 1984, CJS has operated an emergency shelter, the Western Arkansas Youth Shelter (WAYS) in Cecil, Arkansas.
Emergency shelter at WAYS is available for youth whose behaviors or family circumstances cause them to be:
- At risk of entering the juvenile justice system;
- Or already in the juvenile justice system due to delinquency;
- Or a member of a family in need of services (FINS) due to problems within the home or school that have brought them to the attention of the Juvenile Court.
Runaway or homeless youth may also receive emergency shelter at WAYS until such time as a parent, guardian or custodian can be notified and arrangements made to return the youth to his or her home or alternative placement.
These services are made possible by Basic Center Program grant funds received from the Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Family and Youth Services Bureau
While in residence at WAYS, youth are enrolled in the local school district's educational program and receive on-site classroom instruction at the shelter. Youth also receive a safe place to stay- for up to 60 days- health screening, assessment, casework management, individual, family, and group counseling, crisis intervention, transportation, and recreation.
On many nights at the WAYS, a group session is held with participation from all youth in residence along with WAYS staff. The topics of discussion are normally geared toward issues of those youth currently in residence, -information which has been obtained from staff observations, youth discussions, and caseworker input- such as family issues, decision-making, substance use and abuse, refusal skills, personal accountability, and relationships with a focus on redirecting youth behaviors and attitudes in order to achieve success.
Our Current Facility
The current 6,500-square-foot building which houses the WAYS is a renovated 93-year-old school building constructed in 1930 and located in rural Cecil, Arkansas. Due to the age of the building, the facility is in continual need of extensive repairs which are a financial drain on CJS. The rural location in Franklin County also presents a logistical problem with frequent travel to and from the shelter by agency caseworkers, parents and shelter staff.
Due to these factors, the Comprehensive Juvenile Services Foundation, the fundraising arm of Comprehensive Juvenile Services, Inc., has embarked upon a fundraising campaign to fund the construction of a new 8,625 square foot, emergency shelter in Mulberry, Arkansas. Having the shelter located in a more accessible location will allow more frequent visits from parents and reduce travel costs incurred by the youth’s caseworkers and family.
