Youth Rehabilitation

 
5; 6
Youth Facilities & Services
Children and Family Services
 
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What you need to know

What would you like to do?

What you need to know

What you need to know

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The Department of Health and Human Services runs 4 youth facilities. Each facility maintains on-campus programs, treatment and education. ​

Adult & Child Abuse & Neglect Hotline

(800) 652-1999


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Facilities

Lincoln

  • Mission
    • To help youth live better lives through effective services affording youth the opportunity to become law-abiding and productive citizens.
  • History
    • The Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Center – Lincoln (YRTC-Lincoln) opened in February 2020 in Lincoln, Nebraska. The program is located within the Lancaster County Youth Services Center operating as a separate program from the county that also provides services to other youth. The program was established to provide services to both male and female youth ranging in age from 14 to 18 years and are securely housed separately by gender. Youth are typically transferred from either the Kearney or the Hastings YRTC campuses to provide treatment for those of higher behavior acuity needing more individualized care due to behavioral and mental health needs. 
  • Accreditation
    • The YRTC-Lincoln successfully completed its first initial audit becoming accredited by the American Correctional Association (ACA) in June 2022, with the next audit to be scheduled in June 2025.
    • YRTC-Lincoln completed a Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) re-accreditation audit in January 2024, meeting all standards of compliance and exceeding three standards. ​
Lincoln Facility
Phone Number
(402) 471-0119
Address
1200 Radcliff St – Ste B
Lincoln, NE 68512


Kearney

  • Mission
    • The Mission of the Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Center at Kearney (YRTC-K) is to help youth live better lives through effective services, giving youth the chance to become law-abiding, productive citizens. 
  • History
    • The YRTC-Kearney was founded in 1879. The facility began receiving boys and girls in July 1881. In 1892, YRTC-Kearney became a boy's only youth facility when a girl's facility opened in Geneva. On January 1, 1997, YRTC-Kearney ended a 23-year affiliation with the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services and became one of ten, 24-hour facilities under the Department of Health and Human Services. YRTC-Kearney is part of DHHS under the Division of Children and Family Services.
  • Accreditation
    • The YRTC-Kearney has a long history of accreditation with the American Correctional Association (ACA). In 1979 the YRTC-Kearney was one of the initial three national juvenile correctional facilities to be accredited by the American Correctional Association Commission for Accreditation.  The YRTC-Kearney earned its most recent accreditation in June 2023, with its next accreditation audit scheduled for June 2026. 
    • YRTC-K earned top marks in their most recent Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) re-accreditation in October 2024 meeting all standards compliance, two of which exceeded standard requirements. The next PREA audit will take place in 2027 for re-accreditation. ​​

YRTC-Kearney
Phone Number
(308) 865-5313
Address

2802 30th Avenue

Kearney, Nebraska 68845



Hastings

  • Mission
    • The mission of the Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Center-Hastings (YRTC-Hastings) is to provide a program that responds to juveniles in a sensitive, humane, and just manner and to create hope for juveniles to stay motivated to achieve their full potential by providing a safe and secure environment, programming, therapy, education/vocation, case management, and life skills which empower them to succeed.
  • History
    • In 1887, the Hastings Regional Center opened as an asylum for the incurably insane with an operating budget of $75,000. In the late 1970's, the program was changed to the Hastings Regional Center until 1999 when the facility became the Hastings Juvenile Chemical Dependency Program operating until October 2020. In 2021, the old program buildings were replaced with new buildings and the Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Center opened on campus to serve female youth. YRTC-Hastings is a part of the Department of Health and Human Services under the Division of Child and Family Services.
  • Accreditation
    • The YRTC-Hastings successfully completed their first initial audit becoming accredited by the American Correctional Association (ACA) in June 2022.  The next audit is scheduled for June 2025.
    • YRTC-Hastings completed a Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) re-accreditation audit in October 2024, meeting all standards of compliance and exceeding two standards. The next PREA audit will take place in October 2027. ​

YRTC-Hastings
Phone Number
(402) 462-1971
Address

4200 West 2nd Street

Hastings, Nebraska 68901

Whitehall

  • Mission
    • Whitehall provides treatment for two distinct treatment concerns. The Substance Use program works with adolescent males who struggle with moderate to severe substance use diagnoses.  The Youth Who Sexually Harm program serves adolescent males who have engaged in sexually harmful behaviors.  Both programs are committed to providing a safe and supportive environment where youth can learn and demonstrate responsible and emotionally healthy behaviors.
  • History
    • For more than 30 years, the Whitehall Campus has provided treatment for adolescent males who have engaged in sexually harmful behaviors. In October 2020, Whitehall expanded its programming to include serving adolescent males with moderate to severe substance use diagnoses. The programs are separate from each other with the two populations living in different cottages.  The two programs attend school in different locations on campus.  In both programs, the importance of family involvement is thought to be key to achieving treatment success.  Whitehall has long adopted the following principles of care:
      • Individualized Treatment: The youth and their treatment team create a plan of care taking into consideration the youth's needs, strengths, and the goals set by the youth, and their families. 
      • Trauma Informed Care: All Whitehall staff are trained and sensitive to the youth's past experiences and traumas.
      • Cultural Competency: It is the philosophy at Whitehall that youth can develop and grow into individuals who can interact competently according to their cultural group.
      • Safe and Caring Environment: All youth served at Whitehall deserve to be treated with respect and dignity as well as deserve to be heard, understood, and have their views considered.
      • Non-linear treatment gains: Recovery and growth are based on continual change, occasional setbacks, and learning from experience.
      • Responsibility: Youth and their families are responsible for the decisions they make to live a healthy, safe, and productive life, which includes making choices to actively engage in treatment and recovery.
      • Evidence-Based Programming: Each program provides evidence-based interventions delivered by highly trained professionals in both fields.


Whitehall PRTF
Phone Number
(402) 471-6969
Address

5900 Walker Avenue

Lincoln, Nebraska 68507