Huntington Youth Bureau

  Sanctuary is a specialized project that assists youth between the ages of 12 and 21 who run away or are at risk of running away from home. Sanctuary’s professional staff members provide individual, family and group counseling, crisis intervention, and referrals to short-term emergency housing and/or long term independent living programs. All of our services are confidential and free of cost for all Town of Huntington residents.

Sanctuary’s programs include:
  A Host Home Program, Independent Living Skills Program, Family Social Work Program, Runaway Program, the 24 hour Huntington Hotline, a volunteer Advisory Board, an Anger Management Group and various other counseling groups. See below for detailed descriptions.

  Funding for Sanctuary is provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, New York State Office of Children and Family Services, Suffolk County Youth Bureau, and the Town of Huntington.

Host Home Program
Host Homes are voluntary families that provide temporary shelter to youth experiencing crisis with their family of origin. (click on image below for more information)

HOST HOME VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

A Host Home is a voluntary family providing respite for youth experiencing a crisis with their family of origin. Placement of youth with a Host Home Family provides safe shelter to the youth and an opportunity for the youth and his/her family of origin to have a "cooling off" period.

• Clients are referred to Sanctuary from a variety of sources including schools, agencies within the Huntington Youth Bureau system, community agencies or the youth themselves.
• The youth involved in the host home program range from the ages of 12 to 17.
• Sanctuary clients are representative of all races, religions, cultures and economic levels.
• The maximum stay in a host home is 21 days. The usual stay is approximately two nights.

Huntington Sanctuary is an agency that provides crisis intervention and counseling services for runaway, homeless and at-risk youth and their families within the Town of Huntington. All of Sanctuary's services are voluntary and free to the youth who seek them. Sanctuary has helped thousands of families to reunite and to strengthen their relationships.

Sanctuary is funded by Federal, State, Town and County Governments, as well as private donations and foundations.

For more information regarding our Host Home Program, please call Sanctuary at
(631) 271 - 2183

Independent Living Skills Program
Young people, between the ages of 16-21, who are either living independent of their parent(s)/guardians(s), or may face a situation in which they will have to do so, work individually with Sanctuary Staff. In this program, youth will be able to develop a sense of self and will learn the skills necessary to make appropriate, healthy and responsible decisions. Sanctuary can assist youth in seeking employment & housing; accessing medical care, transportation and community resources; and learning valuable skills, such as budgeting, home management, decision-making and communication skills. All of our services are confidential and free of cost for all Town of Huntington residents.

If you would like to speak to someone who can help you in these areas, please call Sanctuary. Our services are free and confidential.

If you can answer “yes” to any of the questions below and you are between the ages of 16 and 21, Sanctuary may be able to help you.
  • Are you currently living on your own?
  • Has your family asked you to leave?
  • Do you live with your friend’s family and feel you need to move on?
  • Do you often wonder if you’ll be able to pay your rent?

Family Social Work Program
The family social work program which helps youth between the ages of 12-21 and their families includes family counseling which can help family members learn to communicate more effectively with one another, as well as. The family is assisted in identifying problems and strengthening the family unit. This program also provides crisis intervention and preventative services to at-risk/runaway/homeless youth and their families. Mediation, if appropriate, is provided in order to maintain a safe and stable home environment. If this is not an option, temporary shelter to best meet the needs of the young person may be arranged. All of our services are confidential and free of cost for all Town of Huntington residents.

If you can answer “yes” to any of the questions below and you are between the ages of 12 and 21, Sanctuary may be able to help you.
  • Are you frustrated with your home life and wish your family got along better?
  • Do members of your family sometimes find it difficult to talk to each other?
  • Has there been a recent change in your family that has created tension or high stress?
  • Is there a youth in the family who is between the ages of 12 and 21?

Runaway Program
Sanctuary’s Runaway program works with youth between the ages of 12-21 who have runaway and/or are homeless or at risk of running away and/or becoming homeless. The counselors at Sanctuary are available to meet with youth and help them sort out the many conflicting feelings they might have. If a youth has already run away from home and has nowhere to go, Sanctuary may be able to help them find a safe place to stay. Sanctuary’s counselors are experienced in working with runaway and homeless youth and will work hard to give them the help that they need. All of our services are confidential and free of cost for all Town of Huntington residents.

If you can answer “yes” to any of the questions below and you are between the ages of 12 and 21, Sanctuary may be able to help you.
  • Have you ever run away from home?
  • Are you thinking about running away?
  • Do you feel as though your family doesn’t understand you?
  • Do you sometimes feel like you need to talk with an adult who can understand you?

Huntington Hotline
The 24 hour a day Huntington Hotline provides crisis counseling, referrals and information to youth and families in the Town of Huntington. This service is free, anonymous, and confidential and is available 365 days a year. To access the Huntington Hotline, call (631)549-8700. Anonymous online counseling is also available at www.licconline.org.

Anger Management Group
Sanctuary’s anger Management group is available for youth ages 12-21 that are currently having difficulty expressing their anger effectively at home, in school, and/or in social situations. This group is currently held on Tuesday evenings from 7 - 8:30pm and space is limited. Please contact Jessica Lombardo at 631-271-2183 for an intake. Mandated clients are welcome.

All of our services are confidential and free of cost for all Town of Huntington residents.

Advisory Board
A group of committed community members volunteer to participate in an advisory capacity to Sanctuary’s Project Director on the concerns of runaway and homeless youth in the Town of Huntington. Sanctuary’s Advisory Board has produced the Youth Yellow Pages, a directory of services for youth in the Town of Huntington for over the last ten years.