visit

Welcome
We are so excited that you have decided to come and visit
Elmcrest Children’s Center. Before your visit, we would like
to tell you a few stories about Elmcrest and how we help
children and families in Central New York. This booklet is just
a snapshot of what you will see while on your tour and can
hopefully answer some questions for you. In addition, you will
find directions to our Salt Springs Campus and the date, time
and location of your visit.
Elmcrest is a community of caring professionals providing
service to children with a variety of emotional, behavioral, and
developmental limitations in order to help them overcome
barriers to success. The Elmcrest experience focuses on
developing meaningful relationships in a teaching and
learning environment that will enable each child regardless
of age, gender, or circumstance to reach their optimum
potential, and point toward a productive future.
You will hear us talk about Education, Employability,
and Character Building. As an organization, this focus
demonstrates our commitment to providing youth in our
care with the skills needed for them to be successful in the
classroom, in the workplace, and in their community.
Again, thank you for taking the time to visit Elmcrest
Children’s Center. We hope that your visit with us will not only
be informative, but will help to give you a different perspective
on the children and families that we serve.
Joseph Geglia
Executive Director

Date:
October 31, 2017
Time:
1:00 pm
Location:
Family Support Center*
Attendees:
Joseph Geglia, Executive Director
Andrea Autry, Dir. Marketing & Development
My Visit
*See campus map and directions
in the back of the booklet.

Elmcrest
In the early 1800s, a group of churchwomen became
interested in educating children who were less fortunate and,
in 1835, rented a room behind the village store and established
the Syracuse Free School. By 1847, the house had expanded
to serve children throughout the county.
In an effort to accommodate the growing needs of more
children, the location of the home was moved several times
over the years. In 1922, it made its last move to what was
then the outskirts of the city, a 146-acre farm on Salt Springs
Road, and its present location. On the occasion of its 100th
anniversary in 1945, the name was officially changed to
Elmcrest Children’s Center.
Today, more than 170 years later, Elmcrest Children’s Center
is still in the business of providing for children and families.
Elmcrest provides a multi-service residential treatment and
education center for children with emotional, behavioral, and
psychiatric disturbances; a respite program for children with
developmental disabilities and serious medical conditions;
and an early education center and Universal Pre-K (UPK)
program.
Together with their families, over 2,500 individuals are served
yearly in more than 20 different programs. At any given
time, Elmcrest is home to 130 youngsters, with another 150
preschoolers being served in its early education facility. In
addition, another 80 families at risk of having their children
removed from the home receive supportive services,
counseling, education and training.

After using heroine for the second time that day, Martha realizes
that she is in labor. She reaches across to her partner and shakes
him awake. They gather their belongings and head off to the
hospital. 2 hours later, Martha has given birth to her third substancedependant
child...a boy. Realizing that the baby is experienceing
drug withdrawal, the nurse calls Onondaga County Department
of Social Services, and the newborn is taken from his parents and
brought to Elmcrests Family Support Center before his mother is
even out of the labor and delivery wing.
The Family Support Center (FSC), is the only transitional residence
for children entering and moving through the foster care system in
Onondaga County. A collaborative effort between the Onondaga
County Department of Social Services and Elmcrest. The FSC
serves up to 14 males and females ranging in age from newborn to
18 years old.
The goal of the FSC staff is to reduce the trauma commonly
associated with being removed from the home, to reunite children
with their biological families, to decrease the amount of time it takes
to safely return children home and to prevent their return to foster
care.
With an expected stay of 14 days, the FSC immediately provides a
safe and nurturing environment for children once they have been
removed from their homes.
14
Average Length
of Stay (Days)
424
# of Children
Served from 2013-2017
48
Time it takes
for first parental visit
(Hours)
Family Support Center

Early Education Center
Raphael is a non-verbal, non-social 4 year old preschooler. Through a
series of evaluations, he has been diagnosed with being on the Austism
Spectrum Disorder and having Asperger’s Syndrome. Characteristics
include impaired non-verbal behaviors such as lack of eye contact,
facial expressions and posture; restricted and repetitive behavior; and
lack of motor or sensory perception.
His mother wanted him to have a preschool experience that any normal
4 year old would have, but had problems finding the right environment
for her son. Because Raphael lives in Onondaga County and was
identified as having an IEP, he was able to enroll in Elmcrests SPICE
Program at Small Wonders Day Care.
Small Wonders Daycare is designed for children 5 years of age and
younger. The program is open to all children and focuses on developing
early literacy, math and social skills and works to guide and nurture
young children toward enrollment in a traditional kindergarten
curriculum.
The SPICE program within the daycare, provides preschool special
education services for children like Raphael, and others, in Onondaga
County and surrounding counties. All classrooms are inclusive
classrooms containing both peers who do and do not receive
special education services.
Children enrolled in the SPICE programs receive
their services onsite through speech therapy,
occupational therapy, physical therapy, play
therapy and other clinical supports. More
importantly, all students in a SPICE classroom
learn how to interact with all types of individuals
at an early age. Further allowing all students to
have an equal opportunity to learn and perform
well.

Celeste is a 14 year old who has been skipping school and
getting in to trouble for some time. Between the neglect and
drug use by her father and his girlfriend, Celeste is virtually
invisible and living on her own. The school truancy drew
attention to her homelife, and now she has been placed in
Elmcrest’s residential program.
Elmcrest’s Salt Springs Campus is home to some 75 young
boys and girls on an annual basis. These youth, who have
been removed from their homes, have experienced trauma
in their lives or have disabilities that prevent them from being
successful at home, at school and in their communities.
The coed campus, lined with 12 stately homes affectionately
referred to as “cottages” and separated by program, house
anywhere from seven to ten youth per cottage, who are under
24-hour supervision and receive medical, psychological and
psychiatric services.
Youth attend the on-campus school, run by Syracuse City
School District, use the modern
Literacy Center, and participate in
activities that foster their physical
and emotional growth as well as learn
values that help them develop positive
character traits.
Elmcrest provides residential services
to 19 counties in Central New York, and
youth are referred by the Department
of Social Services in individual
counties. Residents range in age from
8-18 years old, and the average length
of stay is 13.14 months.
Residential Programs

Casey's Place
Jacob was born with cerebral palsy. He just turned 13! Over the last
five years, Jacob has had sleepovers, met new friends and has learned
to do somethings independantly. As a result, his parents are happier
and feel like they are part of a family of individuals who understand the
difficulties of raising a developmentally disabled child.
Casey's Place, located in Syracuse, provides short-term respite
services for Central New York children and youth, up to age 22, who
have developmental disabilities and/or complex medical conditions.
Located in Syracuse, N.Y., Casey's Place provides a break for caregivers
while also providing a safe, nurturing environment assisting children
in developing socialization skills, peer relationships and independent
living skills in a home setting and the community.
The Casey’s Place Respite program includes overnight and weekend
stays, afterschool programs, school holiday breaks, Friday Teen Night,
and Summer day and overnight program.
Other Developmental Disability Services
Community Habilitation promotes independence and integration
into the community for youth with disabilities. Youth and families are
encouraged to direct the path of this program with the support of
Elmcrest Community Integration Specialists.
Employment Services provides person-centered support to assist
young adults with disabilities to
become prepared for the workforce
and achieve gainful employment in
the community.
Bridges to Health (B2H) is designed
for children in foster care whose
mental health, developmental, or
medical disability causes them to be
at risk of being placed in long-term
institutional care.

Giving back can mean many things. Whether you are giving
back financially, donating funds or resources, partnering
on an event or volunteering your time, you are making a
difference in the lives of the youth we serve at Elmcrest. We
rely on the generous donations and support of our partners,
families and a caring community to assist in transforming
the lives of our young boys and girls.
It is our mission to protect the promise of children and
families and dedicate resources to Education, Employability
and Early Intervention initiatives that will have a positive
and lasting impact on youngsters and their families for a
promising future.
For more information on how you can give back,
please contact Andrea Autry, Director, Marketing
& Development at 315-446-6250 x278 or aautry@
elmcrest.org.
How You Can Help

Directions
Directions:
From Points North (I-81):
From Points South of Syracuse:
Take I-81 South towards Binghamton Take I-81 North to 690 East
Merge onto I-690 E towards Syracuse From 690 East Take exit 15 S. Midler Avenue
Directions:
Take exit 15 for Midler Ave
Turn right onto S Midler Ave
Turn right onto S Midler Ave
Continue onto Seeley Rd
From Points North (I-81):
From Points South of Syracuse:
Take
Continue
I-81 South
onto
towards
Seeley Rd
Binghamton Take
Turn
I-81
left
North
onto
to
Salt
690
Springs
East
Rd
Merge Turn left onto onto I-690 Salt E towards Springs Syracuse Rd From Destination 690 East Take will exit be on 15 your S. Midler right. Avenue
Take Destination exit 15 for will Midler be on Ave your right. Turn 960 right Salt onto Springs S Midler Road Ave
Turn 960 right Salt Springs onto S Midler Road Ave
Continue Syracuse, onto NY Seeley 13224 Rd
Continue Syracuse, onto NY Seeley 13224Rd
Turn left onto Salt Springs Rd
Turn
From
left
Points
onto Salt
West
Springs
(I-90W):
Rd Destination
From Points
will be
East
on
(I-90E):
your right.
Destination will be on your right. 960 Salt Springs Road
Take I-90 E
I-90 W to Onondaga County.
960 Salt Springs Road
Syracuse, NY 13224
Take exit 39 towards I-690 E
Take exit 34A to merge onto I-481 S toward Syracuse
Syracuse, NY 13224
Keep right at the fork, follow signs for Take exit 4 for Interstate 690 W toward Syracuse
From I-690 Points E/Fairgrounds/Syracuse
West (I-90W):
From Continue Points East onto (I-90E): I-690 W
Take Continue I-90 E onto I-690 E
I-90 Take W to exit Onondaga 16N-16S County. to merge onto Thompson
Take Take exit exit 3915 towards for Midler I-690 Ave E
Take Merge exit 34A onto merge Thompson onto Rd I-481 S toward Syracuse
Keep Turn right right at onto the fork, S Midler follow Ave signs for Take Turn exit right 4 for onto Interstate Erie Blvd 690 W E toward Syracuse
I-690 Continue E/Fairgrounds/Syracuse
onto Seeley Rd
Continue Turn left onto onto I-690 Smith W St
Continue
Turn left
onto
onto
I-690
Salt
E
Springs Rd
Take
Turn
exit
right
16N-16S
onto
to
Springfield
merge onto
Rd
Thompson
Take exit 15 for Midler Ave
Merge onto Thompson Rd
Destination will be on your right. Turn right onto Salt Springs Rd
Turn right onto S Midler Ave
Turn right onto Erie Blvd E
960 Salt Springs Road
Destinaation will be on your left.
Continue onto Seeley Rd
Turn left onto Smith St
Turn
Syracuse,
left onto
NY
Salt
13224
Springs Rd Turn
960
right
Salt
onto
Springs
Springfield
Road
Rd
Destination will be on your right. Turn right onto Salt Springs Rd
For 960 the Salt Carrier Springs Road Conference room, left Destinaation hallway will off be the on your Administration left. reception lobby and second to last door o
Syracuse, NY 13224
960 Salt Springs Road
For the Carrier Conference room, left hallway off the Administration reception lobby and second to last door on left.
SU
SU
Family Support
Center
Family Support
Center
960 Salt Springs Rd
960 Syracuse, Salt Springs NY Rd 13224
Syracuse, NY 13224
LeMoyne College
LeMoyne College
Parking
Parking
Administration
Administration