Voorhees Residential Community Home is located in Hunterdon County and serves a maximum of 27 residents between the ages of 15 and 20.
Residents that participate in the program enter either on a committed or probationary status. Committed residents are screened and referred through the Juvenile Justice Commission's Classification Committee. Residents on probationary status are referred to the program by the sending counties' court liaisons. They are then interviewed by the program's social service staff to determine admission into the program.
The program strives to promote pro-social skills, educational and vocational achievement, and personal growth by instilling core values of help, trust, respect, responsibility, and intervention. Our purpose in doing so is to help the residents prepare for their return to their communities and in fulfilling the goals they have set for themselves while in program.
Academically, the program is a regional school comprised of residents from both Warren and Voorhees Residential which follows the core curriculum content standards of the New Jersey Department of Education for grades nine through twelve. Residents that qualify are given the opportunity for GED testing in lieu of acquiring a high school diploma. In addition to classroom studies, residents are provided with vocational opportunities, which include greenhouse management, landscaping, plumbing, carpentry, and masonry.
During their stay, residents participate in Aggression Replacement Training, New Freedom Release Group, and Phoenix Curricula. These courses utilize cognitive behavioral techniques and assists residents with enhancing self-control. Furthermore, these components collectively assist with the development of interpersonal, personal, and social-cognitive skills that constitute effective pro-social behavior.
Residents regularly participate in community service projects conducted at Voorhees, Spruce Run, and Hacklebarney State Parks. In memory of the lives lost in 09/11, residents assisted with the development of the Cudina Memorial in Lebanon Township and continue to maintain the grounds through the horticulture program. The residents also have a number of opportunities to volunteer performing community service. |