Children's Home Society of South Dakota is the state's oldest human service nonprofit organization. Serving as South Dakota's primary orphanage and adoption agency. Today, we provide emergency shelter, residential treatment and education, foster care and adoption, forensic interviews and advocacy, and prevention and education resources. In addition to serving victims of domestic violence and child abuse, we also partner with parents to help children with emotional or behavioral needs. We are accredited by The Joint Commission and licensed by South Dakota Department of Social Services as a Child Welfare Agency. We are also certified as a Special Education Program by the Department of Education and Cultural Affairs.
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Services Offered
Children's Home Child Advocacy Center - We empower children who have experienced trauma to find justice and healing, together with their families.
Prevention Resources - Our approach to prevention is multi-layered, addressing concerns with individuals, organizations, public policies, and society as a whole. Preventing trauma - or identifying and addressing it as early as possible - can have a significant impact, not only on the victim and family, but on our entire community. Residential Treatment And Education - At Children's Home Society, we don't focus on simply treating symptoms, but rather on treating the whole health and well being of each child and family we serve. While in residential treatment, your child will receive: Individualized Treatment Plan - Focus is on therapeutic goals.
Individual and Group Therapy - Children have the opportunity to give and receive support, with assistance from a therapist.
Family Therapy - Teaches healthy parent/child relationships.
If a medical examination is completed, the health care provider will bill your medical insurance and/or Medicaid for any medical services provided. You will not be responsible for co-pays at the time of your visit, though we do ask you to bring your child's insurance card or Medicaid card to the appointment. We are also a nonprofit agency.
Services Offered To: Adults Teens Children
Payment: Pro-bono Medicaid
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Qualifying for assistance from South Dakota's program usually depends on the severity of your condition and financial circumstance. Read our full guide to South Dakota's program.
A community counseling agency is a group therapy practice that offers affordable mental health services. Most are independent non-profit agencies, state agencies, or publicly-funded agencies. A few may restrict who is eligible for services, so it is a good idea to check when you call.
Community counseling agencies are generally more affordable than other therapy providers, but how much more affordable they are will depend on whether you qualify for a discount or sliding scale fee (or if they accept your insurance). Many, but not all, have a policy that they won't turn away anyone due to inability to pay. You should ask about their fees when you first call.
Expect to talk to kind people who want to help you find the care you need. Most community agencies strive to connect you with a live person within 24 hours, if not immediately. If you're asked to hold or leave a message, don't give up; just leave a message and wait. You should hear back pretty quickly.
Most agencies try to set up an initial assessment appointment within a week (some do within 24 hours), though the waitlist to start therapy is usually longer—about a few weeks on average. If you're not eligible or if the agency is not right for you, it's usually still worth it to call or drop in, because staff are knowledgeable about local options and can often refer you to one.