Services ...

Crisis Care - Most kids who come to Covenant House are in crisis and have been "thrown away" by poverty stricken, severely dysfunctional families. Others have been abused by parents or caregivers and have run away from these situations. Still others are marginally housed, moving from relative to relative or friend to friend. Without guidance or support, virtually all of these young people have dropped out of school and lack the skills to become productive adults.

Medical Services - With many years of neglect and abuse behind them, our youth come to us with many physical and mental ailments. We provide premiere comprehensive medical care free of charge to every young person we serve. With a full-time Pediatric Nurse Practitioner on staff, we are able to give them the care they need. In addition, we have close working relationships with area hospitals when specialty care is needed.

Mother/Child Program - Raphael's Life House is a residential program located in Elizabeth, NJ that provides special care for pregnant and parenting young women. Young women with health problems and other issues can receive treatment in our on-site medical clinics and participate in other CHNJ programs. We work closely with the young women to help them move into a life of independence with their children. You can visit their website: www.raphaelslifehouse.org

Outreach-Not every kid knows how or where to find us. Every night, our counselors drive vans through the city streets searching for young people in need, providing warm clothing, food, counseling, and support. In addition, our outreach workers represent Covenant House New Jersey at various health fairs, schools, and other community-based organizations to spread the word about services available to youth.

Pastoral Ministries - Our Pastoral Minister provides spiritual guidance to our young people. Although our roots are in the Catholic Church, we are non-denominational and we accept youth of all religious faiths. The Pastoral Minister organizes staff and youth retreats, runs meditation classes, and helps youth with anything they need, from clothing, to finding furniture for their new apartments and just being a friendly face to talk to.

Rights of Passage - Every kid deserves the right to a future. Rights of Passage is a program that provides young men and women between 18 and 21 with the chance they need to make a life for themselves away from the street. With the help of professional staff, mentors and volunteers, Rights of passage residents are provided with educational and vocational opportunities. Residents live at Covenant House while we give them the support they need to build themselves a future.

Substance Abuse Counseling - Many young people come to us with addictions to alcohol or drugs. Our Substance Abuse Coordinator helps youth overcome their addictions on an outpatient basis on site. We also work closely with several inpatient rehabilitation programs so if any one of our youth needs additional help, we can help them by referring them to the appropriate programs.

World of Work - In order to help a young person move ahead, it is important that they obtain employment. Our educational/vocational program, W.O.W., give them the tools they need to learn to obtain a job. They learn how to write a resume, where to look for work, and how to dress and prepare for an interview. Many of our youth go to become employees of large companies such as UPS, FedEx, and Gateway Security. In addition, we work closely with YouthBuild - a program that teaches trades such as construction to young men and women. Today, over 90% of our youth are employed.

Youth Advocacy Center - Our legal department is here to represent youth in any legal matters they need help with. From obtaining Identification to becoming emancipated, our attorneys provide an array of much needed services to the kids. In addition, the Youth Advocacy Department is responsible for helping to create the Tuition Waiver Bill and the Homeless and Runaway Youth Act.