NY DJJOY - Ella McQueen Reception Center for Boys and Girls

The Ella McQueen Reception Center for Boys and Girls is located in Brooklyn. The building, once two separate buildings, is now joined by a connector. The facility has a kitchen and two small cafeterias, a family visiting room, a central services control center and business office on the A side of the main floor and a recreation room and statewide transport office on the main floor of the B side. The A side also houses medical and dental services, an exercise room, mental health and assessment services, two residential floors and an administration floor.

The Girls Reception Unit is located on the upper floor of the B side of the facility and also contains a processing area for new admissions and the Girls Temp Unit. There is an outdoor recreation yard and a limited enclosed parking area.

The youth served are male and female adjudicated delinquents, generally between the ages of 13 and 18.

Medical Assessment:

Medical staff conduct an initial assessment of each youth within one hour of his or her arrival.

• A comprehensive medical work up is done on each youth, including a physical, EKG, lab work, immunizations, STD testing, arrangements for any outside medical visits and appropriate follow-up.
• Comprehensive care for all residents up until discharge from the reception center.

Psychological Assessment:

• A review and analysis of historic psychological, cognitive and academic testing
• Administration of projective and objective psychological tests
• Administration of neuro-cognitive measures
• Administration of neuro-psychological measures
• Administration of psycho-educational measures
• Interviews with teachers
• Interviews with staff and administration exposed to youth
• Review of substance use measures administered by VERA
• Clinical interview with each youth
• Crisis management
• Supportive therapy as needed
• Transport restraint assessment
• Treatment planning
• Suicide screening

Additional Assessments:

• Reading, math and writing skills
• Physical fitness assessment
• Career assessment
• HIV/AIDS awareness education

Residential Placement Preparation:

• Orientation and training on the rules and routines of facility life
• Awareness of and access to an Ombudsman for legal guidance and the protection of individual rights.

Temporary Housing Unit:

One of the four residential floors includes nine individual sleeping rooms that temporarily house youth for court appearances, medical appointments and other specialty visits.

Intake Unit:

The Office of Community Partnerships has co-located their main Intake office at Ella McQueen Reception Center and provides the following services:

• Collection and assemblage of all case records for forwarding to Ella McQueen staff, the assigned residential facility, OCFS Stat and Survey and the respective Community Multi-Service Office.
• Completion of an Initial Risk Assessment (home risk assessment) for youth from the five boroughs of New York City.
• Completion of the Initial Youth Classification forms.
• Completion of the Youth Family Information forms.
• Communication with each youth’s family, including a structured family day visit at Ella McQueen on the day before the youth leaves for his/her assigned facility. Parents/guardians and other family members are oriented to the facility the youth will be assigned to, other relevant OCFS programs and discussion of their role during the period of facility placement community supervision.