REACH Services for Children & Teens

​Few things are harder than seeing your child in pain and not knowing what to do. If you’re looking for answers, we can help.

When a crisis event occurs – whether it’s at home or school, in the community, or at the national level – it can cause strong emotional reactions in children, especially children with special needs.

The REACH program is specifically designed to give children and teens with intellectual or developmental disability (ID/DD) the resources and support they need in a crisis situation, so they can heal and move forward.

REACH is also available for adults aged 18 and older.

If you or someone you love is experiencing a psychological emergency, please contact our crisis line 24/7 at (757) 925-2484

What is REACH?

Regional Education Assessment Crisis Services Habilitation (REACH) is a crisis response program for individuals with an intellectual or developmental disability who reside in the Western Tidewater Community Services Board service area (the cities of Franklin and Suffolk and the counties of Isle of Wight and Southampton). REACH is also available throughout the Region Five service area of Virginia, which includes the cities of:

• Chesapeake
• Williamsburg
• Eastern Shore
• Hampton-Newport News
• Middle Peninsula-Northern Neck
• Norfolk
• Portsmouth
• Virginia Beach
• Western Tidewater

REACH Can Help When:

Children or teens under the age of 18 experiencing mental health or challenging behavioral needs have been identified as having an intellectual or developmental disability

Children or teens under the age of 18 experiencing a crisis have been identified as having an intellectual or developmental disability

Children or teens with ID/DD have limited coping skills and are more likely to be overwhelmed by traumatic events such as violence or substance abuse at home or a community or national tragedy

A change in typical behavior places the child, caregiver, family member, or anyone else in danger

Supportive intervention may be required to effectively resolve the situation

What the REACH Program Offers

REACH services include:

• 24/7/365 mobile crisis response by Master’s level clinicians
• Training for the individual’s support system, including family and providers – this training will help you to better understand the ways that children with ID/DD process traumatic events and the specific ways you can help
• Supports and resources for those at risk of homelessness, incarceration, hospitalization, and/or becoming a danger to their self or others
• Prevention services

The ultimate goal of REACH is to support the least restrictive level of care necessary while striving to keep individuals stable within their home community.

Call the Regional REACH crisis line at 1-888-255-2989 for more information regarding services, resources, and/or training opportunities.