Community Youth Services

About Community Youth Services

Community Youth Services is a nonprofit in Olympia, Washington, that has supported young people and their families across the South Puget Sound region since 1970. Their work centers on helping at-risk youth find safety, stability, and belonging through a continuum of individualized services and advocacy, with a focus on stable housing, family reconnection, foster care, and behavioral health. Programs include Multisystemic Therapy (MST), a Transitional Age Youth support program, Parents as Teachers and other family services, and rent assistance. They also run independent living skills training, Haven House, Rosie’s Place young adult shelter, young adult housing, and street outreach.

Their therapeutic foster care program serves youth ages 6 to 21 who are referred by Washington’s Division of Children and Family Services. A strength-based, multisystemic team delivers home-, community-, and school-based support aimed at stabilizing placements, improving school performance and mental health, reducing behavioral challenges, and building pro-social skills. Each youth has a case manager who carries only about 5 to 7 cases and brings together a treatment team that can include foster parents, social workers, therapists, school staff, and biological family. Families also have access to 24/7 crisis support, respite care, behavior management help, transportation, and activities such as hiking, kayaking, rock climbing, and art.