Youth and Shelter Services (YSS)

About Youth and Shelter Services (YSS)

Youth and Shelter Services (YSS) is a long-running nonprofit based in Ames, Iowa, offering counseling, shelter, and substance use treatment for young people and their families, with in-person clinics in six Iowa cities and telehealth available statewide. Their addiction services center on Ember Recovery, an inpatient program for adolescents ages 12 to 18 that treats substance use alongside co-occurring mental health concerns such as trauma, grief, anxiety, and depression. The continuum also includes a virtual intensive outpatient program, step-down IOP, extended outpatient care, and independent living support, along with outpatient substance use evaluations, individual and group counseling, OWI evaluations, and psychiatric medication management. YSS is CARF-accredited and accepts most major insurance plans.

Ember’s residential care takes place in converted homes with separate, gender-responsive houses for boys and girls, and staff work with LGBTQIA+ teens and their families to find the most comfortable placement. Therapies may include cognitive behavioral therapy, STEPPS, trauma therapy, multidimensional family therapy, and individual and group sessions, complemented by physical activity, music, and art. Teens keep up with school through tutors or state-certified teachers and often make up missed credits, while families can join Strengthening Families Program weekends held four times a year. For those who need flexibility, the virtual IOP serves adolescents (13–17) and young adults (18+) Monday through Thursday evenings, and eligible Ember graduates can apply for a collegiate recovery scholarship to help fund college or trade school.