Ferris School is a secure care, ACA accredited treatment facility providing services for up to 72 court committed males, ages 13 to 18. The average length of stay is six months, followed by a six-week transition program. Youth committed to Ferris are identified as serious and/or chronic repeat offenders, who pose a risk to themselves or others and require intensive rehabilitative treatment.
Ferris offers a structured learning environment that integrates all elements of rehabilitation: Education, programming, treatment, and therapeutic clinical programs at the start of each day. Programming is individualized and prescriptive to meet the needs of the youth. Staff is trained to view every interaction with the youth as a learning opportunity to enhance their pro-social skills. Throughout the youth’s stay, treatment staff maintains contact with the family to assist with a successful family reunification.
Youth programming includes: Drug and alcohol treatment, conflict resolution, aggression replacement training, violence prevention, gun violence, victim sensitivity, and youth mentoring services. Treatment staff facilitate programming and are required to have a bachelor’s degree in education or behavioral science.
In 2018 Ferris School was honored to receive the Barbara Allen Hagen award from PbS (Performance Based Standards) for their improvement plan of reducing youth assaults and fights.
Ferris School Lacrosse Team YouTube Video
In addition to having certified teachers through the Department of Education, Ferris School also has an established mentorship program to enhance the academic learning environment. The Ferris Mentor Program currently has 25 active mentors. Learn more about Academic Education
The Seven Challenges is a holistic, comprehensive counseling program for youth and young adults that incorporates work on drug problems, co-occurring problems and for remediating life skill deficits
The Division of Youth Rehabilitative Services has implemented a uniform behavior management system, Cognitive Behavior Training (CBT), in all Secure Care facilities: New Castle County Detention Center, Stevenson House Detention Center, Ferris School, Grace Cottage, Snowden Cottage, and Mowlds Cottage.
Residents are allowed to receive visits from immediate family members.Visitors include immediate family, attorneys, agency personnel, clergy and others. Your visitors must follow the following procedures:
During the resident stay, he is permitted to have available telephone access regardless of level or phase to maintain family and community ties, as well as have access to attorneys and other support services with reasonable amount of privacy. Upon arrival youth are offered two free 10 minute outgoing telephone calls to parents, legal guardian and/or foster parent.
Outgoing Calls: Resident is entitled to a weekly 10 minute outgoing telephone call to a parent and/or guardian. Each Cluster has designated days and times telephone calls will occur based on the programming schedule.
Residents are permitted to send and receive mail. Incoming and outgoing mail will be distributed daily. For safety and security reasons mail may be read, censored, or rejected when there is a suspicion that the contents are contrary to facility interests, order and security, i.e., pornography.
Residents are supplied with paper, pencil, and envelopes upon request. Resident Incoming/outgoing mail will be sent to the mail room in the Department’s Administration building within twenty-four hours for letters and within forty-eight hours for packages, excluding weekends and holidays. Mail will be stamped free of charge and delivered to the post office vial mail carrier.
959 Centre Road
Building #15
Wilmington, DE 19805
Email: yrs.dscyf@delaware.gov
Phone
Main Number: (302) 993-3800
Facsimile: (302) 993-3820