Youth Services

Sometimes teens and adolescents come face to face with situations that feel impossible to deal with -- drugs, violence, difficult family relationships and homelessness.

Familylinks offers a variety of programs that provide hope and help -- through safe living situations, education and a remarkably caring and understanding staff.

Find out about the Journey to Independence Program.

Youth ages 16-21 who are in foster care often need help preparing for adulthood and independent living. This program provides innovative, individualized services to help these young adults learn life skills, gain employment, find housing, and succeed on their own.

Find out about the Adolescent Semi-Independent Living Program.

This program provides supervised apartment living for teenagers ages 16-18, while also offering the vocational, educational and life skills necessary for independent living.

Find out about the Downtown Outreach Center and Shelter (DOCS).

Located in the Uptown section of downtown Pittsburgh, this center offers help to homeless teenagers, runaways and at-risk youth by providing everything from emergency shelter to food, clothing, medical services, counseling and more.

Find out about Youth Emergency Shelters.

For teens experiencing family conflict, school issues, abuse, neglect, homelessness or other crises, Familylinks offers help at our shelters located throughout Pittsburgh and its suburbs. These temporary group living arrangements offer safe housing, supervision and structure, as well as counseling, links with community services, and family support.

Find out about BNY Mellon Pathways Program

For adolescents between the ages of 16 and 21.  Our program helps these young people develop the skills they need to find and retain jobs that will allow them to be self-sufficient.

Find out about the Mentoring Initiative.

The Familylinks Mentoring Initiative gives the youth we serve positive role models who can help guide them in healing, developing and making the choices that will help them become successful adults. Mentoring is necessary for anyone’s personal and professional development, but even more critical to the young adults and adolescents we serve, many of whom have never had a consistent, caring adult in their lives.