SandyPines Assists with Haitian Refugee Children

TEQUESTA, Fla. – (Feb. 22, 2010) – The Office of Refugee Resettlement has called upon SandyPines, a Psychiatric Solutions, Inc. (PSI) facility, to provide shelter, care and processing assistance for Haitian refugee children entering the United States for adoption.

The Office of Refugee Resettlement is a division of the Unaccompanied Youth Services of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. SandyPines currently serves children referred by the Office of Refugee Resettlement for intensive residential behavioral health treatment. 

Haitian children residing in orphanages awaiting completion of their adoption paperwork are being processed in Sanford and Miami.  Due to the high number of orphaned children in need of adoption since the recent earthquake, as well as the complicated process, assistance of Office of Refugee Resettlement service provider agencies is needed to offer shelter and processing. 

SandyPines has made special provisions at its facility in response to the increased demand.  Several children have been cared for on a short-term basis as families across the United States and Canada realize their adoption dreams.
The Department of Homeland Security recently announced a humanitarian parole policy allowing orphaned children from Haiti to enter the United States temporarily on an individual basis to ensure that they receive the care they need. 

Additionally, the U.S. Embassy recently processed immigrant visas for 29 orphans who were already prepared for visa processing prior to the earthquake.  According to the U.S. Department of State, U.S. citizens adopted approximately 330 children from Haiti in 2009.

About SandyPines
SandyPines is a fully licensed, 80-bed residential treatment program specializing in behavioral health programs for children and adolescents with intensive mental health issues. SandyPines is committed to its mission of service for children and families in a caring environment, emphasizing recovery from mental health challenges and instilling a resiliency to move forward with a productive life. SandyPines is licensed by the State of Florida and fully accredited by The Joint Commission. As a community service, the hospital provides free face-to-face assessments and referral services by appointment.

About Psychiatric Solutions, Inc. (PSI)
Psychiatric Solutions, Inc. offers an extensive continuum of behavioral health programs to critically ill children, adolescents and adults and is the largest operator of owned or leased freestanding psychiatric inpatient facilities with more than 11,000 beds in 32 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.  PSI also manages freestanding psychiatric inpatient facilities for government agencies and psychiatric inpatient units within medical/surgical hospitals owned by others.

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