The Youth and Family Counseling program offers short and long term counseling for young people (children under 21) and their families. These services are performed by certified and licensed counselors on an out-patient basis, are available on a sliding scale, and are accessible to anyone regardless of ability to pay. Program staff offer extensive assessment services, substance abuse counseling, parenting skills assistance, anger management groups, and community referrals.
The main goals of the Youth and Family Counseling Program are to enable clients to recognize their issue(s), take the necessary steps to deal with their problem(s), and learn how to manage their mental health on their own. Furthermore, the program assists in identifying clients’ strengths, working from a treatment plan that accentuates these qualities. DYS counseling sessions not only address the needs of the individual client, but those of his or her family members as well. This directly relates to the agency’s mission in that the program seeks to strengthen the family as a whole. In addition, the program provides its clients with the tools to be productive members of society and to decrease the need for further professional intervention. Major long term outcomes that the program addresses are (1) clients will have an improved ability to work independently on issues, and attain a desired level of achievement; (2) clients will have continued increased awareness and ownership of their issues and relationships; and (3) clients will have an increase in positive behavior.
DYS Youth and Family Counseling combines cognitive based therapy with a family systems approach utilizing a non-medical model.
DYS is a licensed psychiatric clinic through the Department of Children and Families
with a Child Psychiatrist on staff.
Contact: Joe Arconti, MS, LPC
Clinical Director
Joe’s Biography
Joe Arconti has extensive experience working with youth at all developmental levels as a retired, 36 year veteran teacher/counselor in the Danbury Public School System. Mr. Arconti fully understands and appreciates the Danbury community culture and diversity. He brings this experience into the clinical field while working at DYS.
(203) 748 – 2936 ex. 18
jarconti.dys@snet.net
Dr. Sol Lee, MD, Medical Director Dr. Lee is a graduate of the University of Chicago and received her Doctor of Medicine from the University of Illinois. She did her General Psychiatry Residency at Harvard University and worked at North – Shore – Long Island Jewish Hospital before joining Danbury Hospital as the Director of Child and Adolescent Services.
Counselors Biographies
Marie Kuntz, MA, LPC, Certified Addiction Counselor (CAC), received her Masters degree from Fairfield University. Ms. Kuntz has over eight (8) years of experience working with a diverse population offering individual and family therapy especially in the area of addiction services.
Joyce Jaffee, MA, Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT), received her Masters Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Fairfield University. Ms. Jaffee provides a wide range of systemic, cognitive, and psycho-educational therapy for individuals, couples, families, and school systems. She has a great deal of experience and knowledge in working with youth and families for home and school settings.
Jackie Dudas, M.S., received her Masters Degree in Community Counseling from the University of Bridgeport. She integrates cognitive-behavioral therapy into most of her counseling and values the importance of the client/counselor relationship. Jackie works with a variety of clientele, spanning from young children to teenagers and their families.
Counselor Interns:
Samantha DiFalco, BA, MS Candidate Marriage and Family Therapy, Central Connecticut State University
Gregory Perone, BA, MS Candidate Community Counseling, Western Connecticut State University