CHOICES Programs Organization

CHOICES Programs was co-founded by Shannon Thomas, CEO and Charvelle Thomas, COO in 2005. Before establishing CHOICES Programs Org, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas were Specialized Therapeutic Foster Parents. Mr. Thomas has over 15 years of experience serving children and young adults as a Behavioral Health Therapist, Youth Shelter Director, and Crisis Assessment Specialist.

Their experiences with child welfare inspired their vision to create an environment where children in need can be helped in an informal therapeutic environment which exposes them to age appropriate normalcy and traditional values. The founders also want to keep young adults "aging out" of foster care from becoming homeless due to lack of a natural support system.

CHOICES Residential Group Homes uses a family model to help resolve or find a healthy means for children to cope with trauma and family conflicts, while in foster care. We teach our children decision making skills, self-reliance, and concern for others. We help them to understand the consequences of their actions in hopes of decreasing the likelihood that the cycle of dependency will continue for that child and their family.

CHOICES Targeted Case Management (TCM) was established in 2011 to address delinquency, mental health issues, and substance abuse for children in foster care, their parents, and teenagers aging out of foster care. It is common for young adults and parents to have a limited understanding as to how obtain the services they need in order to function and maintain their basic, health, and mental health needs. TCM Services help to fill the gap between services needed and services provided. We help make community resources accessible by linking youth and families to agencies designed to address their specific obstacles.

At CHOICES, we are dedicated to helping people. We believe our mission "Empowering Youth and Restoring Families" says it best.