Children’s Home of York launches Spark Center

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Children’s Home of York (CHOY) is expanding access to trauma-informed mental health care with the launch of Spark Center.

Located at 77 Shoe House Road in York, the new center serves as an outpatient mental health clinic serving individuals ages four and up in Central Pennsylvania.

“Our community is seeing more children and families struggling with trauma, anxiety, and depression, and too often they have to wait for the support they need,” Devon Bortzfield, LCSW, Associate Director of Clinical Services, Permanency Programs, and Spark Center, said in a statement. “CHOY created Spark Center to reduce those delays and ensure treatment is provided before mental health challenges turn into crises.”

According to a release, the launch comes as youth mental health needs continue to rise statewide. Pennsylvania continues to face a severe shortage of licensed mental health providers, particularly those who accept Medicaid. Families face waitlists lasting months for therapy and psychiatric services, delaying care during periods of crisis.

The National Alliance of Mental Illness reported that nearly 193,000 Pennsylvania adolescents experience a major depressive episode each year, and 16% of youth ages 0–17 have experienced two or more adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), factors strongly linked to long-term mental health challenges. ACE’s are traumatic events, such as experiencing or witnessing abuse, neglect, violence, or family instability.

Spark Center was developed to address access gaps by providing personalized, outpatient mental health care for individuals ages four and older with Medicaid insurance.

Services include the following:

• Individual and family therapy.
• Biopsychosocial assessments.
• Psychiatric evaluations.
• Medication management.

Care is delivered by licensed clinicians trained in trauma-informed, evidence-based practices. Flexible scheduling options, including in-person and telehealth, along with evening and weekend availability upon request, help reduce barriers for working families.

The opening of Spark Center marks a strategic expansion of CHOY’s commitment to strengthening child and family well-being, per the release. With 160 years of service to vulnerable youth, CHOY brings experience in supporting children and families through foster care, adoption services, and specialized behavioral programming, many of whom have experienced significant trauma. Spark Center seeks to strengthen early intervention, community stability, and long-term mental health outcomes across the region.