January 13, 2021

What is CAPTAIN CHS?

Our Mission & Vision

CAPTAIN Community Human Services supports and empowers people of all ages to reach their goals of personal growth and self-sufficiency. We strengthen communities.

As a volunteer-driven organization, CAPTAIN CHS strives to be a recognized leader in finding effective solutions to social issues in the communities we serve.

Our Values

Volunteer Driven:  We have deep roots in the community, providing many opportunities to give and serve.

Excellence:  We approach all our work with integrity, aspire to be professionally respected, and challenge ourselves to respond to the changing needs of our community.

Respect:  We have respect for the dignity of our clients, colleagues and community.

Accessibility:  We are easily accessible and open to everyone.

Collaboration:  We collaborate with a broad spectrum of community partners.

Fiscally Responsible:  We are good stewards of all our resources.

Our History

CAPTAIN Community Human Services is one of our community's most recognized and dynamic human services community-based agencies today as a result of the December 2017 merger between CAPTAIN Youth and Family Services and Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Community Human Services.

CAPTAIN Youth and Family Services was founded in 1977 when a group of concerned parents, teens and community members came together to create a grassroots organization to help troubled teens. Since then, CAPTAIN (formerly Community Action for Parents, Teens and Interested Neighbors) developed into one of the most recognized and highly respected volunteer-driven organizations serving the principal needs of youth, individuals and families in Saratoga County and beyond. For over 40 years, CAPTAIN had been providing programs that address the core issues facing our society today, including homelessness, poverty, youth violence, hunger, academic failure, family dysfunction, and human trafficking. CAPTAIN approached and continues to approach these issues through numerous programs and services.

Community Human Services was founded in 1976 as a result of a community-led effort to address the lack of resources available for youth and their families. CHS had been serving the needs of families, children and individuals in Northern Schenectady and Southern Saratoga Counties for over 41 years, focusing their programming efforts on families with children and children with disabilities as well as support for our community's seniors. These programs now fall under the umbrella of CAPTAIN Community Human Services, including job match and employment skills, family support and respite services, and Care Links of Southern Saratoga County, which helps to keep people aged 60+ living independently in their home as long as possible. In addition, the Wellness Express Transportation Program provides free transportation to medical appointments to area seniors.

Combined, CAPTAIN Community Human Services has over 30 programs and services that address the needs of the community and will be positioned in strength and flexibility to face the new challenges and issues that will arise.  We continue to work hard to lift people up and build brighter futures.

Our Programs

Here is a list of some of our major program areas.