PHILOSOPHY
Adolescence is a time when teenagers begin to question and challenge their parents, schools, communities and themselves. This is a natural developmental stage but can be very difficult particularly if a family has struggled with other problems in the past. Families can find themselves stuck in repetitive patterns that remain unresolved which escalate the tensions in family relationships. The Group Home provides a safe and structured environment for youth where they can live temporarily while these problems and issues are addressed. Placement may help to ease the tensions and allow the resident and family to identify the problems, find ways to resolve them, and improve their relationships.
The process begins in the Group Home but the majority of the work happens during home visits, during the transition period and when the youth returns home, to another living situation or independent living. The emphasis in the Group Home is on identifying skills that have worked, learning new skills, and practicing those new skills in the Group Home and with family and friends, at school and in the community. By experiencing competence, improved relationships and successes in school and the community, youth gain control over themselves and their own lives.