Youth Futures and Youth Future R3
Youth Futures is a community-based program initiated in 1994 for at-risk youth who lack the resources, skills and support to deal effectively with the challenges they face, or who are motivated to change their lives in a positive way and are looking for a safe place to start. The program provides an appropriate environment that matches emotional, learning, and therapeutic supports to the developmental maturity and skill level of each youth referred.
The program is ideal for youth facing a wide range of complex and multiple issues such as ADD, ADHD addictions mental health concerns, behavioral problems, FASD, and learning disabilities. As a result of our success Youth Futures was expanded to a second site known as Youth Futures R3 in 2001. More formally, both programs are CARF (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation
Facilities) accredited, therapeutic day treatment programs that provide a naturally four to six month therapeutic day treatment environment for male and female adolescents aged 12-19, helping them remediate past issues, gain insight and grow out of their problems.
For many youths, the program’s effects are transformative. Since most of the referred participants have compound problems, the program addresses every aspect of their lives, from academics to social skills, personal problems, and family and community interactions. Program staff recognize the connections between multiple issues and use this to develop a strategy for change. Youths take part in regularly scheduled educational, weekend, evening and recreational programming, together with personal development workshops.
All Focus Foundation employees are firmly committed to a vision that stress working from a strength-based position, and this commitment was evident in all service plans. Although this is always encouraged at CARF-accredited organizations, few are able to be so single minded in their focus on positives rather than the problems of each service recipient. This vision clearly documented in the organization’s mission statement, creates an environment that every person served could identify as positive, supportive and affirming.
-CARF Survey Outcome Report, Summer 2005
Testimonials
“I have no idea what my life would be like without Whytecliff. I could be a drop out, doing nothing with my life, or ended up in jail doing drugs. All I know is that I would not be graduating without them.”
"Carl -
I would not be graduating if this program didn’t exist. The teachers and staff here make it possible to graduate under very difficult circumstances. They give you one to one help and create assignments that are specific to how you like to learn. I couldn’t have done any of this without them. They help you…
"Emileana -
I found the right community at this school, people who understand me and I am glad I found it.
"Jonathon -
whole experience from the moment I walked in.” He also stated that, “if I didn’t have this school I definitely would not be graduating. They gave me so many opportunities and chances that I would not have got at a regular school. They helped me build my social skills and deal with my anger. I got…
"Matthew -
Without this program I would have dropped out and probably become a drug dealer. When I first came here I was always fighting with my mom. Now we have a much better relationship because I know how to communicate.
"Nathan -
“We don’t quit, we don’t cower, we don’t run. We endure and conquer.” He also said, “I would not have finished high school without Whytecliff. I didn’t try in school before I came here but now I want to succeed.”
"Ryan -