Who We are

I just want to tell you how thankful I am that you were all able and willing to take me as well as the rest of us shopping for our families last weekend. Even for the ones that didn’t get to go, they still got stuff. You didn’t have to do that for us, but you did! Thank you! I was able to go to the stores that we picked to go to and I was also able to get exactly what I wanted to get, plus more. Coming from Mabee house, we all want to really show our appreciation for all of the money that was donated. We also want to show our appreciation for the fact that we were also able to wrap our gifts and will be handing them out to our families on Family Day. We had a great time shopping with each other.

(From a Youth Home Client: A thank you letter describing the joy she felt over getting to buy gifts for her brothers this Christmas season. This was thanks to our generous donors).

If you’re reading this, you’re very likely a parent making a very hard decision or a teen whos embarking on a scary path.  As a parent who had to make this decision, I can confidently say, it’s the best thing I’ve ever done for my son.  The admissions process was very intimidating and emotional, but the whole staff at Youth Home were so supportive.
I applied to 3 different places for my son and this was the only place I felt comfortable and supported.  It helped that my son was in a place where he knew he needed help and went willingly, but I can’t thank Youth Home enough for the support and love they surrounded him with.  If you’re considering this for your child, I strongly recommend it.  If you think your child is struggling, odds are you only know a small fraction of how deep they really are.  I made the hard choice to send my son and we’ll both forever be grateful to have welcomed home an entirely new kid with a new lease on life.  Thank you Youth Home!!”

Youth Home is a shining, inclusive gem in a system that is difficult for both young people and their parents. My child requires in-patient care due to a RAD diagnosis, and enrolling them at Youth Home has given them the safety and support they needed to begin cultivating healthy attachments to family. In short, my child has been able to feel loved, and to trust that feeling for the first time in their life thanks to Youth Home.

Our interactions with Youth Home are consistently transparent, therapeutic, and follow best clinical practice. Our family has been treated with dignity and empathy at every turn. All care given has been with my inpatient child’s best interests at the forefront, and the needs of our family as a whole a close second. Most staff have been at this facility long term, and I believe at least one staff member has placed their own child here, which speaks volumes to me as a parent. They have truly invested in our health and growth as a family, rather than symptom mitigation or behavior management.

It is clear that all staff, especially direct care staff, are given thorough and up-to-date training in providing a therapeutic environment for teens who are struggling; to include a genuine understanding of RAD that will impress even families that have been in treatment for years. My child’s primary therapist has helped them begin to bond and trust, while also helping them understand and navigate their Autism that makes them feel proud of who they are.

Unusually, for an in-patient program for teens, all of their providers, including their Psychiatrists, are both excellent and are on-site seeing patients in person. All levels of staff are highly qualified, and trauma-informed, and seem to be well-supported by administration. In addition, staff communicate extremely effectively among themselves, which not only creates, but models an environment of collaboration and respect that includes their patients.
Youth Home has given our family a kind of hope that we felt would be forever beyond our grasp. They care deeply about their patients, and provide compassionate standards-based care during every part of a patient’s stay. Sending your child here will be a difficult decision, but you can rest in the knowledge that they’re being cared for with love and dedication.

We have had a great experience with everyone there at Youth Home. They provided our daughter with a safe and positive environment for her to grow and acquire the skills she needs to be successful when she comes home. They have also been very supportive in helping us during the transition process, which we are truly grateful for.”

As a young teenager I went to many different facilities to help better myself. Youth home was one of them. Youth home made me feel like I was in an actual home with people that cared about my mental health. I stayed there about 6 months and began my journey to find healthy ways to cope with all my emotions.
At first I had a very hard time dealing with the new living situation but I got used to it! The staff there were very nice and wanted to help me through the difficult emotions I was feeling.
If I could tell a new patient something I think I would tell them this: listen to your staff members. They’re only there to help. It’s not as bad as it seems and it’s not as restricted as other facilities are. If you’re having a hard time or need help with a problem you’re having, speak up! They will help. I promise.

Your staff helped me realize the problems that I have and that you will do almost anything to try and help me get better.

Youth Home was our last hope…We want to express our sincere appreciation for the outstanding service you are providing for the community and especially for the marvelous service Youth Home provided for our family.

I would like to take a moment to express to you the sincere appreciation that my wife Barbara and I have had in working with your staff and facility. Our granddaughter has been a resident at Youth Home for the past eight months and sadly this was not her first stay in a residential treatment facility. Between her and her sister, we have interacted with six different facilities in three different states over the past few years. Youth Home by far has been the most professionally run and dedicated facility we have worked with.
As a health care provider myself, I have high expectations of what professional medical care standards look like and your facility and staff have not only met but easily surpassed those standards. The organization and structure that Youth Home provides the residents is phenomenal. The children are given expectations and the proper encouragement to meet those expectations. They are set up for success at every turn and focusing on their successes instead of their failures alone has resulted in a very positive attitude and atmosphere upon every visit.
We enjoy seeing the children interacting with each other especially outdoors when the weather permits. They seem to work together as a team and draw on each other’s strengths showing mutual respect for not only the staff but their peers as well. Another thing that we noticed and were very impressed with is the cleanliness and order of the facility. After turning off the main road and into the parking lot, one quickly notices the grounds are neatly kept and the exterior of the buildings are fresh and clean. When walking into the main waiting area we have always been greeted warmly and professionally while maintaining the privacy for ourselves and others.
It is impressive to us that what Youth Home advertises is what they deliver. Our granddaughter’s diagnosis requires specific treatment modalities and Youth Home has been up front from day one about what they can and cannot do. Not only do they treat the patient, but Youth Home realizes that the child is one member of a family that needs healing and they focus their care on healing the family unit as well. We have been given very valuable resources and referrals to ensure long lasting success well after discharge.
As much as the facility and management have earned high marks from us, I would like to point out just a few members of this valuable team that I just can’t thank enough. First is our granddaughter’s therapist, Mrs. Allyson Shoptaw. It is very clear that Allyson takes her profession seriously and cares for her resident children as if they were her own. She is always well aware of the ups and downs that our granddaughter is having and makes time to help guide her on a path of success. Allyson maintains great communication with the family and the treatment team so that there are no surprises on the road to recovery. Allyson has by far been the most proactive therapist our granddaughter has ever had and is most likely the most responsible for her success.
In addition to Allyson and the many staff that work with our granddaughter and her peers at Youth Home, the nursing staff has been remarkable. One in particular, Nurse Erin, has really gained our respect for the above and beyond care she gives residents like our granddaughter. Nurse Erin takes the time to help and show the girls what self-respect and personal care and hygiene is all about. She helps with hair styles, combing and brushing, and what clothes work best for showing pride when seen in public. We have heard so many “Nurse Erin” stories from our granddaughter not just in helping her but many of the other children. This lady has her heart totally invested in what she does.
Brenda Scheffler has first-hand experience in dealing with Reactive Attachment Disorder. Having someone who has lived what the families are going through is knowledge that you just can’t put a price on. In addition to the daily staff that treat residents at Youth Home such as our granddaughter, there are many administrative staff that work behind the scenes that have made our experience so much easier. Tracy Caldwell and Charraun Sharlow have guided us through all the paperwork and documentation that otherwise, could have been very overwhelming. We would like to thank these ladies for their time, patience and professionalism. They are dedicated and knowledgeable making our experience much less troublesome than we had anticipated.
Thank you, Youth Home. Keep up the great work you do behind the scenes to ensure the youth of our country remain on a positive track and help to ensure their continued future success.