Awards & Highlights
Board of Directors
Contact Us
>>FY 2008 Financial Highlights
2008 PROGRAM & AGENCY ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Crossroads for Youth continuously updates our core programs and campus environment to meet the changing needs of our kids and the community. We strive for innovation and excellence in all areas of the agency’s operations.
100% in Compliance
The nationally-recognized Council on Accreditation (COA) determined that Crossroads for Youth is in 100 percent compliance in all areas related to best practice standards and high quality service in our industry. A COA peer review team visited our campus for four days and was given access to our kids, programs, staff, board members, records, documents and consumer survey results. Crossroads for Youth maintains accreditation through COA, and we undergo this comprehensive reaccreditation process every four years. The COA reviewers said our agency had the best organized and most thorough self-study and site visit preparation they had ever seen. The COA findings concluded that our youth truly feel the staff cares and believe they are receiving excellent treatment services. A determination of full COA compliance following the site visit — without the need for further modifications by the agency — is extremely rare.
Outcome-Based Treatment Approach
Crossroads for Youth uses Choice Theory and Reality Therapy as the philosophical basis for treating kids. Reality Therapy was developed by psychiatrist Dr. William Glasser in the 1960s. It is based on the concept of Choice Theory, which focuses on problem-solving, coping with the demands of reality in society and taking better control of one’s life. Reality Therapy centers on the here-and-now and how to create a better future instead of concentrating on the past. This approach to counseling works well with our children and youth. They learn how to evaluate and take responsibility for their current behavior and decisions. As a result, we have seen an increase in the number of youth who successfully complete our programs and a decrease in aggressive behavior and truancy rates.
Adventure Behavior Management
This year we added a new component to the Adventure Center programming at Crossroads for Youth called Behavior Management Through Adventure (BMTA). It is a community-based group approach that focuses on specific confidence-building activities, social interaction experiences and positive peer relationship development. The Adventure Center offers custom-designed BMTA programs on our Oxford campus — utilizing low and high ropes courses and a climbing tower — or off site at schools, churches and other locations. The adventure-based behavior management program typically helps at-risk and economically-disadvantaged kids ages 7 to 17 and their families, as well as youth dealing with the challenges of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This summer, the Adventure Center provided innovative Adventure Therapy to a variety of organizations, including the Girls Scout Camp O’Fair Winds, Lutheran Youth Organization, Renaissance High School in Clarkston, Harbor High School in Highland, Pontiac Northern High School’s football team, Junior Leadership Oakland, and the Rochester Avon Recreation Authority Day Camp staff.
Support for Young Fathers
Young fathers and dads-to-be in Crossroads for Youth’s residential program now have access to an educational and support group called “Dynamic Dads.” The weekly session is provided in partnership with Oakland Family Services (OFS) and provides the teens with valuable parenting tools, as well as an opportunity to explore the challenges of young fatherhood. An OFS facilitator leads the group discussion on a variety of topics such as communication, rights and responsibilities, values, conflict management, and relationships. The program provides a supportive environment for the young men while teaching them the importance of being a father. Many come from homes where the father is absent or minimally involved, and our goal is to give them information that will aid in their development as young men.
Technological Upgrades
Under the direction of Director of Finance & Information Technology Anthony Ferzo, Crossroads for Youth made major technological improvements on our Oxford campus over the past year. A new computer server and campus-wide wireless network were installed, which enables all of our buildings to have access to the computer network. As a result, we are now able to use Microsoft Office SharePoint, which has dramatically improved our ability to communicate internally. “We’ve been able to standardize some of the data collection that we’re doing and gain access to better information than we did previously,” said Ferzo. “It has allowed us to be more effective and efficient and better serve our children.” Additionally, 21 older computers were replaced with new models and our online presence has been expanded to include blogs at: http://kidsatrisk.wordpress.com and http://adventurecenter.wordpress.com and a new Adventure Center Web site at: www.adventure-center.org.
