By Tod Balsbaugh, Jackson-Feild Homes
After 157 years of serving only girls, Jackson-Feild Homes (JFH) will soon accept boys into its Adolescent Psychiatric Program. Children who come to JFH have poor family relationships and support. They live in environments filled with substance abuse. They are all-too-familiar with the court systems and social service systems having received numerous in-home, community-based, and residential services. They have suffered serious emotional trauma as the result of abuse and/or neglect.
In
2010, JFH developed its Trauma Focused Treatment model and as a result
of the tremendously successful strides made in the treatment of girls,
agencies across the Commonwealth that place children into residential
facilities have been asking JFH to accept boys as well as girls. Trauma,
abuse and neglect knows no gender. In fact, the majority of children
currently served by the Commonwealth of Virginia are boys, yet until now
there has been no residential treatment facility available to meet the
needs of severely traumatized boys. After much thoughtful and prayerful
consideration, the Board of Trustees approved the recommendation to
accept boys into its Adolescent Psychiatric Program. JFH anticipates
that the first will arrive on campus within the month. Safeguards and
security are already in place to ensure that this history-making change
will proceed smoothly and successfully.
Jackson-Feild is nationally accredited by the Council on Accreditation to provide residential treatment services.
