New youth ranch program proposed
Windy Ridge Youth Ranch
by Wyoming Community Youth Services
October 5, 2008
Wyoming Community Youth Services (WCYS), a non-profit organization, is engaged in a project to provide a new Youth Ranch program with services for at-risk youth in a residential treatment, group home/crisis center, and transitional housing environment. Windy Ridge Youth Ranch will provide essential services for Sublette County at-risk youth.
WCYS has already initiated the process to establish and construct this Youth Ranch. Since no previous services for at-risk youth have been established within Sublette County, we have already gained support, assistance, and cooperation from many professionals in our community. In other words, ALL of our at-risk youth receive these important services outside Sublette County; thus, adding a tremendous burden and hardship on the at-risk youth and their families.
The heart of the Youth Ranch will be the Equine Therapeutic Program provided for all of the youth participating in the Youth Ranch. The program will consist of equine care management, responsibility, and therapeutic riding. The program will instruct, engage, and teach the kids about proper equine care. Our additional objectives include implementing ‘Hooked on Fishing not Drugs’, ‘The AlaTeen’ program, outdoor activities, teen-to-teen mentoring, grandparent mentoring, and other programs at the Youth Ranch. Additionally, the at-risk youth will receive appropriate counseling, mental health evaluations, and education at the Youth Ranch.
Overall, the objective of Windy Ridge Youth Ranch is to assist the kids gain confidence, raise their self-esteem, become more responsible, and eliminate destructive behaviors through structure, discipline, responsibility, empowerment, therapy, and counseling. The at-risk youth will learn accountability for their choices, contribute to the community, obtain structure, receive supervision, establish goals, be challenged, and become confident. Ultimately, this approach permits each of the youth to be able to return and re-unite with their families healthier and happier.
WCYS values any input from the community. WCYS would like to extend an invitation to the community of Sublette County to attend a public meeting on October 15, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. at the Marbleton Town Hall.
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Windy Ridge Youth Ranch Mission Statement: Windy Ridge Youth Ranch is committed to provide a safe, caring, positive, educational, and therapeutic environment for at-risk adolescents and children of Sublette County and the State of Wyoming. Windy Ridge Youth Ranch is committed by assisting each youth with the safety, structure, discipline, emotional and physical needs, treatment, and counseling permitting transition back into the youth’s family and the community. Each youth receiving support will grow individually and develop a closer family relationship through supervision, equine therapy, individual and group therapy, and other emotional and psychosocial support and programs. For more information contact: Wyoming Community Youth Services, PO Box 906, Big Piney WY 83113, (307) 276-3337.
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