Never stop tryingAfter years of going through different programs, family finds solution in their home ... 5

Family Victories from Youth Villages Oregon Spring 2012

Turning Point Campaign helps more children ... 4

Senate Bill addresses need to get children home ... 8

Artist’s legacy continues with donation ... 7

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Lynne Saxton

Executive Director of Youth Villages-ChristieCare

lynne.saxton@youthvillages.org

503-675-2207

Oregon CityLake Oswego

Oregon

A Message from

Our director

A year of change, a future of service

Nearly a year ago, ChristieCare of Oregon merged with Youth Villages. Since

then, we’ve been focused on a number of changes, including more services,

enhanced training and support for our staff, upgrading and enhancing our

residential facilities and expanding our services to the Native American com-

munity through the Cedar Bough Native American Program.

But here’s the bottom line: We’re serving more children and families. We’re

doing it at a lower cost, and we’re getting results.

It’s an exciting time in our history. We began offering Youth Villages’ Inter-

cept intensive in-home services a year ago, and the result has been outstand-

ing. The ability to intensively serve families in their homes and on their terms

means we’re able to keep children at home with their families instead of being

placed in foster care. A story in this newsletter highlights the effectiveness of

Intercept. The family in the story tried many different therapies and medica-

tions, but nothing worked as well as helping the family in their home.

Change takes hard work, patience and a sense of humor. In addition to add-

ing Intercept, we’ve also been able to upgrade our residential facilities inside

and out, and provide our staff with enhanced support, training and education.

This year, we’ve added a level of care to support youth stepping down from

psychiatric residential care and to the commercially sexually exploited com-

munity of need. We will continue to help more youth and families at home, re-

ducing Oregon’s over-reliance on foster care and doing what we do best – being

the force for families.

We particularly want to thank those of you who individually contributed to

our ability to change and grow, including the Meyer Memorial Trust, the Or-

egon Community Foundation, the Ford Family Foundation, The James R. Kuse

Family Foundation, Spirit Mountain Community Fund, the Collins Foundation,

HEDCO and Juan Young Trust. Thank you for bringing us to this exciting point

in our history. And thank you for your support to help us get here.

CONTACT US

YOUTH VILLAGES BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Mike Bruns, Chairman

Ronnie Randall, Vice Chairman

Jimmy Lackie, Secretary

Paul Bower, Treasurer

Jim Barton Jr.

Eric Bolton

Kenneth Campbell

Marietta Davis

Nicholas R. Ehlen

Joanna Jacobson

Rev. Robert Earl Jones

Bryan Jordan

Karole Lloyd

Mark Medford

Jim Parrish

Johnny Pitts

Ray Pohlman

Jennifer Queen

Pat Ritz

Matthew Tarkenton

Scotland Thede

David Tyler

Betsy Walkup

George White

Patrick Lawler, CEO

Mailing Address:

Youth Villages-ChristieCare

of Oregon

PO BOX 368

Marylhurst, OR 97036

Christie Campus

Phone: 503-635-3416

Fax: 503-697-6932

Clackamas River Campus

Phone: 503-607-0520

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WHAT OTHERS SAY ABOUT YOUTH VILLAGES

Fred Granum, a local business

leader and special advisor to Or-

egon’s Attorney General for Business,

became chairman of Youth Villages-

ChristieCare of Oregon’s leadership council.

In addition to being politically active in the state,

Granum practiced law in Portland for nearly 20 years

and ran a small business. A former U.S. Army field

artillery officer, Granum has extensive experience as

an entrepreneur, investor and business executive. He is

also a co-founder and executive of two Tualatin-based

logistics companies, Co-Operations Inc. and Hedges

Creek Logistics LLC.

The Oregon leadership council supports our mission

to help children and families live successfully and ad-

vocate proven solutions for the child welfare/juvenile

justice systems.

GRANUM NAMED LEADERSHIP COUNCIL CHAIR

Fred GranumLeadership Council Chairman

“In one of the cases, a girl was on the run and in a really dangerous situ-ation. The Youth Villages

staff sat with her at the hospital for several hours advocating for her to be admitted, and it was past midnight by the time they were done. For my other client, the clinician has been extremely available to meet this youth’s needs — and has been able to be there on short notice and during a crisis to help the youth cope with the situation. These few experiences have made a very strong positive impression on the quali-ty of the service that (Oregon) Intercept provides. I am so glad we have them as a resource!”

Oregon has one of the

highest rates of children in

foster care in the country,

at nearly twice the national

average. In Multnomah

County, the rate is more

than twice the national aver-

age.

The Oregon Department

of Human Services reported

more than 13,000 children

in foster care in 2010, an in-

crease of 4 percent from the

previous year. In addition,

the number of children leav-

ing foster care decreased

by 10 percent. That means

more children are entering

and staying in foster care.

Gov. Kitzhaber signed

Senate Bill 964 into law in

June 2011. It requires the

Department of Human Ser-

vices and county partners

to implement programs to

provide family preservation

and reunification child wel-

fare services, and instructs

DHS and private providers

to focus on reducing foster

care caseloads in Oregon.

This law will help safely re-

duce the number of children

in foster care and other

out-of-home placements by

investing in programs that

will allow children to remain

in their own homes perma-

nently.

A child in foster care to-

day has a better opportunity

OREGON SENATE BILL 964 ADDRESSES NEED TO GET FOSTER CHILDREN HOME

continued on page 4Sen. Alan Bates

Andrea BirchmanCase Manager, Oregon Department of Human Services

4

The Ford Family Foundation,

based in Roseburg, Ore., recently

donated $250,000 to Youth Villages-

ChristieCare of Oregon to expand

and enhance programs that help

children and families in the state.

The donation goes toward Youth

Villages-ChristieCare’s Turning Point

Campaign, whose goal is to make

permanent, meaningful improvement

in care for Oregon children with emo-

tional and developmental challenges.

The campaign has raised more than

$1.2 million through private dona-

tions and contributions from Ford, the

Meyer Memorial Trust, Oregon Com-

munity Foundation and the Collins

Foundation. Its goal is $1.8 million.

“The Turning Point Campaign has

allowed Youth Villages-ChristieCare

of Oregon to launch Intercept, a

breakthrough in-home therapy

program, to families in Clackamas,

Multnomah and Washington counties,”

said Lynne Saxton, executive direc-

tor of Youth Villages-ChristieCare of

Oregon. “In addition, we will be able to

serve a larger population more cost-

effectively and enhance our facilities.”

Other contributors include Health-

Net, HEDCO, Henry Lea Hillman Jr.

Foundation, James R. Kuse Family

Foundation, Joseph E. Weston Fam-

ily Fund, Juan Young Trust, Kinnune

Trust, Leupold & Stevens, the Harold

and Arlene Schnitzer CARE founda-

tion and PacGlobal.

An estimated 47,000

children in Oregon may

be described as severely

emotionally disturbed,

and Oregon’s Depart-

ment of Human Services

estimates as many as 600

Oregon children require

psychiatric residential

treatment each year.

The Turning Point Campaign will

also transform the way children re-

ceive residential mental health treat-

ment in Oregon.

“We currently provide 35 percent of

the care for this high-need group of

Oregon children,” Saxton said. “Our

goal is simple. We want to improve

outcomes, increase impact and reduce

costs.”

ChristieCare merged with Youth

Villages last summer to provide chil-

dren and families of Oregon access to

proven, cost-effective alternatives to

more expensive foster care and resi-

dential services, as well as prevention

services that preserve and strengthen

families before they fall apart.

“Children are raised best by their

families, and we want children to

return to a family member as soon

as safely possible,” Saxton said. “This

campaign will assist our goal of pre-

venting at-risk youth from entering

state custody and to help ones already

in out-of-home placements to return

home.”

For more information on the Youth

Villages-ChristieCare of Oregon

Turning Point Campaign, or to find

out how to donate, please contact

Betsy Miller at 503-675-2206 or e-mail

betsy.miller@youthvillages.org.

REACHING MORE CHILDREN; TRANSFORMING CAREHelping more children in Oregon

through the Turning Point Campaign

to return home through services sup-

ported by SB 964, like Intercept. This

legislation demands accountability and

encourages the necessary structure for

a child to succeed.

“This new approach is critical to

improving outcomes for these children

and families,” said Sen. Laurie Monnes

Anderson, D-Gresham. “This program

will reduce the costs of foster care and

help avoid other societal costs down

the road. This will help with the strain

on our mental health services, alcohol

and drug treatment and the criminal

justice system.

Two key provisions of the law provide

for objective, observable measures

of outcomes for services provided to

children and their families, including

measures relating to permanency. In

addition, the law implements perfor-

mance-based contracting so organiza-

tions are accountable for successful

results.

Youth Villages’ Intercept achieves

the intent of this legislation, and is

specifically highlighted in the bill for its

results. Intercept serves Clackamas,

Multnomah and Washington counties.

Youth Villages has nearly two decades

of data that show the program’s effec-

tiveness in keeping children at home

with their families.

“We have seen tremendous success

with this approach to taking care of our

kids in Southern Oregon,” said Sen.

Alan Bates, D-Medford, chief sponsor

of the bill. “Through this program, fos-

ter care placements have been halved,

there is less risk of continued abuse

and a lower risk of children re-entering

the child welfare system.”

SENATE BILL 964from page 3

Abby was a handful. Precocious,

energetic and playful, she would also

have tantrums.

Severe tantrums.

Her mother, Michele, and the rest

of the family had done about all they

could do.

“Abby was the mellowest baby in the

world, and then she gradually turned

into this little Tasmanian devil,” Mi-

chele said. “She was off the wall loud

and demanded so much. Before she

turned 3 years old, she was full-blown

out of control.”

Michele and her family were un-

fazed, but they needed help. When

Abby entered kindergarten, Michele

was told Abby needed medication for

attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

and oppositional defiant disorder. A

psychiatrist prescribed medication,

and to Michele, Abby just wasn’t Abby

any more.

“She was up and down like a roller

coaster,” Michele said. “She was just

miserable.”

After taking Abby, 11, off the medica-

tion, Michele and her family decided on

intense counseling services. They tried

different programs, but nothing worked.

In fact, she said it became worse.

Meaghan Mayeda is a family inter-

vention specialist for Youth Villages-

ChristieCare of Oregon. And from

the first time Meaghan visited Abby’s

home, Michele said she knew this time

would be different.

“It was obvious,” Michele said.

“Meaghan’s so passionate about what

she does, and the kids absolutely loved

her.”

Meaghan visited the home at least

three times per week, working with

Michele and her husband, Zeb, on

parenting skills training, and then

meeting with Abby at least once a

week. In addition to the parenting

skills, Meaghan worked with Abby on

identifying triggers to her tantrums

and how to regulate her emotions.

They discussed coping strategies for

maintaining positive behaviors and

the parents became more aware of

Abby’s behavior and how to handle dif-

ferent situations.

“She walked us through it,” Michele

said. “She told us ‘This is why you’re

doing this and this is how it works.’

When you’re in the heat of the mo-

ment, you can forget, so you have to

take a step back. It was an ‘aha’ mo-

ment for us.”

After a few training sessions with

the parents, Meaghan turned her fo-

cus more to Abby. She used drawings

of overlapping bubbles for Abby to

identify thoughts, feelings and behav-

iors. She helped Abby create a book

with those drawings, along with cop-

ing strategies for maintaining positive

behaviors.

Abby has three sisters.

“They’re a great family with super-

great kids,” Meaghan said. “The whole

family needed to be more aware of

what was happening so they could

identify what was going on with Abby.”

Michele and Zeb still struggle, as

any family with small children would.

Michelle’s convinced Abby would not

be at home if it weren’t for Meaghan.

“We felt she really

cared, and Abby’s suc-

cess really meant some-

thing to her,” Michele

said. “If we didn’t suc-

ceed at something, she

didn’t blame us. We just

tried another way.”

Abby completed the Intercept pro-

gram in December. The family had a

party with Meaghan. At the end, they

had a story time, where Abby shared

her book. Michele said the family is

still a work in process, and there are

more good days than bad.

“It takes the whole family to make

it right,” Michele said. “We’re getting

there. But Abby is happy. To hear her in

the bedroom playing with her sisters,

it’s as if she just grew up in half a year.”

ABBY RESPONDED TO INTERCEPT IN-HOME SERVICESFamily exhausts

options for help,

finds success

through therapy

in the=ir home

Abby, right, with her mother, Michele

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YV Visionary ($50,000+)

Mr. Cameron GeddesMeyer Memorial Trust

YV Pillar($10,000-$24,999)

Henry Lea Hillman Jr. FoundationRitz Family Foundation

Harold & Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation

Walsh Construction Co.

YV Family Champion($5,000-$9,999)

Harder Mechanical Contractors Inc.Maybelle Clark MacDonald FundOregon Community Foundation

Joseph E. Weston Public Foundation

YV Champion for Children($1,000-$4,999)

Mr. and Mrs. William BarrBecker Capital ManagementMr. and Mrs. J. David Bennett

Mr. and Mrs. J. Laurence CableThe Childrens Charity Ball

Mr. Mark CooneyMr. and Mrs. Bob Forster

Mr. and Mrs. Stephen HarderMr. and Mrs. Dan Harmon

Hoffman CorporationMr. and Mrs. Fred Horstkotte

Mr. David JohnsonMr. and Mrs. Bill Kinnune

Leupold & Stevens FoundationMr. and Mrs. Robert Moore

PacGlobalPeet’s Coffee

Oregon Chapter Pacific Northwest Section PGA

Mr. and Mrs. Ron SaxtonSisters of the Holy Names of Jesus

and MaryMr. and Mrs. Robert SznewajsMr. and Mrs. Scotland ThedeMr. and Mrs. Robert Walsh

Mr. Paul Wargnier

The Robert C. & Nani S. Warren Foundation

WRG Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Steven Wynne

YV Leader($500-$999)

The Brasada ClubMr. and Mrs. James BurkeCentral County United Way

Christie School Women’s CommitteeCostco

Mr. Terry CrossMr. and Mrs. Jack FanningMr. and Mrs. Steven Hull

Ms. Amy KerleMr. Kevin Lafave

Mary McKinney & Flay Ezell FundMr. Tony Mehalovich

Pacific Northwest Section PGAMr. and Mrs. Michael Powell

Dr. and Mrs. Ugo William RaglioneEsther Maegly Reinecke Trust

Schwab Charitable FundMr. Derrick Sturm

Mr. Matthew Werger

YV Friend($50-$499)

Mr. James BackusBanner Co

Mrs. Anne BarbeyMs. Andrea Barney

Mr. and Mrs. John BeckerMs. Beth Berselli

Dr. and Mrs. Robert BerselliMr. Jeffrey Bieker

Mr. Joseph BienickMs. Mary Bishop

Ms. Joy BlairMs. Shelley BlairMrs. Janet Bohn

Mr. and Mrs. Harry BoonMr. and Mrs. Michael Brand

Mr. Gary BrandenMrs. Elizabeth Brooke

Mr. and Mrs. Patrick BrophyMs. Patricia Burke

Mr. and Mrs. John CalhounMr. Howard Callahan

Mr. and Mrs. Russell CampbellMr. Timothy Chapman

Mrs. John Collins

Dr. and Mrs. Mark ColvilleMr. and Mrs. Edwin Coulter

Ms. Denise CrabtreeMrs. Dorothy Craven

Mr. and Mrs. John CrowellMr. and Mrs. John Daily

Mr. and Mrs. Robert DantMs. Linda Davis

Dr. J. Michael DeeneyMr. and Mrs. Raymond Dodge

Mr. Lloyd ElstonMr. and Mrs. Les Fahey

Mr. and Mrs. Louis FasanoMr. and Mrs. Dodd FischerMr. and Mrs. Jeffrey FooteMr. and Mrs. Larry FragerMr. and Mrs. Dennis FreedMr. and Mrs. William Galen

Mr. Don GeddesMr. Anders GiltvedtMr. Phillip Gorchoff

Mr. and Mrs. Robert GrayMr. Lawrence Hansen

Mr. Thomas HayesMs. Dianne Heimel

Dr. and Mrs. George HenriksenMr. and Mrs. James HenryMr. and Mrs. Joseph Herrle

Mr. John HollisMr. Kenneth Hume

IBM Employee Services CenterMrs. Wendy Wells Jackson

Ms. Michelle JencoMr. William Jepson

Mr. and Mrs. Steven JewellMs. Katrine JohannessenMr. and Mrs. Fred Jonske

Sister Wanda Marie JordanMr. Timothy KalbergMs. Kathleen KelleyMs. Kathryn Kelley

Dr. and Mrs. John KrippaehneMr. and Mrs. Milton LanktonMr. and Mrs. Robert LarsenMr. and Mrs. James LittleMr. Richard Lauborough

Mr. and Mrs. F. Faber LewisMs. Marilyn LindgrenMs. Paula Madden

Mrs. Lorna MansfieldMrs. Sara Marckx

Mr. and Mrs. Victor Marquardt Jr.Ms. Janet MartinMr. Robert Martin

Mr. and Mrs. Don McCabeMs. Mary Louise McClintock

Ms. Elizabeth McCormickMs. Katherine McCrayMs. Mary Ann McGrath

Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert MeigsMr. and Mrs. Fred Miller

Mr. and Mrs. Randolph MillerMrs. Sally Hoffman MillerMr. and Mrs. John MorrisMr. Douglas Mortensen

Mrs. Constance MuessleMr. and Mrs. Terry Murphy

Mr. Steven Myers

Mrs. Hester NauMr. and Mrs. Thomas Neilsen

Nelson Family Fund of The Oregon Community Foundation

Mrs. Hai NguyenMr. and Mrs. Dennis Norton

Oregon Health Sciences UniversityMs. Kathy OvercastMr. Marilyn Ozanich

Mr. and Mrs. R. PetersonPortland General Electric Co.

Ms. Darla PostilMr. and Mrs. Steven Pratt

Mr. Andrew RatcliffMs. Laurie RawsonMrs. Susan Rech

Mr. and Mrs. Bruce RemzMary T. Rich Rev Trust

Mr. Joseph RoseMr. and Mrs. Francisco Rosito

Mr. Rick Haselton and Ms. Sura Rubenstein

Mr. and Mrs. Barry RussellMs. Muffie Latourette Scanlan

Mr. and Ms. James ScherzingerMs. Mary Schwabe

Ms. Mary Lou SchraderMr. and Mrs. William Senders

Mr. Harlan SetheThe Shepherd Group Inc.

Mr. and Mrs. Roy SimmonsMs. Kristine Simpson

Mr. and Ms. Anthony SmithMs. Shauna SmithMr. Daniel SnowMs. Wanda Spry

The Standard Employee GivingMr. and Mrs. Donald Stark

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph StaufferMr. Patrick StupekMrs. Eloise SullivanDr. Richard Tabor

Mr. and Ms. William TierneyMr. and Mrs. William Tomlinson

United Way of the Columbia-Willamette

Mrs. Jarmila VranaMr. and Mrs. Jeff Webb

Mrs. Julie WeitzerMs. Leslie Wheeler

Mr. and Mrs. Samuel WhittemoreMr. and Mrs. Nick Wigen

Ms. Judy Wilkinson

CONTRIBUTIONS Thanks to our many supporters

The following donors made gifts to Youth Villages between

July 1 and Dec. 31, 2011. The board of directors and staff

of Youth Villages gratefully acknowledge these thoughtful

contributions.

If you made a contribution during this time but it is not

listed, please call the Youth Villages Development depart-

ment at 503-635-3416.

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Join our networks

www.facebook.com/youthvillages

www.twitter.com/youthvillages

www.youthvillages.wordpress.com

Youth Villages-ChristieCare of Oregon’s Christie Campus has

benefited greatly from the volunteer efforts of the Lake Oswego

chapter of the National Charity League.

Its monthly Girls Night Out program gives Christie Campus

residents a chance to interact with NCL mothers and daughters

through conversation and various events.

“This event has been a tremendous success with our young

people,” said Betsy Miller, development manager, Youth

Villages-ChristieCare of Oregon. “They get to speak with

people their own age, and they see and experience the power

of positive relationships.”

National Charity League was founded in 1925 in Los Angeles.

From that small group of women interested in philanthropic

work, NCL now has 156 chapters in 16 states with more than

39,000 members. The NCL embraces the philosophy of strength-

ening the mother-daughter relationship and the communities in

which they exist through philanthropic work and the develop-

ment of future community leaders.

The Lake Oswego chapter is one of five Portland-area NCL

chapters, and in its five years, has supported 25 different chari-

ties and agencies.

How you can help!

There are numerous ways to help. Volunteer or

donate such needed items as new, unworn clothing,

shoes and toiletries for boys and girls ages 5-18.

Betsy MillerDevelopment Manager

503-675-2206betsy.miller@youthvillages.org

THINKING ABOUT A PLANNED GIFT?There are as many different ways to support Youth Villages as there are

needs for your support. If you are new to the concept of planned giving,

please visit youthvillages.org and click Donate for information. We have

information on wills and bequests, gifts of appreciated stock, real estate,

charitable remainder trusts, gifts of retirement assets, life insurance and

charitable lead trusts.

There are definitions, wording for wills, stories of how instruments are

created and much more. You may want to visit the planned giving calcula-

tor to see what a planned gift would mean in your unique circumstances.

For information, contact Betsy Miller at 503-675-2206 or e-mail

betsy.miller@youthvillages.org.

NATIONAL CHARITY LEAGUE OFFERS YOUTH POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS

Artist’s legacy lives on through

family donation to Youth VillagesBarbara Bartholomew’s paintings are very well

known in Portland and nationally by collectors of fine

art. She had her last show in 1999, and passed away

unexpectedly in 2007. Barbara taught art at Lewis

and Clark College in Portland and taught a class

at Marylhurst College. As an artist, she was quite

prolific, and was careful to see that her work, while

she was alive, was donated to various charities in

Oregon.

Barbara’s son, Cameron, wanted to donate some of

her art to non profits in and around Portland. Youth

Villages-ChristieCare of Oregon was one of three

nonprofits selected to receive the donated art.

“I was overwhelmed at the amount the family was

donating,” said Betsy Miller, development manager

of Youth Villages-ChristieCare of Oregon. “We are

blessed that her legacy of giving to the community

is continued with her family, and our staff and youth

have visual reminders of that giving spirit.”

Bartholomew’s work is on display in the admin-

istration building at the Christie Campus of Youth

Villages-ChristieCare of Oregon.

7

YOUTH VILLAGESP.O. Box 368Marylhurst, OR 97036(Address Service Requested)

NONPROFIT ORGU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDYOUTH VILLAGES

Please e-mail betsy.miller@youthvillages.org or call 503-635-3416 to have your name removed from our mailing list.

New Heights Oregon is published by Youth VillagesManaging Editor: Betsy Miller

Associate Editor: Chris Pennington

Youth Villages-ChristieCare of Oregon is a new name for a nonprofit organization that has been helping children and families live successfully in Oregon since 1859. Formed last year through the merger of ChristieCare and the national nonprofit Youth Villages, the organization provides Intercept intensive in-home and residential services to children with emotional and behavior problems and their families. Using its Evidentiary Family Restoration™ approach, which involves intensive work with the child and family, a focus on measuring outcomes, keeping children in the community whenever safely possible, and providing accountability to families and funders, Youth Villages consistently produces lasting success for children.

A private nonprofit organization, Youth Villages serves more than18,000 children and their families from offices in the following cities:Alabama: Auburn, Birmingham, Dothan, HuntsvilleArkansas: Jonesboro, Little RockFlorida: Lakeland, Miami, TampaGeorgia: Atlanta, DouglasvilleIndiana: Bloomington, Jeffersonville, MadisonMassachusetts: Lawrence, Plymouth, Springfield, Woburn, WorcesterMississippi: Biloxi, Greenwood, Hattiesburg, Hernando, Jackson, TupeloNew Hampshire: ManchesterNorth Carolina: Asheville, Boone, Charlotte, Concord, Greensboro, Greenville, Pinehurst, Raleigh-DurhamOregon: PortlandTennessee: Chattanooga, Clarksville, Columbia, Cookeville, Dickson, Dyersburg, Jackson, Johnson City,Knoxville, Linden, Memphis, Morristown, Nashville, ParisWashington, D.C.