For a young person, these traumatic experiences are transforming. The only question is how will it transform the life of a young person. Treatment makes a difference. At Idaho Youth Ranch, we help kids turn pain into strength – the strength of resilience, of fortitude, of confidence. With our help kids turn away from their vision of despair and begin to imagine a new future. Treating trauma transforms angry, scared young people into resilient and capable adults.

We will be the leader of a movement in Idaho to build resilience in kids and families. We are convening community leaders to launch a movement bringing trauma-informed models across schools, medical centers, courts, family service organizations and government agencies. We will be a leader and advocate in Idaho and nationally in preventing, recognizing and healing the impacts of trauma and in building resiliency. We are building the leading trauma treatment system that incorporates evidence-based treatment models and innovative treatment methods. Each youth enters our care with a personal, customized treatment plan. We inspire conversations across Idaho to change from, "What is wrong with you?" to "What happened to you?" We are the organization people turn to first to seek healing for the trauma experienced by kids. Are transforming families from sources of trauma into builders of resilience.

While we employ a variety of therapies and techniques that reflect both our own experience and the latest research: Behavioral Skill-based programs that help kids and families learn and use tools such as mindfulness, emotional control, coping mechanisms and positive reinforcement. Relational Youth- and family-based programs that help disconnected families build trust, develop respect and improve communications. Experiential Animal-based or activity-based programs that develop emotional strength, resilience and fortitude even as kids and teens use their own experiences to heal, learn and grow. Drawing on this multitude of options, we can meet each child where they are, supporting them in the way best suited to their situation. We meet each family where it is, knowing that changing the environment a child returns to will increase their chances of success. We know we have succeeded when a young person is able to manage the challenges of school, and eventually get and keep a job.

We partner with Boise State University to provide unbiased assessments of the success of our programs and to provide the insights for continual improvements in the effectiveness of our programs. Our measurements fall into two broad categories, State of Mind Goals, and Indicators of Positive Change. State of Mind Goals has two main indicators, first is Hope. Hope is the number one indicator of wee-being in trauma recovery and the best predictor for a well-lived life. Resiliency is the second indicator and by measuring resiliency we are a able to see the lasting positive impacted created in the youth we serve. Indicators of Positive Change has four areas we measure. First is increasing education & employment. Second is increasing the number of youth with positive adult relationships. Third is the increase of positive youth peer relationships. The fourth is increase in youths feeling of community connectedness.

In 2017 we helped 626 of Idaho's most vulnerable kids and families. Idaho Youth Ranch graduates are moving forward past their trauma onto a path for a promising future. • 96% are currently working or in school • 89% have seen mental & physical health improvement • 88% know how to access resources in the community • 86% haven’t used drugs or alcohol since completing their service • 85% have mostly positive friends What is harder to measure is the generational impact of our interventions. • Stopping the cycle of abuse by treating and healing young people, and teaching them better skills for coping with their emotions. • Slowing the cycle of poverty by increasing the graduation rates and employability of young people. • Increasing resilience by teaching behaviors and skills that help a person bounce back and make a positive change in their own lives and the lives of others.