OUR APPROACH

Most of the young men who arrive at Petty Creek Ranch have received previous clinical treatment or counseling services that have had little to no effect on their behavior. Although traditional treatment methods are important elements to any system of care for struggling teens, we believe that mentoring services act as a vital supplement to treatment that helps each child implement lessons gained from counseling. It is by coaching and role-modeling that our staff are able to redirect maladaptive behavior and to help each child realize that positive change is possible.

We believe that the best example of mentoring at-risk teens can be found with the story of St. John Bosco, known as the “Father and Teacher of Youth,” who claimed the secret to effecting change in juvenile delinquents lie in getting them “to love you,” which is only possible if you “love the boys first.” Staff at Petty Creek Ranch are asked to “love” our clients in the sense of caritas, or charity, which consists in serving the individual needs of each child in a way that balances discipline and friendship. In doing so, our staff are able to create therapeutic alliances with our boys that are based on building positive relationships, earning respect, and providing a daily structure that allows them to develop into strong men. 

Petty Creek Ranch strives to become an extended support system for each young man who enters our program and will work diligently to promote improvements in the physical, emotional, and spiritual health of each client. Our program is designed to provide guidance to the child that just doesn’t seem to “fit” into any typical social context and is in need of individual treatment and one-on-one attention from highly skilled and trained mentors. Whether your son is struggling with substance abuse issues, depression, or low self-esteem, or if he feels isolated and angry while navigating through the difficult years of adolescence, our approach will always be to absorb his woundedness with a sincere compassion and to serve his needs with an earnest humility.