When a Pressley Ridge staff member knows that a family is receiving community-based services from “Team 7″, they know that the family’s life will be positively changed forever. Team 7 consists of Jim Collins and Marcy Vaughan who have each been at Pressley Ridge for more than 10 years, and have been a family based team together for over five years.

As a team, Jim and Marcy have provided the highest quality service to families and the highest quality teaming to each other. They are a testimony to the maturity and commitment it takes to provide family based services.

The two demonstrate the values of Re-Education day in and day out with the families they serve. Though they utilize each value daily, several of the Re-Ed values are prominent in their work.

“Competence makes a difference” is one value team 7 firmly believes. They know that every family member has competence. They have ultimate faith that each child has unique qualities and they patiently work with each individual child to find that competence.

Maybe even more impressive, they have equal faith that parents have the competence to manage their families, despite a myriad of challenges that may exist. They demonstrate patience and persistence with parents- strengthening the parent/child bond, calling forth competence from the parenting team, and offering support and strength to single parents. Team 7 believes that every individual can learn. Whether it’s teaching a child to ride a bike, teaching an adolescent to take a bus to a new job, or teaching a mother and father to lovingly set limits for their children, Team 7 patiently works toward successes that lead to competence.

Team 7 believes that communities are important to families. They work within a family’s community to access an array of services and supports. Team 7 believes that families can obtain a sense of belonging in their communities by relying on neighbors and resources, both formal and informal, and using the resources available in each family’s neighborhood.

Jim and Marcy are advocates. Team 7 helps families discover quality medical services, the appropriate educational supports, friends and recreational outlets, neighborhood youth groups, clubs, and activities.

Team 7 knows that “time is an ally”. This value is inherent not only in their work, but in their ongoing relationship with each other, the family based program model, and the organization. Team 7 remains steadfast in their efforts to grow as “life-long learners”. Their many years of delivering family based services have only enhanced their interest in learning their craft together as co-therapists with families.

What better example of using time as an ally than to consistently maintain your commitment to the team, organization, and families.

Their commitment to the work they do at Pressley Ridge, and the manner in which they comport themselves gives the Allegheny Family Based program a sense of pride.