Everyone faces challenges in life. Given the right tools, skills and support, everyone has an opportunity to thrive. Through our trauma-sensitive approach and family engagement model, Pressley Ridge’s goal is to create lifelong connections that result in a successful, happy life.

Our Philosophy

All Pressley Ridge services are guided by a common treatment philosophy called Re-Education (Re-ED), which focuses on the entire ecology of the child and family with the goal of building on existing strengths to bring about positive change. Core beliefs of Re-ED include the importance of trusting relationships with caring, committed adults; the belief that competence can be taught; the understanding of the connection between physical health and emotional health; and that children, youth and families should know some joy in each day.

Pressley Ridge integrates a trauma-informed perspective into all of our services, providing the foundation for a basic understanding of the psychological, neurological, biological, and social impact that trauma has on individuals.

We believe that treatment should be a family endeavor, that every family member plays an important role in helping to mend. Therefore, each of our programs treat youth by involving families in their care, no matter the volume or complexity of family issues or the severity of the child’s needs.

Meeting youth, individuals and families where they are, when they need it most.

8,000

individuals served each year

96%

have a support system

98%

are free from abuse or neglect

99%

are in school or have successfully graduated

Delivering services that change lives.

For nearly two centuries, Pressley Ridge has served society by caring for its most vulnerable members. Although our services have multiplied and diversified over the years, providing exceptional care to children in need and families in crisis remains central to our mission and at the heart of all we do.

Excellent staff is the cornerstone of our success.

We believe the quality of the services we provide is directly related to the quantity and quality of the training we provide to those who lead our programs and provide our services. Exceptional services do not occur by accident. They are the products of a staff committed to professional growth and excellence. Such is the staff at Pressley Ridge, where we maintain that “we are all teachers and we are all learners.”

Continuous quality improvement.

We have long held the notion that anything we can do, we can do better. Thus we continuously evaluate our programs to ensure model fidelity and efficacy of our interventions. By repeatedly monitoring, measuring, and refining, we are able to improve the quality of our activities and determine what works. This we share with the world. Our goal remains to lead the field in the development of innovative programming through research, evaluation, and outcomes measurement.

Leading change through healthy communities.

If all kids are to thrive, we must touch lives well beyond the reach of present-day Pressley Ridge programs and services. We seize opportunities to educate, advocate and champion initiatives that improve the system of care so that all children, youth and families may benefit.

Partners for hope and healing.

Nothing of lasting value comes out of work in isolation. Each child, youth and family we serve belongs to their own unique ecosystem. Thus the work that we do in the community mobilizing resources on behalf of each of them is as important to their long-term success as the work that we do directly with them. What is true at the direct service level is equally true at other levels of the organization. The impact of our efforts is always greater when we join with others.