We foster good in all that we do. We foster good opportunities.
We promote good character and ideas, positive outcomes, healthy lifestyles and strong relationships.
We help youth grow emotionally, behaviorally, and educationally through a variety of services - each one using our effective treatment philosophy. We nurture. We challenge. We empower the child and the whole family. We help build the skills to live productive and fulfilling lives.
New Directions is a 501(c)3 non-profit agency with a rich history going back more than 130 years, with a passion to foster resilient, self-reliant families and stable, loving environments for all children by promoting safe, respectful, responsible, and goal-directed behavior. We do this through our dedicated, caring staff and our treatment philosophy of Normative Culture.
We are proud of what we do, and look forward to partnering with you and your family.
Welcome to New Directions, where change is for good.
We help youth & families identify their strengths. Then we help them to use those strengths to overcome challenges and build new skills - creating a foundation of hope, growth, opportunity and personal responsibility. We support the process of self-discovery and encourage the development of meaningful relationships
We believe that behavior can be guided using role modeling, positive reinforcement, teaching, and setting positive expectations.
We help create personal strengths using "Normative Culture", which helps to establish an internal guide for our behaviors.
In Normative Culture, expected attitudes and behaviors are called "norms".
The four norms we focus on are respect, responsibility, safety, and achieving goals.
Normative Culture teaches youth that they have the power to create positive changes in their behavior and lives.
It also provides parents, children and staff with shared expectations and a common language regarding attitudes and actions.
Everyone has the right to feel safe, both physically and psychologically, within a diverse and respectful culture.
Each of us must accept our shared responsibility for our community, and take accountability for our thoughts, words and actions.
We must treat all people with respect and consideration, including ourselves!
Each of us has a responsibility for setting realistic, positive goals for ourselves, and to build the skills needed to reach these goals.
Success for us takes many forms. It could be the day a family is reunited, the proud smile of a child who reaches an established goal, a college acceptance letter after years of hard work, or simply the bond of a happy, healthy family.
To achieve these positive outcomes, we support each child in a process of self-discovery and maturation. We encourage each child to connect with people in meaningful ways. Our experiential learning programs provide the confidence to try new enriching activities, such as Adventure Recreation, equestrian classes, and ropes courses. And we challenge youths to take positive risks and show a willingness to adapt.
Whether it's our precious time, a special talent, a unique perspective, or financial resources, we all have something to contribute!
“The Deepest Well”, a new book by Nadine Burke Harris, M.D., brings new insight to the life-long effects that exposure to adverse childhood experiences can have, while highlighting the growing role of medical science in the understanding and treatment provided by New Directions. “We are at a very exciting place in time where advances in Read More
New Directions has a wide variety of programs, each of which provides assistance in the most effective way for the people that they serve. The importance of education though, is a core value that is shared throughout the agency. We couldn’t be happier then that the educational services provided by the Henrietta G. Lewis Campus Read More
Helping youth with mental health and behavioral challenges thrive in home and community settings is one of the most challenging issues in our mental health system today. In the past, a child might have been removed from their home simply because few better alternatives were available. Now, however, New Directions Youth and Family Services is Read More