Spring Meadows Center, which relocated to Mt. Washington in April of 2006, provides therapeutic intervention and care for up to 20 boys, ages 12 to 18, specifically who are best served in a residential setting. The campus includes an 18,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility providing sleeping, eating, living, educational and recreational quarters all under one roof as well as outdoor recreation on the 10-acre campus. The boys attend school on campus with teachers provided by Bullitt County Public Schools.
Through this program, the caring staff at Spring Meadows is able to combat the loss of hope and rejuvenate confidence in these young men. The broad range of therapeutic services provided at Spring Meadows is purposefully designed to address their individual needs. One such therapy that all boys participate in is intensive group work, that which teaches them not only to be accountable for their own conduct, but as well the effects on their peers. The overall goal is to help the young men to begin the process of taking control of their futures.
For clients who do not reunite with family, Sunrise's continuum of care allows staff to refer clients to settings appropriate to their needs, which may include Sunrise's Family Foster Care Program or other residential programs.
In 2010 the Spring Meadows Program cared for 58 boys and provided 10,149 days of care.
We invite you to take a tour of our Spring Meadows Program.
With its brand new facilities, Spring Meadows is able to offer a variety of athletic, and mind strengthening activities. Activities included in each boy's daily rec time could be dodge ball, volleyball, corn hole, flag football, or Soccer. For the mind-puzzlers, options are card games board games. Spring Meadows is the only facility that participates in a basketball league with other residential programs outside of Sunrise. For a limited number of boys, Equine therapy is available to clients that require this specific therapeutic need.
With a full-service facility the young men are treated through regular counseling sessions and relationship building activities to help them build self-esteem and confidence. The program provides treatment for oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, intermittent explosive disorder, anger management, parent-child relational problems, obsessive-compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder, ADHD, anxiety disorder, depression, academic problems, borderline functioning, and emotional, physical and sexual abuse. Through individual, group, and family therapy, up to 20 Clients level 4 and 5 receive effective life skills
Many of these youth have come from a background that includes alcohol and other substance abuse, most often having developed feelings of defeat and hopelessness when they arrive. For those youth, the staff at Spring Meadows uses the Seven Challenges program to help the young men in their commitment to minimize the impact of drugs and alcohol on their lives.
ADDRESS:
330 Hope Street
P.O. Box 1579
Mt. Washington, KY 40047-1579
TELEPHONE
(502) 538-1200
PLACEMENT INFORMATION:
(888) 584-5922
FAX (502) 538-1159
*After hours placements please contact the program directly
Mayor program gives boys ownership of program
New Program Director Marcus Tetter has implemented a program at Spring Meadows that he says gave the children at his previous programs more of a sense of ownership in their program and the drive to step up and follow program rules. Each month a Mayor is chosen by their peers in an election. The duties of the Mayor are to act in a positive manner, be a role model, and assist staff in improving the program by acting as liaison between the clients and the staff. For example, the Mayor attends weekly meetings with the Director and gives a “State of the Floor Address” to the leadership team at their meetings. At that time, he can bring up problems his peers have shared with them. Concerns might be as simple as asking why they’ve had oatmeal for breakfast so much to more serious questions. If there’s a lot of unrest in the milieu, the staff may ask the Mayor if he knows why the clients have been testy. Often he has inside information that helps the staff correct problems. The Mayor also helps give tours of the program and may get to attend events with the Director as an ambassador. He also receives $1.50 more in allowance money. The Mayor can, at any time, hold “court,” a meeting with the clients and staff to address any issues.
To participate in the election, the boys must be nominated by a staff member, then campaign and tell their peers why they think they should be elected. At the end of the month, the program holds elections. The winner gives an acceptance speech, takes an oath to uphold the rules in the handbook and to act as a role model to his peers, and is sworn in. He then nominates a Deputy Mayor. The Deputy steps into the Mayor’s role if the Mayor is discharged or impeached. If the Mayor breaches the handbook rules, he can be impeached with the consensus of two staff. If staff disagrees, Marcus has the final vote.