Some youths have problems at home or at school which complicate the already difficult process of growing up. Many who have experienced problems at home or at school begin acting out and are labeled “bad kids.”
Pyramid Healthcare Inc. believes there is no such thing as a bad kid, just kids who need to learn to address their problems. Many of these kids are referred to Pyramid’s group homes by Children & Youth Services, Juvenile Probation Officers and School Officials. Those caring professionals believe that it is in the best interest of the child to place him or her into a therapeutic setting.
Structure is the key ingredient to success at a group home such as Skyline Lodge located in Blandburg, operated by Pyramid Healthcare and very similar to the group home that will be opening in Bald Eagle. The group home schedule often provides the first real structure that many youths have ever had. The kids rise daily at 6 a.m. and participate in a consistent routine of meals, school, therapy and recreation. There is time for homework and light housekeeping chores. This routine provides the structure these young people need in order to begin to explore the issues that have brought them into the program.
Skyline Lodge presently has a 21 bed unit for adolescent boys between the ages of 12 to 18. Many of the children suffer from ADHD, bi-polar disorder, and many have anger and/or trust issues. There is a growing need for the type of service Pyramid Healthcare provides, which is the main reason why they are expanding into Bald Eagle.
Eric Raley, counselor and assistant shift supervisor at Skyline Lodge, stated that most of the kids they receive in Blandburg suffer from behavioral problems and DNA problems, along with emotional problems.
“The kids aren’t bad kids, they get sent here because they can’t get along in public schools,” said Raley. “Their parents aren’t much of parents basically because they’re abused, they don’t like authority, don’t listen to rules, and it all goes back to how they’re brought up and how their families work together. If their family is dysfunctional, the kid is most likely going to be dysfunctional.”
Raley added, “We try to be like parents and guide them in the right direction along with trying to have the kids make the right decisions. We work individually with the kids and make the effort to meet individual needs. There is no one set goal for the whole group of kids.”
Every adolescent who participates in Pyramid Healthcare group homes participate in an on-site full school program. Pyramid designed the school program to include classroom and hands-on instruction. The teachers are all certified and the teacher to student ratio is very low.
Therapeutic group homes try to normalize the children. Pyramid aims to provide a young person with the kind of secure and predictable environment that enhances the opportunities for success personally and academically.
Raley elaborated, “What we try to do is bring the kids back around and show them how they can live a productive life, and we’re fairly successful while they are in treatment.” He added, “It’s up to the kids about their choices. We set up after care for them, out-patient treatment, and some of the kids go to foster care. Ultimately, we like them to be reunited with their family if possible, but sometimes it isn’t so we have to go another route independently for another placement that they need to go to.”
But while the youths are at the group home they will have a safe, secure and upbeat facility with recreational areas, qualified professionals in all needed areas, individual, group and family therapy, along with the school program.
Raley noted, “We try to normalize things for the kids. We try to keep things as much like a good home as we can.” He added, “We take the boys bowling, ice skating, to Altoona Curve games, and other fun activities, but they only get to do those things if they behave.”
The boys at Skyline Lodge keep a tight grip on their behavior. They understand that they are in someone else’s community and if they have trouble understanding that, the kids are restricted from being out in the public as often. Raley stated, “We teach the kids to give respect in order to gain respect. If they don’t give respect then they don’t get to enjoy the benefits.”
Raley added that the kids who have community service will clean up trash along the road. Some of the boys offer to mow the neighbor’s grass, up-keeping the outside of the facility, and they enjoy doing it. The kids are respectful with their neighbors and try to keep noise to a minimum when they are outside doing chores or simply playing under supervision.
Sue Gardner, of Blandburg, a neighbor of Skyline Lodge, said that she hasn’t had any problems from the boys at the group home. “The boys are cool, they’re quiet. I see them mowing the grass out there and all that stuff, and they seem to be good kids.” She added, “It’s there and they’re no problem, but if I didn’t have to have them in my neighborhood I wouldn’t. They’re not violent, but like I said, if we didn’t have to have them here, I wouldn’t want it.”
Eleanor Wilkinson, who is 83 years old, is also neighbor of Skyline Lodge. She said that the boys at the group home cut her grass sometimes and in the winter they offer to shovel her driveway when it snows.
“The Pyramid people are well organized,” said Wilkinson. “I haven’t had any problems and the boys haven’t given me any trouble. They come out and play but are never outside past 8 p.m.”
Raley stated that a common misconception of group homes in the area is that people think that there will be gang members from Pittsburgh or Philadelphia; they think there is no drug problem or anything around the area until a rehab or until a group home opens up.
“That’s not the case at all,” said Raley. “It’s not the people’s fault that they don’t know that, I just think it’s kind of nieve on some people’s perception of what their kids’ might be doing. The kids we get in are everyday kids with everyday problems – that’s what we deal with.”
He continued, “Another misconception is that people think the boys are going to be running the house, but the boys don’t run the house, the staff runs the house. We run a tight ship and we don’t put up with anything. If it needs to be taken care of, we take care of it.”
Greentree Village in Bald Eagle will begin its education and therapeutic program on August 26th and will offer a residential component for adolescent boys who are not able to continue to reside with their families due to family or emotional issues. That facility will be designed very similar to Skyline Lodge in Blandburg.
