“The future of any society depends on its ability to foster the healthy development of the next generation,” says Richard Graziano, president and CEO of The Village Network.
Abuse, neglect, domestic violence and family dysfunction, however, have long-term effects on children that negatively impact the health and social well-being of the nation.
According to Graziano, some 800,000 children are abused or neglected annually in this county, and more than 13,000 children were removed from their homes in 2013 and placed in the custody of children services.
“The more adverse experiences in childhood, the greater the likelihood of developmental delays and later health problems, including heart disease, diabetes, substance abuse and depression,” he says.
The Village Network seeks to address this growing problem with its treatment models that are producing measurable outcomes of success.
Smart Business spoke with Graziano about The Village Network, its mission and its impact on the communities and population it serves.
SB: What is the most prevalent misconception about the people Village Network seeks to help?
RG: The assumption that at-risk youth are incapable of learning and/or do not care about anything is a fallacy. The truth is that our youth do care, they want to learn and they can learn. They long for adults who are willing to make an effort to understand them and who will provide them the acceptance and guidance they need. If one is patient and looks hard and deep enough, they will understand that the message from our youth is this: ‘Don’t give up on me.’
SB: How is Village Network keeping up with demand for its services?
RG: More behavioral health services are needed to tackle psychological disorders. The Village Network has addressed this issue by providing a comprehensive array of services based on our core clinical model, Dr. Bruce Perry’s Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics. NMT is revolutionizing the way abused and neglected children are treated. It uses a trauma-informed and neuro-developmentally informed methodology to design therapeutic programs for kids and families.
Within this model we offer residential programs, transitional living options, day treatment programs, in-home and traditional outpatient services, as well as community and school based treatment through our Brite Futures offices.
SB: What is the obstacle that, if cleared, would allow Village Network to be more effective?
RG: The challenges in locating qualified child psychologists, licensed social workers and youth care specialists to work with our youth continue to be a struggle. However, our biggest challenge is finding foster families for our youth as they return into the community.
SB: How do the recent investments made by Village Network — a new headquarters, dedicating space to transitional housing, and music and arts programs — further the mission of the organization?
RG: In 2014, Village Network served more than 5,000 youth and their families with a budget nearing $40 million. The need for physical space to provide appropriate programing was a must. With the purchase of a 26,000-square-foot building dedicated as the Donald Foster Center for Family Preservation, Village Network was able to create almost 25,000 square feet of new programming space in Wooster. In addition, our recent acquisitions of three other agencies allowed us to offer additional services for the residential, educational, vocational, therapeutic, and health and wellness needs of youth and their families.
SB: What has been Village Network’s greatest recent success and what will be its greatest challenge in the coming years?
RG: For all the past successes of Village Network, I believe our work in sustainable services and innovation has equal potential to shape our legacy. For that to happen, we have to focus on the lessons we’ve learned:
- Transparency is an asset, not a risk.
- Collaboration enables systemic change.
- Every challenge and risk is an opportunity.
- Design allows you to prototype the future, rather than retrofit the past.
- To make real change, you have to be a catalyst.
The challenges we face are huge, but the opportunity is even greater if we act now — new service models, new markets, new departments and positions — all based on our commitment to innovation.
This past year, Village Network had substantial growth in a variety of areas such as census, staffing, programming and revenue. We became the first and presently only organization in Ohio to be certified in NMT. We had a 20 percent increase in workforce and a 60 percent increase in census. Revenue increased just under $10 million. We acquired North Point and New Horizon Behavioral Healthcare and purchased the Sharon Lynn Residential Facility. We expanded into traditional community outpatient work and opened 11 offices under the Brite Futures – Youth & Family Services name throughout Ohio.
We will continue to work hard to exceed the expectations of those we serve. In doing so, we will act judiciously, decisively and rigorously while maintaining an unwavering focus on the mission and the sustainability of our quality and outcome measures.
