Who We Are
The New Directions program for girls is located in the Owens Cross Roads community of Huntsville, Alabama. The program provides therapeutic services in a moderate residential setting for females, ages of 15 through 19. The program offers an array of services for youth with moderate or serious emotional and/or behavioral management problems that interfere with the youth's ability to function in the family, school or community setting. A great emphasis is placed on Self-Sufficiency training and development of independent living skills.
Address: 318 Hamer Rd., Owens Crossroads, AL 35763
Phone: (256) 637-2199
For Admissions call:
Rose Wiggins, Admissions Director (256) 656-3986
Our goal is to serve adolescent girls with behavioral and emotional issues who require a moderate residential setting and structured environment to learn to lead fulfilling, community-minded and responsible lives.
How We Help
We believe the first step in modifying a child’s behavior is to immerse her in an environment where she learns that there truly are others like her — that she is not alone. Our foundation of positive peer culture and reality-based treatment instills and encourages a sense of pride and responsibility in a girl, nurturing her self-respect and helping her to become a productive member of her family and school, and your community.
- Common Diagnoses
- Conduct Disorder
- Depressive Disorder
- Bi-Polar Disorder
- Adjustment Disorder
- Intermittent Explosive Disorder
- Personality Disorder
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Oppositional Defiant Disorder
- ADHD
- Reactive Attachment Disorder
- Anxiety
Treatment
New Directions focuses on the “here and now” issues of an adolescent girl’s life, helping her to understand proper roles and boundaries that exist in a family and in society.
Residents at New Directions participate in a positive peer culture, away from the distractions of the home environment. A multi-disciplinary team including a consulting psychiatrist, psychologist, family workers, counselors and teachers creates and manages each resident’s individualized treatment plan.
While “group process” is seen as the primary therapeutic intervention necessary to achieve lasting change, New Directions recognizes the need for additional therapeutic efforts and utilizes them as part of its comprehensive treatment program. Assessment is conducted upon admission for psychological, social, educational and medical needs. Therapeutic services include: family and individual counseling. A minimum of two hours of basic living skills are provided daily. Master's level family service workers conduct groups on subjects such as anger management, boundaries, responding to conflict and social interactions. Interactions with families and psycho-education for families is also conducted. Each resident receives Alcohol and Drug Abuse Awareness education in order to address various issues related to this topic.
At New Directions residents are confronted with concrete, immediate challenges and expectations through reality-based counseling, group process, experiential education, and specialized support treatment and educational services. All of these activities occur within a nurturing and protected environment. Residents find they are able to overcome many of their problems, compensate for their weakness and return to their communities successfully.
Education
The educational component of the New Directions program consists of a year-round, state-supported on-campus school providing girls with the opportunity to attend regular academic classes, receive high school credits and earn a diploma. Alternately, girls are able to prepare for and earn GED certificates.
The educational program at New Directions offers a wide range of academic levels to include emotionally conflicted and learning disabled students. This Special Education program is a competency-based learning program that allows each student to work at her own pace and academic level with one-on-one learning opportunities. Students are given the opportunity to excel in areas where previous behaviors have had a detrimental effect on their educational development. Thanks to small classroom sizes and a low teacher-to-student ratio, students may surpass their expected grade and educational development level.
Students are also provided with the opportunity to use computer-enhanced learning and to familiarize themselves with basic computer skills. Throughout the school day students participate in individual and group activities and enjoy opportunities for enrichment and remediation. Cooperative learning activities and tutoring are part of the daily curriculum.
The staff and faculty members of New Directions are firmly committed to the belief that each student is capable of learning and can succeed with appropriate educational placement.
Life Skills Training provides an assortment of stress-reducing and life-enhancing strategies to keep students emotionally and physically balanced. Focus topics may include Socialization Skills, Stress Management, Communication Skills, Values Clarification and Assertiveness Training.
Examples of trips and community service projects include hiking trips, maintenance of local hiking trails, serving food at local soup kitchens, and visiting the local nursing home.
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