My Move to Idaho

First and foremost, getting the offer to relocate and start working at Idaho Youth Ranch was an honor. Having an organization put this much trust in me to be of help them execute their mission was an incredible leap of faith and validated that my previous experiences had paved the way for the perfect job opportunity.

After the initial wave of gratitude, however, the proposition became much more daunting.

Although I was born in Canada, I had lived in the outskirts of New York City for the vast majority of my life. Spending that much time in the same place made me comfortable, and even though there were some small parts of me that wondered what life would be like in another location, that environment was one I was very familiar with.

The first flight to Boise opened my eyes to what life could be like outside of a big city. I looked out the window at beautiful scenery.

I gazed over the mountain ranges and imagined how I would fare on the other side of the country. When I landed and toured the area, I was amazed at the visuals around me. The mountains looked just as majestic on the ground as they did 30,000 feet up.

Between the horses prancing around, the cows mooing, and the hot air balloon floating gracefully over the mountains, the allure of busy city life vanished very quickly. Walking around the grounds, I knew I could make a good life here—that would be both rewarding and refreshing.

Idahos Spirit of Boise Balloon Festival

In addition to relocation, being the new kid on the block was a frightening thought after being so secure where I was. As soon as I engaged with the leadership at the ranch, however, it became apparent that this would be an exciting new chapter for me.

The idea of forming new friendships and joining an organization with an admirable mission was an enticing one. Throughout the entire process, from interviewing through my orientation, the people in the organization were more supportive than I could have possibly imagined. People from different parts of the organization checked in on me when they had no obligation to do so, just to make sure I was doing well. I received note after note on anything that could possibly be of use to me for the transition–housing options, restaurants, leisure activities, you name it – there was someone who always had something up their sleeve to resolve any concerns I may have had.

Perhaps the most glaring obstacle for me was the impact of the move on my family. My husband and I had recently bought a house out east, where we lived with our three dogs. My children are grown – one is a nurse in South Carolina, and the other is pursuing their doctoral degree in Texas.

Every family member I consulted encouraged me to go through with the relocation. Since the children were willing to visit from anywhere, and my husband could work from home and hold down the fort while I went out west to get settled, I came to the decision that if there was any time in my life when I could afford to make such a drastic change, it was now.

Relocating to Idaho to work for the Idaho Youth Ranch-1

I moved to Idaho largely because the opportunity with Idaho Youth Ranch offered me the chance to act upon many of the key components that drive me to be passionate about residential treatment for youth:

  • I believe in creating space for parents at the table. Parents have a right and responsibility to be an active member of their children’s lives, since nobody knows their children better than their parents do.
  • I revel in helping youth find their voice and promoting self-advocacy. Service providers need to acknowledge the experiences that youth have had and must listen when the youth offer such insight.
  • I am passionate about working to find adult support for youth. Even if it is just one supportive adult, having that influence can make a world of difference in a youth’s life.
  • A significant motivator for me to continue in this line of work is ensuring integrity of care. Parents should always be able to lay down at night having the utmost confidence that their child is safe; they should never be worried about their child’s physical or emotional safety. By being actively involved in hiring the right support system, providing the appropriate training, and enforcing collaborative, strong and transparent leadership, I am able to ensure integrity of care, and that brings me great pleasure. Having a child that feels safe and a parent that has confidence in the team is a recipe for successful treatment.
  • Lastly, I am a firm believer in paying it forward. Throughout my life, I have been incredibly fortunate to have had sensational mentors who have created opportunities for me and inspired me to become the most helpful version of myself that I could be for the youth I serve. Mentorship is valuable in many ways. Everyone encounters hardships in their personal and professional lives, but when they have the right person to lean on, they can recover from those experiences, learn from them, and translate those challenges into skills that can strengthen them moving forward. I’ve been the recipient of great mentorship and am happy to provide that to others. I believe that no one should be deprived of having a cheering section; I find great joy in creating a mentoring environment for the youth I serve as well as my colleagues.

Knowing these factors were all very important to me, it became evident that Idaho Youth Ranch would be a great fit for me. I recognized early on that the organization has a strong trauma-informed culture.

When I was first introduced to Idaho Youth Ranch, the team was in the process of experiencing a significant traumatic event (a major fire at their headquarters). Watching them work through the issue in real-time with transparency and compassion made it clear to me that this was an organization that cared about the people they worked with. I knew this was an opportunity to work with a fantastic team to create something special.

IMG_6741 Large

Having leadership all on the same page would allow me to focus on what really matters, like looking at leading practices and how to implement them successfully. These philosophies have guided my work through the years, and I came to realize that these are priorities for Idaho Youth Ranch as well.

Every decision being made at Idaho Youth Ranch is in the best interest of the youth, including the thoughtfulness and intentionality behind the physical buildings – from enhanced natural lighting high ceilings, and large windows. It is very apparent that the facility was designed to be a place of comfort for the youth as opposed to them being in isolation.

The Residential Center was intentionally built in a place to bring families closer to one another, so that youth do not need to be placed out of state, far away from home. Getting treatment should not necessitate youth be separated from their families for long periods of time, as that would just be another added trauma for the youth Idaho Youth Ranch is bringing Idaho’s youth back to their families within their home state, which brings me a great sense of relief and joy.

Every decision the organization has made has been for the betterment of the people spending their time there. So when they asked if I would be interested in working with them, my response was simple.

“I am excited and YES!”

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