Jake was a smart, vibrant teenage boy who had the world going for him. He had friends and good grades and got along well with others. No one on the outside looking in would have guessed that he was at risk for suicide.
It is a common misconception that mental health is only relevant to adults. Kids and teens are often left out of the conversation and their needs are frequently written off or dismissed as unimportant.
Research shows that a person’s mental state can affect every aspect of their life, but when it comes to conversations about mental health and illness, public opinion and scientific fact can be very confusing.
We are honored to announce that Idaho Youth Ranch was nominated and selected as the recipients of a $10,000 grant from The CarMax Foundation. We are so honored and grateful to receive this generous grant that will help provide support and healing to Idaho’s most vulnerable children.
Most parents find talking about sex and sexuality with their children intimidating, embarrassing, and even somewhat terrifying. This is a normal way to feel in today’s climate where kids are exposed sexual themes earlier than ever but sex is still a “taboo” subject in everyday conversation.
Raising kids in a sex-positive, open environment can improve your relationship with your child and keep the lines of communication open. Here are a few tips to get the conversation started.
In this digital age we now find ourselves in, it is easier than ever for kids and teens to bully their peers. In this digital world, bullies can say something harmful without having to see the physical reactions of their victim or visually experience the effects of their words. To understand the injustice more fully, we first have to admit it exists, educate ourselves, and then take actions to prevent and protect the children in our care.
We always feel so fortunate to receive so much incredible support from our community. Without support from generous partners, we wouldn't be able to help as many kids through our therapeutic services and residential programs. Recently, our network of community support grew when we met Suzi Boyle and Max Mohammadi.
We'd like to give a HUGE thank you to our wonderful friends at erstad ARCHITECTS who generously donated $2,200 to Idaho Youth Ranch after winning a charity bocce ball tournament.
When Katie first came to the Ranch Campus, she had no intention of ever returning home. Adopted as a teenager, she feared that her parents loved their biological kids more and the resulting conflicts had torn the family apart. Her intention was to complete the Ranch program, move into independent living, attend college, and never look back.
Hard won financial lessons are some of the most important things you learn growing up. Young people from all walks of life get caught in financial traps and struggle to support themselves independently when they turn 18. The goal at Idaho Youth Ranch is to provide the young people in our programs with ALL the skills they need transition successfully into adulthood.
Koda came to the Ranch Campus at 16 years old, so full of fight that the staff almost resorted to discharging him early for the safety of the other residents. “I had a whole bunch of anger problems,” he said, “It kind of ran in the family.” His home life on a rural ranch revolved around conflict with his mom and brothers, but fortunately, it also gave him a budding passion for horses and cowboy crafts. Koda credits the Ranch’s Equine Therapy with helping him understand for the first time that anger was something he could choose to control. Trauma can be transformed. Koda learned how to transform his trauma into something positive.