Southern Oregon Adolescent Program

"Give them roots to feel secure and give them wings so they can fly."

Screaming and yelling, fighting and arguing, disrespect and rebellion, hostility, anger, tears, disappointment, frustration....

If you are the parents of a teenager that is out of control, you more than likely can relate to all of the above mentioned emotions. You probably even find yourself saying "Where in the world did we go wrong? We've done all the right things, we've loved, nurtured, cared for our child, we've even brought our child up in the church. We're good parents, so why is my child out of control?"

The reality is, that in today's society even the best of parents have a difficult time keeping their teens on the right path. Our culture today has made it extremely hard for parents who are trying to raise their children to have solid moral values and to be upstanding citizens. At every turn, young people today are being faced with blatant disrespect for authority, the message that pre-marital sex is O.K. and that drug use and getting in trouble with the law is "cool," due in part to the mass media onslaught of our information age. All of this coupled with peer pressure, the desire for acceptance and not wanting to be labeled "the geek," make it challenging at best for some young people to stand up and be strong and to say "NO" to the negative messages and peer pressure. This causes conflict and chaos in the home when parents try to maintain control.

The Southern Oregon Adolescent Program currently serves adolescent females from 12 through 18 years of age. The priority population to be served are adolescent girls who are considered Level 7 youth. These are typically runaways, homeless, beyond parental control. These youth no longer receive services through the Services to Children and Families.

Who we are:

Our mission is to provide a safe, structured and nurturing "family like" environment. A place where youth can thrive and develop the necessary skills and values to live healthy, productive lives.

S.O.A.P. receives many youth, several of whom have been involved in drug and alcohol delinquency. Private cases and referrals from resident facilities have met with much success. The program has a high success rate in claiming runaways. Potential dropouts are returned to the classroom and in many instances graduate on time with their classmates. This is accomplished through summer school, night school and S.O.A.P.'s Resident Educational Program, which is taught by a certified teacher for those who need more intense supervision.

Clients not served:

Clients not served are the extremely violent, untreated sex offenders, adjudicated fire setters, and the severely emotionally disturbed.