Foundations

703-830-2930 TTY 711
12720 Lee Highway
Fairfax, VA, 22030
Annette Twyman
Assistant Director

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Foundations

Foundations is a highly structured, community-based 12 bed trauma informed residential treatment program for court-involved girls who exhibit chronic behavioral issues and have been unable to be assisted on an outpatient basis. Residents may be involved with the court via a CHINS or criminal charge and are placed in the program by judicial order. In addition, females in the custody of the Department of Family Services maybe placed through an Application of Admission and Memorandum of Understanding, if they meet the criteria for Foundations.

Foundations works with youth who are between the ages of 13 and 17 at the time of admission. Foundations offers a highly structured environment with both a behavioral and clinical component. The goal is for them to adopt more positive interactions among themselves, with their families, and within the community.

The major objectives of the program are to address the behaviors that brought the resident to the court and help them understand the underlying issues to the behavior. Treatment is premised on the belief that girls need to gain a sense of independence, self-control, and self-confidence in order to build a healthy, productive future. The program is designed to change a resident’s behavior, foster healthy emotional functioning, strengthen family functioning, and successfully facilitate a return to the home and community. Strategies include individual, group, and family counseling; behavior modification; a positive peer culture; a parent/community group; and an in-house school program. The program structure ensures uniformity for behavior expectations with consistent application of rules while allowing enough flexibility to meet the individual treatment needs of each resident.

The average length of stay at Foundations is up to 6 months in-house, and up to 3 months in Transition Level. Successful completion is attained when a resident has completed her individualized treatment goals and has reached a minimum behavioral level. Each resident’s progress is assessed monthly by her treatment team, which consists of the resident, her parent probation officer, individual and family therapists, a program administrator, program teachers, and any other professionals involved in the case. The parents are vital and mandatory partners in the change process for both their daughters and their families and must be willing to invest and participate fully in all the family components.

Click here to read the Fairfax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court's PREA Policy.

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