Carlee felt lost and hopeless when she entered YBGR in the winter of 2022. Her struggles with mental health issues had led to bullying at school. She had given up on her music and felt that she didn’t have a future. After arriving at YBGR, Carlee started working with Audrey, one of YBGR’s therapists, and together they worked on processing Carlee’s trauma and challenges. She also started classes at Yellowstone Academy (YA), the fully accredited K-12 school on YBGR’s campus, which included a music class.
Before coming to YBGR, Carlee had played the upright bass, but at YA, she learned to rock on the electric bass and fell in love with music again. She worked with Audrey to start a campus-wide group therapy talent show, and Carlee and her band also performed at the YA Talent show at the end of the school year. They brought down the house! Carlee was able to go home before the start of her senior year, and while she had a little bit of a rocky transition, she quickly hit her stride and graduated in May of 2023. Carlee is now a freshman in college and still keeps in touch with Audrey. Best of luck, Carlee!!
*For the privacy of the youth served at the Ranch, names have been changed. Image(s) shown here are a representation of those served at the Ranch.
Susan Bravebird came to YBGR in the Fall of 2021 from foster care. Dealing with mental health issues and the after effects of trauma had caused her to fall behind her peers not only academically but also in basic skills like telling time or knowing the value of coins. As all youth in the residential treatment program do, she began attending classes at YBGR’s Yellowstone Academy, and she and her teachers focused on getting her caught up academically through the Credit Recovery program. Her therapist Audrey purchased workbooks, a child’s cash register, play money, and a toy clock to help Susan get up to speed with her peers and not feel so self-conscious about her lack of basic life skills. She was able to master those and more.
When Chris arrived at Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch, he literally had nothing but the clothes on his back. Chris is an Alaska Native youth that had been bounced around the foster care system his entire life. Because of his mental health struggles, he was never able to find a forever home. “I felt so unloved and unwanted. Everything I ever got was second hand. I was an afterthought and that only made my struggles worse. I didn’t have anything that was just mine and that wouldn’t just go away when I was moved on to another place,” recalls Chris.
Sara had never played a team sport before she arrived at YBGR. She was tall and uncoordinated and was always the last one picked for a team during gym class.
Last fall, YBGR had a readmission of a youth named Heidi*. She had discharged a couple months prior from the residential treatment program, and things had deteriorated quickly after she went home. She seemed embarrassed to be back and said she felt like a failure. At YoungLife Club, held every other week in the Chapel, Chaplain John Boeder could tell that she was feeling pain and frustration and asked if he could pray for her. She said, “Yes.” After talking a little more, she asked, “Could you stop by the lodge sometime? I would really like to talk to you about Jesus. I have some questions.” John told her he would schedule a time soon. As Heidi left for lunch, John began reading through the prayer requests that the kids had filled out, and there was a note from Heidi saying, “Don’t forget to stop by the lodge. 😊 – Heidi”.
Jessica* came to YBGR recently, struggling to reconcile bad experiences in her life. She is very direct, says it like it is, and wants to get to the bottom of things. Soon after arriving, Jessica was convinced by a peer in her lodge to attend YoungLife Camp which is held on the YBGR campus twice a year.
