History of Residential Youth Care
RYC has been providing residential behavioral health services to Alaskan youth for 24 years, opening its doors for services on October 7, 1989 as the Long Term Program. What began as a five-bed two-staff home, operating as a therapeutic foster setting for youth in crisis, has grown to a 20-bed co-ed facility, a 5-bed all male residential home, and 10 therapeutic foster care beds. Additionally, RYC currently serves another 15-20 youth and families through out-patient and aftercare services.
Founder Jack Duckworth began working with teens at the young age of 19, and, in his words, "got the passion." Since that time he has made it his life's work to helping troubled teens achieve success, and devotes much of his time to educating and supporting their families as well. Mr Duckworth moved to Ketchikan from Kansas in 1989 after completing a Master's degree in Human Development and Family Life at the University of Kansas. Mr. Duckworth developed a cognitive behavioral approach to working with youth based on the Teaching Family Model, and continues his work of fine-tuning these methods of encouraging, motivating, and training youth for success to this day.
In June 2001, a young Idahoan Dustin Larna began work at RYC as a floor staff, and "got the passion" for working with teens as well. Under the mentorship of Mr. Duckworth, Mr. Larna quickly picked up skills to effectively work with youth, started his career in behavioral health when he became assistant director of RYC. From 2006 to 2010, Mr. Larna took a hiatus to continue his work with youth in Idaho, developing his skills as an administrator and program developer. In 2009, he co-founded Daybreak Canyon, a residential treatment center started in the high desert of southern Idaho. After the Daybreak program was up and running, he returned to RYC in the fall of 2010 as assistant director, and eventually took on the role of CFO/COO.
Timeline of Significant Events:
1990 - Residential Youth Care, Inc. opens a five-bed co-ed long-term residential treatment facility for youth ages 10-18 within Gateway Center for Human Services.
1993 - RYC becomes a private 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization and separates from the City of Ketchikan and Gateway Center for Human Services. RYC is funded by a State of Alaska block grant, Department of Education Food Reimbursement Funds, and income from a gaming permit.
1995 - RYC helps pass a law that non-profits in Alaska can purchase their treatment facility. Allowing the organization to generate equity and expand the current building. RYC started an Emergency Shelter Program and added 5 Emergency Stabilization & Assessment beds, allowing for a 7-30 day placements. RYC modernizes the Treatment Family Model to adapt to a larger staff pool and facility.
1998 - The State moves away from block grants and begins paying a fee-for-service to grantees based on utilization days. RYC expands its current facility to 20 beds, installing sprinklers and a commercial grade kitchen. This expansion allowed RYC to keep 14 State Beds and 6 Community beds, which families can access directly prior to OCS or DJJ involvement.
2005 - RYC obtains a Behavioral Heath Grant allowing it to bill Medicaid for individual services that were being provided through contracts with local partners. This allowed RYC to adapt to the treatment needs of Ketchikan and its surrounding communities by beginning after-care and outpatient services for youth in transition, and by developing local, Teaching Family Model-specific Therapeutic Foster Care Homes.
2009 - RYC expands to a new facility by purchasing the Filipino Community Center and remodeling it into a 5-bed all-male Residential Treatment Center with Administrative Offices. This brings RYC’s total number of Residential Treatment Beds to 25. RYC expands Therapeutic Foster Care capacity to include 12 beds in 5 Therapeutic Foster Homes.
2011 - RYC develops its school success program. The school district allows RYC to access two large computer rooms at the Ketchikan High School to optimize its school credit recovery program. RYC also increases its behavioral health services in the school setting, providing group and individual skill development and increased academic assistance. Many youth begin to gain school credit at double or triple the normal high school pace. RYC also certifies staff to conduct GED studying and testing in-house for youth who are aging out and are unable to graduate with a high school diploma.
2014 - RYC hires a Specialized Children’s Psychiatrist to expand its ability to meet the treatment needs of current and future clients in Southeast Alaska. In the past, many youth have had to see unspecialized psychiatrists and receive medication monitoring through Telemedicine. Youth have previously had long waits for psychiatric appointments and pharmacological management. RYC’s youth now have access to around-the-clock medication supervision and psychiatric support.
RYC continues to work to meet the needs of youth in our city, region, and state. RYC is expanding a program for transitional age youth who need help transitioning to independence and eventual adulthood. Additionally, RYC is working toward the goal of becoming accredited in 2014.
Founder Jack Duckworth began working with teens at the young age of 19, and, in his words, "got the passion." Since that time he has made it his life's work to helping troubled teens achieve success, and devotes much of his time to educating and supporting their families as well. Mr Duckworth moved to Ketchikan from Kansas in 1989 after completing a Master's degree in Human Development and Family Life at the University of Kansas. Mr. Duckworth developed a cognitive behavioral approach to working with youth based on the Teaching Family Model, and continues his work of fine-tuning these methods of encouraging, motivating, and training youth for success to this day.
In June 2001, a young Idahoan Dustin Larna began work at RYC as a floor staff, and "got the passion" for working with teens as well. Under the mentorship of Mr. Duckworth, Mr. Larna quickly picked up skills to effectively work with youth, started his career in behavioral health when he became assistant director of RYC. From 2006 to 2010, Mr. Larna took a hiatus to continue his work with youth in Idaho, developing his skills as an administrator and program developer. In 2009, he co-founded Daybreak Canyon, a residential treatment center started in the high desert of southern Idaho. After the Daybreak program was up and running, he returned to RYC in the fall of 2010 as assistant director, and eventually took on the role of CFO/COO.
Timeline of Significant Events:
1990 - Residential Youth Care, Inc. opens a five-bed co-ed long-term residential treatment facility for youth ages 10-18 within Gateway Center for Human Services.
1993 - RYC becomes a private 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization and separates from the City of Ketchikan and Gateway Center for Human Services. RYC is funded by a State of Alaska block grant, Department of Education Food Reimbursement Funds, and income from a gaming permit.
1995 - RYC helps pass a law that non-profits in Alaska can purchase their treatment facility. Allowing the organization to generate equity and expand the current building. RYC started an Emergency Shelter Program and added 5 Emergency Stabilization & Assessment beds, allowing for a 7-30 day placements. RYC modernizes the Treatment Family Model to adapt to a larger staff pool and facility.
1998 - The State moves away from block grants and begins paying a fee-for-service to grantees based on utilization days. RYC expands its current facility to 20 beds, installing sprinklers and a commercial grade kitchen. This expansion allowed RYC to keep 14 State Beds and 6 Community beds, which families can access directly prior to OCS or DJJ involvement.
2005 - RYC obtains a Behavioral Heath Grant allowing it to bill Medicaid for individual services that were being provided through contracts with local partners. This allowed RYC to adapt to the treatment needs of Ketchikan and its surrounding communities by beginning after-care and outpatient services for youth in transition, and by developing local, Teaching Family Model-specific Therapeutic Foster Care Homes.
2009 - RYC expands to a new facility by purchasing the Filipino Community Center and remodeling it into a 5-bed all-male Residential Treatment Center with Administrative Offices. This brings RYC’s total number of Residential Treatment Beds to 25. RYC expands Therapeutic Foster Care capacity to include 12 beds in 5 Therapeutic Foster Homes.
2011 - RYC develops its school success program. The school district allows RYC to access two large computer rooms at the Ketchikan High School to optimize its school credit recovery program. RYC also increases its behavioral health services in the school setting, providing group and individual skill development and increased academic assistance. Many youth begin to gain school credit at double or triple the normal high school pace. RYC also certifies staff to conduct GED studying and testing in-house for youth who are aging out and are unable to graduate with a high school diploma.
2014 - RYC hires a Specialized Children’s Psychiatrist to expand its ability to meet the treatment needs of current and future clients in Southeast Alaska. In the past, many youth have had to see unspecialized psychiatrists and receive medication monitoring through Telemedicine. Youth have previously had long waits for psychiatric appointments and pharmacological management. RYC’s youth now have access to around-the-clock medication supervision and psychiatric support.
RYC continues to work to meet the needs of youth in our city, region, and state. RYC is expanding a program for transitional age youth who need help transitioning to independence and eventual adulthood. Additionally, RYC is working toward the goal of becoming accredited in 2014.
