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History

Secret Harbor provided intensive residential treatment programming for over 60 years in a remote setting in the San Juan Islands.  The residential center’s role of working with some of our States most troubled youth was well known and respected for providing safe and effective individual treatment in an isolated environment.  While this approach and setting had great success in helping young males to better control their behaviors, the model lacked major components to transfer that success into community settings or into the youth’s family.  It also was very expensive to operate this program in such a remote location and client’s often remained in the program for long periods of time.  With the sale of the Secret Harbor campus in 2006, Secret Harbor made great efforts to transform the Agency from ‘facility-focused’ to ‘family focused’ after studying promising practices from around the Country.  The result is an Agency that provides limited residential resources in community-based settings coupled with a specialized foster care program and programming in the homes of the children and youth and their families.

The principles of Youth-Guided, Family-Driven care is paramount in the success of the Secret Harbor Community Care Model. 

“Youth-Guided means that young people have the right to be empowered, educated and given a decision-making role in the care of their own lives……This includes giving young people a sustainable voice and the focus should be towards creating a safe environment enabling a young person to gain self sustainability in accordance with their culture and beliefs.  Through the eyes of a youth-guided approach we are aware that there is a continuum of power and choice that young people should have based on their understanding and maturity in this strength based change process.  Youth-guided also means that this process should be fun and worthwhile.”  (Youth MOVE 2008)

“Family-Driven care means families have a primary decision making role in the care of their own children……This includes:

• Choosing supports, services and providers;
• Setting goals
• Designing and implementing programs;
• Monitoring outcomes
• Partnering in funding decisions; and
• Determining the effectiveness of all efforts to promote the mental health and well being of children and youth.”
   (Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health 2007)

“The research in out of home care consistently shows that the processes and outcomes of care improve in correlation with the degree of family involvement.”  (Beth Caldwell, Alliance National Child Welfare Conference, 2008)

Secret Harbor’s community model of care contains three distinct yet intertwined programs, Foster Care Resources, In-Home Family supports and a series of Staffed Residential Homes.  Youth-guided, Family-driven care provides the framework for each program.

We are located in the northwest corner of Washington State with facilities in Anacortes, Burlington, Mt. Vernon and Sedro Woolley.