Alumni

Better Prepared to Meet Life's Challenges

Change is hard.

At WGA, our supportive staff understand this. We help youth through their self-discovery journey and to identify what motivates them and what stands in their way to becoming their best self. Youth who are focused on meeting their individual goals while in program can expect to experience gains in some or all of the following areas:

Once youth have completed their residential program, they are further supported with 6 months of family-based aftercare.

Aftercare support is provided by our Regional Family Service Coordinators located throughout every region in Upstate New York.

Most youth transition into the community to a lower level of care or to be reunited with their family.

In keeping with our Care First motto, WGA is committed to providing support during this most critical period of transition, when youth may need to draw on their new found coping skills to avoid external triggers or regression to self-destructive behaviors. Support includes helping youth and families identify and access critical services to help maintain the gains made through the treatment process.

In Their Own Words

* Some testimonials have been edited/paraphrased to comply with privacy policies, grammar, and appropriate language.

I will say being at WGA was the best years of my life because if I hadn’t gone there I probably would be dead right now. Thank you to everyone there for helping me along the way to the guy I am now.

I have learned how to have a healthy relationship and how to maintain healthy relationships. Self-awareness has been helpful too!

I’m not freaking out and being aggressive with people, as much, because I’ve learned other ways to deal with the drama.

Thanks for everybody that helped me out when I was there. I learned a lot from all of you from when I was in the cottage. I respect all the people that helped me and my sister, there’s a lot of good people at WGA.

Just want to say thank you for everything you have ever done to make my life better. I might have wanted to give up but a great part of who I am is thanks to the all of you. Sometimes I thought to myself that you were being too strict, sometimes unfair, but now I see that it was all for the better and I am thankful for it all. You taught me respect on a level most kids my age never even heard of. You taught me the value of life in an easy way to understand. I know that sometimes I was a little hard headed or even a real teaser but still I have managed to follow your teachings and become as good a person as I can be. I will always remember you all. Thank you for everything.

I have learned how to pick my battles and avoid engaging in peer negativity.