Third Way Center, Inc.

Background Statement

Since its founding in 1970, Third Way Center has helped thousands of teens heal from trauma and overcome mental health challenges to transition successfully back into the community. Third Way was first established as a shelter for homeless teens who left institutions and had nowhere to go. Dr. Hildegard Messenbaugh, founding psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor, recognized that many of the teens suffered from mental illness and needed additional support. Over the past 52 years, the program has evolved into a residential treatment program providing a continuum of care for mentally ill, traumatized teens who do not respond to traditional treatment methods. On average, the young people we serve come to us after 30 placements in foster homes, youth corrections, treatment programs and failed adoptions.

Dr. Messenbaugh and her staff have developed a unique treatment process that focuses on the root cause of trauma as expressed by negative feelings and behaviors. Her Six Boxes™ methodology helps teens to identify and address the trauma they have endured and includes achieving restorative justice that results in positive feelings and beneficial behaviors.

Our clients receive around-the-clock mental health treatment in one of our five licensed Residential Child Care Facilities, capable of serving up to 101 teens and 12 babies at one time.

We have 120 full-time staff and 40 part-time staff including medical doctors, state-licensed Masters Level Therapists, Mental Health Counselors, and more than 25 educational staff. Currently, 36 of our staff members have been with Third Way for more than ten years.

Treatment alone does not lead to long-term success – Third Way Center also teaches our clients the skills they need to become successful adults. Our program includes two, fully-accredited, alternative high schools, led by Master's Level Special Education teachers, where students receive individualized attention in our small classes. Third Way also prioritizes post-graduation transition, and post-secondary planning is a big piece of each student’s education plan, whether it’s college, vocational training, or employment. We also provide life skills training, self-advocacy training, substance abuse treatment, support for successful parenting, and more to give our teens the tools they need to transition successfully back into the community.