The Bradfield Center
The Bradfield Center is located in LaGrange, Georgia, approximately one hour southwest of Atlanta. The Center affords residential services for up to 45 severely emotionally and behaviorally disturbed males, ages 9 to 17, who have documented histories of sexual aggression. Residents live in a safe, staff-secured setting and attend school on campus. Outpatient services include individual, group, and family therapy.
Bradfield Center boasts an emphasis on creating a positive milieu for its residents. Rather than focusing on the negative consequences of an individual’s action and behavior, the Bradfield Center staff attempts to highlight, strengthen, and encourage positive conduct and behavior within our residents. Although inappropriate behaviors are obviously addressed, the focus is placed on attempting to positively reinforce and strengthen pro-social conduct and behavior. It is hoped that by providing a positive, encouraging and reinforcing atmosphere, an individual’s pattern of conduct is likely to be reproduced in greater frequency in the future. That is to say, the more that positive actions and behaviors are attended to, the more likely positive behaviors will occur in the future.
Bradfield Center’s residential services reflect a commitment to strength-based, family-focused, community-connected services. Our staff supports the growing body of data that suggests family involvement improves the outcomes for children in residential care. In addition, through
strength-based approaches, each youth is acknowledged as the expert in his own path to success. Community-connected approaches stress safe, superviseduse of community resources to facilitate community reintegration. “Giving back” to the community through various restitution activities is encouraged and expected.
Our program also embraces the “Re-Education” philosophy introduced by Dr. Nicholas Hobbs (1982) which emphasizes the need to build on positive concepts of normalcy and health rather than deviance and illness. Staff members are viewed as teachers and counselors and they are trained to build competence and restorative relationships as they work closely with families and communities. Dr. Hobbs’ philosophy reminds us that children have a great desire to learn and do well, and that life is full of “teachable moments.”
It is well-established that unstructured idle time will often exacerbate the negative actions and behaviors of individuals in residential care and thus, the intent and desire of the Bradfield Center staff is to keep our residents occupied and busy virtually all of their waking hours. Although many of the days’ activities are structured for educational endeavors, during recreational and leisure time an emphasis is also placed on keeping residents involved with positive pro-social activities that they enjoy. It is hoped that by reinforcing positive social conduct and behavior, through models of classical learning theory, these behaviors will be reinforced and replicated in the future. Simultaneously, it is hoped that by teaching our adolescent residents how to use their recreational time effectively, productively, and enjoyably, they will continue to demonstrate these behaviors long after they graduate from our program.
Academics are an important facet of Bradfield Center's program. Residents attend classes at Ault Academy. Our on-site school is accredited by SACS, the Georgia Accrediting Commission and is approved by the Georgia Department of Education.
Ault Academy
Vision/Purpose Statement
Ault Academy’s vision/purpose is to provide high expectations for all learners in a safe, secure, and supportive learning environment. A strong emphasis is placed on a quality curriculum that emphasizes problem solving, critical thinking, responsibility, work ethic, and citizenship to enable each student to thrive and survive in society. Ault Academy faculty believe:
- all students can learn and succeed when they have appropriate and challenging opportunities for success and are actively engaged in the learning process
- instructional practices include learning activities that take into account differences in learning styles, because students learn in different ways
- each student is a valued individual with unique physical, social, emotional, and intellectual needs, and should be provided with developmentally appropriate learning activities
- setting high expectations increases individual student performance
- all students can learn competent technology skills appropriate for their developmental level
- exceptional students are entitled to special services and resources
students have a need to be taught the basic principles of conduct and citizenship in American society- all students should be provided educational services that will contribute to a successful transition to mainstream schools
The Troup County School System is committed to children, excellence, and innovation through:
Teaching for the future
Reaching all students
Opening opportunities
Uniting home, school, business, and community
Preparing students for lifelong learning, responsibility, and service