Those We Serve
At Lad Lake, the youth in our care are some of our community’s most vulnerable – but they are also some of the most resilient. We're honored to be a part of these youths' journey to healing and hope.
A life of trauma
Nearly all have experienced child abuse and neglect, suffered addiction, aged out of foster care, been involved in the youth justice system or suffered commercial sexual exploitation. Most of our residential program youth have experienced multiple traumas, usually within their own homes.
When these experiences define a young person’s entire frame of reference and their life experience, it can be difficult for them to imagine a personal future that looks any different.
Lad Lake helps these at-risk teens envision and pursue a new path. Our programs provide safer living environments, better health, stronger social supports and promising futures.
Lad Lake's residential program participants have experienced a variety of trauma. In fact, 70% of the youth in Lad Lake's care have scored 4 or more on the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) test, and none of them have scored 0.
- More than 80% have experienced severe childhood neglect or abuse
- 23% have endured domestic violence
- 51% have developed substance abuse
- 42% have been abandoned by their parents
- Someone in 24% of our youths' families suffer from mental illness
- 30% have had a parent arrested or incarcerated
