The Vermont Department for Children and Families (DCF) has been operating without a secure facility for youth in crisis since 2020.
The Green Mountain Youth Campus (GMYC) will add capacity to the overall system, increasing DCF’s ability to support all youth populations needing mental health care in settings appropriate for their needs. The proposed treatment center is a secure campus-style environment with two youth programs:
- 8-Bed Short-Term Stabilization
- 6-Bed Short-Term Treatment
Evidence-Based Design
In planning a new campus, DCF has partnered with the Department of Buildings and General Services (BGS) to create a therapeutic setting guided by the following principles:
- Physical safety and security
- A sense of belonging and connection
- Trauma-responsive, nature-centered
- Soft finishes and color palette to complement the natural landscape
- A supportive environment focused on rehabilitation, growth, and life-learning
A statewide search for a site to support the unique needs of youth in crisis identified an ideal location on State-owned property in Vergennes.
Program
The programming will focus on the inherent understanding that there is a safe place immediately available to justice-involved youth that can provide for their needs, sense of belonging, and pathway to purpose. The care offered will be rooted in evidence-based therapeutic interventions developed in collaboration with service providers and under the guidance of expert stakeholders.
Public Forums
The State of Vermont is committed to hearing and addressing concerns from the community. A public forum was held on Wednesday, June 5, at 6:30 pm at the Vergennes Opera House.
At this time, no additional State of Vermont-led forums are planned in Vergennes. However, through the municipal permitting process, there will be opportunities for members of the public to engage in the public comment process with both the State and the city of Vergennes. The city will organize those meetings.
Resources
- DCF Press Release issued May 16, 2024, announcing Vergennes as the location for GMYC.
- The GMYC flyer (PDF) provides a general overview.
- Image renderings of the campus (PDF)
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Learn how BGS used evidence-based design principles to create a modern mental health campus (PDF).
Questions
Please send any questions about this project to AHS.DCFYouthCampus@vermont.gov.
Page Last Updated: June 7, 2024