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VisionQuest's Story (1) (2) 3 (4)
A key emphasis of VisionQuest throughout most of its years has been to address the needs of minority youth who are disproportionately represented in the correctional system. The development of the Buffalo Soldier program over the years has added depth to the spirit of VisionQuest. Youth of all races have learned history, practiced drills, performed, educated youngsters in public schools and ridden cross country to help pass on the legacy of honor of the Black men who served in the segregated units of the army until the Korean War. This program has taken kids to the dedication of the Buffalo Soldier monument in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, to the steps of the Capital in Washington D.C., to the halls of the Capital in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to the dedication of the Buffalo Soldier trail in Sequoia National Forest and the letting of the Buffalo Soldier Stamp at the Post Office in Los Angeles. With these events and in countless parades across the country, people stand with respect for these young Americans and see them for what they can do not for what they have done. We have been honored over the years to have included veterans such as Fred D. Jones, and Valley Coleman in our programs. Their understanding of the role of young black men in our society has guided us. Re-enactors at events around the country have taken the time to interact positively with our kids and leaders including Colin Powell have met and inspired them.
As the field evolved, some choices were forced upon us. The 1990’s brought in the time of acquisitions, mergers and public offerings. VisionQuest was approached by many financiers, all with the same goal: financial gain. VisionQuest management looked at what some could say were the benefits of going this route – becoming larger immediately, making more of an impact, and immediate financial stability. As more well financed companies entered the field as our competition, there was a reality to our need for capital. But in the end, each of these alternatives would take the children from the center of our attention and replace them with the shareholder.
After much internal discussion and at times dissention, VisionQuest made the decision to stay privately held with one major change: VisionQuest became an employee owned company. Ownership is spread throughout the programs giving all employees a stake in the company’s success. This decision was a turning point that made preserving our legacy a primary part of our business plan. We renewed our commitment to better business practices because in the end if we neglected the bottom line the kid would suffer. Purchasers of our service continue to want new products and we would continue to respond only when there was no large capital outlay.
Our goal became not only to be better financial managers but to improve the infrastructure of our program. Since its inception, VisionQuest’s Board of Directors had been made up entirely of employees. This Board was reconfigured to include a distinguished panel of leaders from different disciplines. With their guidance, management began researching new techniques and proven programs. Increased emphasis was placed on program outcomes through a sophisticated internal evaluation component. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), an evidence based treatment approach has been added as a way for youth to process problem areas within the treatment milieu. Equine Assisted Therapy synthesized our experience with kids and horses, and has become an integral part of treatment program. We began incorporating Functional Family Therapy (FFT), an evidence-based methodology in our non-residential sites. We renewed our relationship with the accrediting body, Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations by beginning a multi-year process of becoming accredited as a behavioral health care organization.
