Therapeutic Needs Addressed in the Burke Foundation Programs, Through the Child's Involvement in Program Facets:

Personal, legitimate power of the individual. A sense of control over his surroundings.
A positive sense of the familial. The child can verbalize reasonable expectations for a child who is a family member.
Respect for authority figures
Self-assertiveness
A sense of belonging
Acceptance of others. Concerns for the feelings and rights of others.
Care of possessions, personal and community.
Proper use of money, desire to save earned money.
Ability to delay self-gratification.
Openness/honesty. Willingness to share positive and negative feelings, with honesty. Willingness to accept and act upon constructive criticism.
Dynamic equilibrium. The ability to regain emotional balance from time to time through the stressful demands of the ordinary day.
Use of appropriate language.
Peer cooperation.
Ability to resolve internal/external conflict situations in a respectable manner.
A positive sense of competitiveness. A desire to enter competition. The ability to win/lose in a graceful manner.
Thorough task accomplishment.
Improved impulse control.
A sense of teamwork. Ability to work for goals as a team member.
Improve self-esteem.
Ability to accept loss, failure, and disappointments.
Good hygiene and grooming.
Program participation.
Leadership/followship skills.
Ability to function in the open community, school and/or church.
Facing unfamiliar situations.
Ability to self-structure. The child can plan and reach goals.

   Our staff-to-resident ratio is 1 staff for every 6 boys. The staff, experienced in outdoor activities, is able to present the boys with many experiential challenges. Through their participation, the boys learn the value of cooperation, interdependent living, and natural and logical consequences.
   Licensed therapists provide individual, group, and family therapy and are on call for emergency situations. Our psychiatrist visits each boy at least once a month, evaluating and monitoring medication needs and consulting on each boy's individual treatment planning.
   The outdoor environment provides an exciting backdrop for meaningful life-enhancing experiences.

Boys who have successfully completed the Pathfinders Camp program, or other boys and girls in need of therapeutic foster care, can be placed in any one of a number of therapeutic foster homes that comprise the Child Placing Agency.
   In therapeutic foster homes, the children live with foster parents who are specially trained to deal with these children's special behavioral needs. The children live in the foster home as a member of the family, attend public school in the school district in which they live, attend and participate in community events, all while learning independent living skills and improving their social skills.
   A full array of therapeutic and educational services is available to children in therapeutic foster care.
   Currently the Child Placing Agency has therapeutic homes located in Hays, Travis, Williamson, and Nueces counties, with additional homes slated to open soon.