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No one on either the staff or student body at Teen Challenge Ranch has any doubt as to the purpose of the institu tion. The residents are there to rid themselves of chemical dependency, and the staff is there to help them. Their rate of success is impressive. The ‘‘ranch’’ on US 50 east of Milford is one of 120 established throughout the United States since 1958. An average of about 60 chemical ly dependent young men, ages 18-30, enter this Clermont County center each year. It is estimated that 15 percent of them have drug problems only; another 15 percent are on alcohol; and the other 70 percent are dependent to some degree on son. Most rehabilitation places use a com bination of bditah, psychological, and religious resources to affect a cure with the emphasis on the medical and/ or psychological. At Teen Challenge, healing for broken lives is «spiritually oriented — supplemented by example, training, and plain hard work. “Challenge” in the institution's name was well chosen. Their program has no appeal to the weak and timid. About 60 percent of the residents come directly from tri-state jails, and Teen Challenge insists that they come only if they really mean business about over coming their addiction. For those who make the choice, their jail sentence can be suspended on completion of the pro gram. _ But first, they must agree to the stan dard discipline required of every resi dent. They must completely and im mediately give up the use of all alcohol, tobacco, and drugs, except prescrip tion drugs. ‘‘We demand a cold turkey break with these practices,” the Rev. Gordon Storey, executive director of the center, told me as he escorted me Chester Pike through the neat dorms and classrooms. ‘‘The first couple of weeks are the hardest, but if they get through that, they are pretty well on their way to recovery.” About half of them do not. Some leave because they dislike ‘the regimen of the center; others are dismissed — usually back to prison — for violating rules. An average of 25 young men graduate from the school each year — delivered from their addiction and with a totally new outlook on life. Follow-up in dicates a 70 percent permanent cure rate. The center claims that a chemical ly dependent person costs the taxpayer $20,000 a year in jail — considerably more in tax-supported rehabilitation centers. The same person could be ex pected to rob or steal at the rate of $37,500 a year to support his addiction if he were on the street. The training, treatment, and redirection provided by Teen Challenge is at the cost of $8,000 per year per person — none of which is tax money. I talked with one of the young men (young women are referred to Colum bus Teen Challenge) who had com pleted an eight-month course and was returning home that same day. He had been an alcoholic half of his 21 years of age. He remembers being drunk at age 12. He had been on drugs for five years and was a three-pack-a-day smoker. He wants to spend the rest of his life help ing other young men out of chemical dependency. The most impressive aspect of my interview with him was his radiant Christian testimony. He was sure that the complete turn-around in his life was a miracle of Divine grace. That is the emphasis at Teen Challenge — a Christian discipleship process that delivers from chemical dependency and prepares the student to function as a Christian in society. The administration also believes that activity is essential to deliverance. Students are kept occupied by way of a highly-structured, highly-disciplined regimen from early morning till even ing. Included in this are Bible study, other worship activities, classes, work and some play. If a student does not share a high school diploma, he begins immediately to work toward a G.E.D. high school equivalent. Instruction is provided by qualified volunteer teachers from Clermont County com munities. The center is presently in a $450,000 improvement project. One new building on its 175-acre property will include a gym and classrooms, and another smaller one will have facilities for vocational training and ranch maintenance. This project should be completed late this year. On my visit with Teen Challenge, I found students and staff working together in a friendly, relaxed at mosphere — and apparently enjoying it. They have received written commen dations from Cardinal Joseph L. Ber nardin, Charles Colson, Ronald Reagan and others. I would like to add my own — for whatever it is worth. Clermont County has a right to be pro ud of Teen Challenge Ranch.
Newspaper Details
The Clermont Courier
Batavia, Ohio, US
Thu, Aug 28, 1986
Page 8
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 10 Sep 2026
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