Key has a fifty-year history of providing a continuum of out-patient counseling and trauma services, as well as community and residential based support services for children, youth and families, most of whom have experienced some form of trauma in their lives.  In 2021 we engaged in a search for a trauma-informed model that recognized the impact of racism, oppression, poverty, housing instability and home, school and community violence on the safety and well-being of children and families, resulting in the implementation of the Risking Connection Model.  This model teaches staff that building healing relationships with clients and families is essential in supporting them in their day-to-day interactions and is the primary agent of change.  It emphasizes the importance of healing relationships that are built on: Respect, Information, Connection and Hope (RICH). All Key staff participate in ongoing training and annual surveys to ensure we are continually striving to best support the children and families we work with.

All our programs across the agency are intended to provide culturally responsive, trauma-informed services that value:

1. A Family-Centered Practice: No plan is made for a family or youth without their voice at the center. It is as simple as that.  Families and youth succeed when they are recognized for their resilience and have a stake in their own goal setting and outcomes.
2. Strength-Based Support: Key’s focus is recognizing youth and family strengths, resources and support. Once barriers to progress are identified, Key assists in finding the best way to use their strengths and resources to achieve their goals. 
3. A Team Approach: All families and children work with a team of professionals, allowing them to build close relationships with several different individuals. Key involves as many identified supports as possible in the child and family’s life, including community members, friends, extended family members and any others who the family identifies.