Trudy BoschIn one sentence, try and describe something. Some definitions are easy – Cheetos noun a delicious snack sent from the heavens. Some definitions are more complicated – like, “what is Ranch Ehrlo?”

I get asked this often. I also get asked to sum it up in a sentence. But the agency does so much and is many different things to many different people. Trying to encapsulate it all in one sentence is tricky!

Try this on for size - Our services include outpatient assessment and psychotherapy, family therapy, early learning, education and vocational training, emergency receiving services, treatment foster care, supportive housing, residential treatment for children and youth with mental health and addictions needs, and residential and vocational services for older adolescents and adults with developmental disorders.

That’s a mouthful.

Or we can use our mission statement to provide a definition.  To provide quality prevention, restorative, and advocacy services to vulnerable individuals and families through highly engaged and professional employees. And while this is a great mission, it still leaves a lot of grey area as to what it is we do.

I generally answer the question by explaining who we provide services to instead of what we provide. We have services for families, for folks who need residential treatment services, and we have services we offer to the community.

Anyway you look at it, Ranch Ehrlo Society is a hard concept to define, but one thing is for certain: we provide a valuable service to the children, youth, and families of our country, province, and city, and will continue to do so for as long as it is needed.