LaShonda Proby, Administrator
Oakridge Community Facility
8701 Steilacoom Boulevard S.W.
Lakewood, WA 98498
(253) 589-7145
Oakridge Community Facility is located in Lakewood. The focus of Oakridge is to successfully transition youth back into the community by providing individual treatment, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills acquisition and generalization, a variety of educational, vocational, and employment opportunities, and support for family reintegration. Youth can participate in regular educational programming on-site and on-campus through Clover Park School District, Pierce College, and the University of Washington, Tacoma. Vocational training programs through Bates Technical College are available as well. All residents participate in the Manufacturing Academy (MA). MA is a 24-week program consisting of a pre-apprenticeship vocational training program and the possibility of a paid internship. MA provides an overview of basic manufacturing skills in preparation for an entry-level position. Opportunity for employment in the community is also offered. Youth have many opportunities to be in the community to participate in shopping, recreation, field trips, local community activities, family visits, and earning community involvement passes to go out in the community with family. Oakridge staff work with families and support others to successfully transition youth back to their community upon release.
Information for Parents, Guardians, and Family
Every youth residing at Oakridge has an assigned counselor who serves as the youth’s case manager. Counselors work with the youth to assess their needs and provide appropriate treatment. Treatment options include interpersonal skills training, anger replacement training, and others. Some treatment will occur during counseling sessions with the case manager, while others will occur in a specialized setting.
Visitation
Visitation is scheduled in advance by calling the facility before the visit. Most visitation occurs on weekends; however, weekday visiting is available upon request.
Reentry and Transition
Parents, guardians, and family members are invited to be present for all future planning meetings and are considered part of the team that builds the future plan for their youth. The goal of future planning is to build a plan that returns the youth to their home community in a way that meets their needs for school, work, and living arrangements. Youth released from a community facility may or may not have a parole obligation. JR currently provides parole services to about half of the youth they serve. Your counselor can tell you if your child will be on parole.