Grant to support launch of Family Engagement Center, a collaboration between Hope Academy and The Willow Center, to expand counseling and recovery programs
Hope Academy has been awarded a $200,000 grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to enhance its family engagement and outpatient recovery programming. The support will enable the school to build on nearly 20 years of service to teens in recovery while extending critical resources to families.
The grant, made through Lilly Endowment’s Marion County K-12 Public Schools Initiative, will help Hope Academy launch the new Family Engagement Center for the academy’s students and their families. Developed in partnership with The Willow Center, a certified outpatient behavioral health provider, the center will offer coordinated services, including counseling, intensive outpatient programming, and family education designed to support both recovery and academic success.
“The Willow Center is proud to collaborate with Hope Academy to expand access to care for teens and their families,” said Ashley English, CEO and Founder of The Willow Center. “By combining our expertise, we can create a continuum of services that strengthens recovery and helps families heal together.”
While family engagement is proven to strengthen both recovery and academic outcomes for teens, many parents face barriers that make it difficult to participate fully. The new Family Engagement Center will help remove those barriers by offering structured, accessible support for students and their families.
“Recovery is strongest when families are part of the process,” said Rachelle Gardner, Executive Director of Hope Academy. “The Family Engagement Center will make it easier for parents to participate fully, which ultimately gives students the best chance to succeed.”
Adolescents with substance use disorder face significant barriers to treatment in Indiana, where few residential treatment providers exist for teens. Research shows that 80% of adolescents relapse within 90 days of returning to a traditional high school after treatment. Yet, students with more than 200 days of sobriety see a 40% increase in their GPA.
Hope Academy’s integrated academic and recovery model helps close this gap, and the new Family Engagement Center will build on that success by strengthening support for both students and families.
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Media Contact:
Ty Spisak, Hope Academy Communications Consultant
ty@tyspisak.com