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The Buckeye Ranch started as one location in Grove City back in 1961. Known then as The Buckeye Boys Ranch, we supported young boys in our community who were running into challenges with focus, discipline, and structure.  

Today, that original Buckeye Ranch Grove City campus location, now known as The Buckeye Ranch’s Residential Treatment Services campus, is one of six locations raising hope and providing healing for youth and families through a robust continuum of care. Our care has evolved gradually over the last 64 years to meet the real-time needs of the more than 7,100 youth and families that we support each year, creating decades of impact in our community. 

Fred was one of the first youth to experience that impact, as he was the second youth to come to our Grove City Campus in 1962 when he lived at Argo House. A lot has changed since Fred’s time with us years ago, but one thing remains the same: unconditional love, structure, and stability that can help a child heal. 

A Challenging Start

Fred was born in Central Ohio in the 1950s. When his parents divorced when he was about three years old, he lived primarily with his mother and grandmother in Marion, Ohio. Through most of his childhood, Fred experienced abuse and neglect as a result of his mother’s challenges with substance use disorder in the home, which ultimately created instability, lack of routine, and a lack of understanding of how to build safe, healthy, and reliable relationships for Fred long-term.  

At age 10, teachers expressed concerns for Fred that led to him transitioning to live with his father in Columbus, Ohio. After the move, he still struggled with discipline and focus, often lashing out at school and not being able to openly trust adults enough to communicate his struggles. 

“It was hard for my father and I to relate at the time. In fact, it was hard for me to relate to most people,” reflects Fred. “My father was a traditional Orthodox Jew, and he had a hard time understanding my behaviors. And, I had a hard time communicating what was going on inside of my heart. I was desperate for love, and lashing out felt like the best way for me to get that attention as a kid.” 

Thankfully, at age 13, his father sought out support and Fred was connected with The Buckeye Ranch’s Grove City campus (then The Buckeye Boys Ranch).  

Finding Stability with Help from The Buckeye Ranch’s Grove City Campus 

When Fred came to The Buckeye Ranch Grove City campus, he struggled to accept the help he so deeply deserved. 

“It was hard for me to open up to people about my struggles because I never really had the stability from my family that could teach me that it was safe to confide in adults,” shared Fred. “I didn’t feel like I had someone to support me through the hard days or to cheer for me on the good days. The Buckeye Ranch changed that for me.” 

Fred recalls Mom and Pop Newburn being his house parents – 24/7 adult caregivers who supported healing journeys of youth on campus in the 1960s – during his time at The Buckeye Ranch. They taught him unconditional love, created structure in his day-to-day life, and demonstrated to him how discipline could help him create and reach his goals in life.  

“I never felt good about myself in my life. The Buckeye Ranch helped me feel proud of myself for the first time. It created a loving family unit for me, and that changed my life,” shares Fred. “The Buckeye Ranch taught me how to work on a team, build healthy relationships with people, and finally accept help I needed to understand why I was struggling.” 

Fred also recalls a mentor relationship with Les Bostic, the first Executive Director of The Buckeye Ranch.  

“I was never really held accountable in my life. Les was stern, but he taught me the value of hard work, accountability, and how to be successful,” reflects Fred. “He was a mentor to me, and we had lots of deep talks. I think the lessons he taught me stuck with me … they were a guiding light for me later in life.” 

When it was time for Fred to leave The Buckeye Ranch, mom and pop Newburn helped him get set up to go to Grove City High School and he returned home to his father. 

Learning and Growing Through Life’s Challenges 

Fred’s family owned an auto parts and seat cover business, so through his high school years after his time at The Buckeye Ranch, he spent many hours in the shop helping his family and learning the business. 

Back at school, Fred still struggled to thrive in a classroom environment. Craving added structure, he left school in 11^th grade to join the army. He spent three years in the army as an Inventory Control Specialist and learned a lot from his colleagues during his time there. When returning home and losing structure, he struggled with his own substance use disorder through his 20s, 30s, and into his 40s. 

Lessons that Shape You 

At age 44, Fred was able to get the help he needed to support him in reaching recovery. “When I got to this point, I reflected on my time at The Buckeye Ranch and how I learned how to feel good about myself,” reflects Fred. “I’d lost that, but desperately wanted to get back to that place in my life again.”

Leaning into the lessons he’d learned early in life, he took the steps to reach recovery. While it was not easy, Fred stuck through it and accepted the help he needed. “I got to a point where I felt like it was my last chance. I needed to turn my life around,” reflects Fred. “So, I found a local Narcotics Anonymous group and they sent me on a few sabbaticals in different cities to separate myself from people who were not positive influences in my life and begin my recovery journey.”

 Now, 77 years old, he’s been in recovery for more than 30 years. He’s worked in various roles supporting businesses in the automotive sector, often supporting companies that were failing and helping them improve, since age 54. His career gave him purpose and autonomy in his life.

Breaking Cycles of Trauma 

“The Buckeye Ranch Grove City campus inspired me to be a helper,” shares Fred. “Being able to get help I needed as a kid inspired me to be that help for others in my life after I entered recovery. That guided me through my journey with my career, and with my family.”

Fred’s family struggles with a history of substance use disorder, and he’s worked hard to try to help family members through their journeys and to break the cycle.  

Presently, he provides support for his granddaughter (age 27) and great granddaughter (age 7), who is his life’s greatest joy. He has had custody of his granddaughter since she was six years old and has supported her journey since. 

“It has been therapeutic to me to be able to provide this support. As a kid, I needed that support, and it heals something deep inside me to know I can be that support for my loved ones,” shares Fred. “I adore my great granddaughter – she’s given me purpose late in life. I treasure that I can support her each day, from picking her up from school, putting her to bed, and taking her on fun adventures,” shares Fred.  

Fred is helping his great granddaughter to figure out her passions. So far, she’s trying gymnastics, skiing, swimming, and soccer. He took her to the beach for the first time recently and they had a blast. 

“My biggest struggle before treatment at The Buckeye Ranch was overcoming fears,” reflects Fred. “Watching my great granddaughter learn, grow, and finding healthy ways to overcome fears while doing it has been incredibly rewarding.” 

Healing is A Lifelong Journey 

Today, Fred is doing well. He’s working in the automotive business sector still and is supporting his family every day.  

He understands the importance of honesty and taking responsibility for yourself, two lessons The Buckeye Ranch helped to instill in him that still guide his approach to life today. 

When he thinks about what mental health means, he shares, “Mental health and healing means freedom. It means you can be happy, feel less alone, and not carry the burden on your back.” 

He works hard every day to prioritize his mental health and support his family in doing the same. When it comes to what he wants the community to know about The Buckeye Ranch, he shares “It’s not an institutionalized setting – it gives you the human help you need as long as you’re willing to accept it. The Buckeye Ranch is rehabilitative. It was then in the 1960s for me and is even more so now. Even when you lose your way in life, it will teach you lessons that stick with you and can help you find your way again, just like I did.” 

Adapting to Create Lasting Change for Youth and Families 

Today, The Buckeye Ranch has four principles of quality care that guide our work:  

1. Trauma-Informed 

2. Family-Centered 

3. Strengths-Based 

4. Culturally Responsive 

These principles did not exist back in the 1960s, and stories like Fred’s help emphasize why it is so important to allow these principles to shape our approach to treatment to set youth up for long-term success.  

The Buckeye Ranch has grown not only in approach to quality care, but in scope of how we support youth and families over the last six decades. When Fred was a client, we only had one support program in Grove City.  

Today, our Residential Treatment Services campus alone provides two programs – Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility (PRTF) program and our Qualified Residential Treatment Program (QRTP), both born out of the community’s growing need for high-acuity support during a present youth mental health crisis.  

Across the board, we also provide 16 other programs across our service lines – Integrated Care Services, Child Welfare Services, and Community-Based and Education-Based Mental Health Services. Our programs are set up to support youth and families through every step in their healing journey, with many youth experiencing several programs across our continuum through their healing journeys.  

As we celebrate the milestone of a new expansion on our Residential Treatment Services campus opening next month, we look forward to empowering more hope and healing in our community for many more decades to come.  

To learn more about The Buckeye Ranch’ Residential Treatment Services campus, visit our website. To learn more about The Buckeye Ranch’s Residential Treatment Services campus expansion and how you can support our work in combatting the youth mental health crisis, click here.