Our Story & Legacy


About Us - Our Story & Legacy

IMG_20681Our STORY began in 1959 when the organization was incorporated as Colorado Boys Ranch Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit entity.  The organization has since served over 14,000 youth plus their families from Colorado and across the nation.

Known as “CBR”, the organization evolved over the next 50 years from a rural orphanage into a national, award winning residential treatment and education center for adolescent boys.  With an 89% success rate, the organization achieved many national awards and recognition including:

  • Samaritan Institute-Colorado Ethics in Business Award for Non-Profits
  • Two time recipient of the El Pomar Outstanding Youth Organization Award
  • Numerous features on NBC Nightly news, Animal Planet and Discover Channel

In 2006, the Federal Deficit Reduction Act triggered a dramatic reduction in federal and state funding for residential programs across the nation.  This ACT was subsequently followed by the national recession and more federal and state funding cuts for residential programs.

In 2012, the long-standing campus residential program was sadly discontinued.  Many thanks and appreciation is extended to the loyal staff, board members and donors who provided devotion and dedication to the success of the residential program and campus for over 50 years.

In 2014, the main campus in La Junta, Colorado was sold to GOAL Academy for use as an education resource for their alternative school.  As part of the sale arrangement, a Heritage Center, preserving and honoring the history of the residential program, will be established on the La Junta campus.

IMG_0665aaWe rebranded in 2014 as CBR YouthConnect, to more clearly reflect what we did. “CBR” refers to our legacy. “Youth” refers to our focus. And while our location changed, our mission had not. You could find us working directly in homes, at schools, and out in the community providing the same value, ethics, and personal responsibility we had been providing for over 50 years. We served children and families in crisis, and helped hard-to-reach youth from troubled homes, alternative schools, diversion programs and treatment centers with histories of school drop-out, homelessness, teen pregnancy, delinquency and mental health.

This story is available in our book, The Hero Within (Fulcrum Press, 2007), authored by Cindy Landsberg and Judith Pettibone. The story, decade-by-decade, is also available in our Rancher 50th Anniversary publication.   This website contains the many, wonderful programs and services that continue the story.

IMG_1901In 2020’s, COVID restricted our in-home and community-based services.   At the same time, major shifts occurred in federal and state funding for in-home services.  Providers (like CBR) were coerced to join large Medicaid, mental health systems-of-care with extensive credentialing and referral processes.  Providers were subjected to the Medicaid philosophy of hourly and brief services with emphasis on remote mental health and substance abuse therapies.  We decided not to follow this trend because it is not our passion and would require we abandon our core beliefs and the proven success of our relationship-driven approach.

Instead, in 2022, we chose to collaborate with and support Paragon BHC, a new and dynamic Medicaid-credentialed organization.  Gradually, all our staff and in-home cases were absorbed by Paragon and were trained to remotely provide Medicaid mental health and substance abuse services.  Although this ended our being a provider of in-home services, it allowed staff the opportunity to remain employed and become Medicaid credentialed and allowed Paragon BHC to emerge with already developed caseloads.

Did we want to do this?  Not really.  Was this our best option given Medicaid’s philosophy of care.  Absolutely.  We continue to support Paragon BHC and their passion to work as a new-age Medicaid-mental health provider.

Here is a Colorado Sun article highlighting Paragon’s foundation as CBR YouthConnect .

“Our support of Paragon is a great example of how more children and families can be helped when two organizations combine resources and efforts.  It is also gives CBR the opportunity to establish new programs that address the major issues in today’s society”– Chuck Thompson, Past President, Colorado Boys Ranch Foundation

The LEGACY of the Colorado Boys Ranch Foundation continues to be our results, resilience and commitment to the mission of serving troubled youth with the highest of professional standards.  For more than five decades, the organization has successfully evolved and adapted to meet the changing needs, funding constraints and demands of our society.   The organization continues to demonstrate that Caring Brings Results.

Click to view a copy of the 50th Anniversary Rancher Newsletter or the FALL 2014 Newsletter.

To view information about The Hero Within book, click here.