The Vashti Center for Children & Families

Located in Thomasville, Georgia, the Vashti Center serves as a haven for children in crisis. Founded in 1903, the Vashti Center is a National Mission Institution of United Women in Faith (UWFaith, formerly United Methodist Women). Our mission is rooted in our covenant relationship with UWFaith which unites us for the purpose of turning faith, hope, and love into action on behalf of the most underserved children and families in the state of Georgia.

Originally started as a home for girls, our mission grew into a vital resource serving youth and families in Southwest Georgia communities, a rural region characterized by scarce behavioral health resources and poor health outcomes. The children who arrive on Vashti’s campus and walk through our doors are anxious, grieving, distraught, or emotionally injured. They need structure, guidance, empathy, support, comfort, and safety.

Our team welcomes them to begin their journey of healing by drawing closer to God and growing in their relationship with him to find hope, freedom from their burdens, and joy. Sadly, their time with us at Vashti may be the first experience they are given to have the chance to know God and build a relationship with him. We are called to accomplish his work through our mission with a continuum of therapeutic services that address:

• Childhood trauma
• Substance abuse
• Mental illness
• Behavioral issues
• Stress disorders

The children we serve often grow up or live in scenarios where neglect, manipulation, abuse, drug use and distrust is common and the way of life in those environments.

PROGRAMS

1. Our program offerings include:
2. On-Campus Residential Care
3. Afterschool Clubhouse
4. Community Counseling
5. Community Outreach & Training
6. Trauma-Informed Training
7. Substance Abuse Treatment

ROOM, BOARD & WATCHFUL OVERSIGHT (RBWO) RESIDENTIAL PROGRAM

Vashti’s residential program is located on our 40+ acre campus and houses up to 10 girls and 10 boys, ages 12-21, referred to us from across 159 counties in the state of Georgia. The campus cottages are in Thomasville. Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) and the Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS). Children who are referred to our center when they have proven they cannot cope well with their issues in other environments. They normally have experienced several support programs in the foster care system or group homes prior to their arrival at Vashti.

Sadly, many of our youth arrive without any of their belongings. Our team recognizes the difficulties they face as they settle into a new place. For decades our staff, volunteers, and donors have poured into our property to make it a peaceful, calming and serene environment to live, play, and work.

Vashti’s campus landscape thrives with:

• Birds singing in the trees
• Tall, thick bamboo shoots that make you feel like you’re in the wilderness
• Walking trails that parallel a stream
• Giant front lawn made perfect to host festivals and movie nights
• Swimming pool and sports fields
• Basketball courts under an outdoor pavilion
• Serenity gardens
• 9/11 memorial fire pit ring of Adirondack chairs
• Enclosed pavilion for festivities of all types
• Dining hall for the best homemade food – our cooks make it with love on a plate
• Art studios
• Pottery cottage
• The Hub church

Experiencing the faith community plays an important role in the healing process. Church groups, volunteers and mentors make our residents feel loved by spending time with them and building positive connections with them. It truly takes a large support group of professionals and extreme structure to bring healing and restoration to kids seriously wounded by neglect, as well as physical, sexual, and emotional trauma. We do this through a continuum of therapeutic services that address childhood trauma and behavioral issues in children.

COMPREHENSIVE COUNSELING

In addition to our residential program, we serve over 300 youth, ages 6-18, through our community mental health therapy programs on and off-campus. These programs are available on our campus in Thomasville and extend across six counties in Southwest Georgia:

1. Brooks (Quitman, Morven, Barwick and Pavo)
2. Colquitt (Moultrie, Doerun, Norman Park)
3. Decatur (Bainbridge)
4. Grady (Cairo, Whigham)
5. Mitchell (Camilla)
6. Thomas (Thomasville)

Our therapists support youth through school-based and in-home visits. Recognizing the deep emotional and spiritual wounds our children carry, we work diligently to earn their trust, maintaining steadfast consistency to ensure they feel safe, secure, and supported by our therapeutic staff, chaplain, and church community.

Our program is most effective when families and caregivers actively engage with our team to support their children. Healing takes time and effort to improve cognitive behavioral and mental health issues and to overcome traumatic experiences. Our comprehensive approach includes one-on-one therapy, family sessions, medication management, drug addiction therapy and classes, contact management, coping and life skills education, collaboration with case workers and behavioral aides, Telehealth meetings, and managing relationships with emergency services on behalf of our youth.

The Vashti Center is the only organization in our area solely dedicated to supporting families, children, and adolescents. We serve as a vital safety net for children living in poverty, and our extensive experience, skills, and expertise make us uniquely suited to meet their needs. Our staff is trained in the latest therapeutic interventions, ensuring the highest level of care. We also offer a specialized substance abuse treatment program tailored for adolescents, which has consistently yielded positive outcomes. Our regional and state partners regard us as their top choice for addressing the needs of children who have experienced trauma.

As the only children's home in Thomas County and the surrounding areas, The Vashti Center is uniquely positioned to provide expert care to children and adolescents. While there are other agencies that offer services in our region, The Vashti Center stands out as the only organization exclusively focused on the well-being of children, adolescents, and their families.