"Empowering youth and their families to make sound choices and achieve promising futures." Directions for Youth & Families offers programs that provide community-based treatment and prevention services that emphasize commitment to the family, school, and work. Services are provided through innovative programs that focus on the redirection of self-defeating behaviors and assisting youth and families in leading positive and productive lives. We believe every person has a right to grow up in a healthy environment, free of neglect and abuse. We affirm people’s right to self-awareness, self-respect, self-fulfillment, and confidentiality. Youth and families can best learn new behaviors in their natural environment and we believe that strengthening family relationships will bring about the most significant changes. We support the basic values of the human service field beginning with where the client is and protecting an individual’s right to self-determination. Our accepting and non-judgmental approach respects each individual and the family unit, recognizing strengths in diversity, culture, values, and belief systems. We promote an individual and family’s right to choose. Our purpose is not to make choices for people, nor tell them what to decide. We discuss options with those we serve and respect their decisions, thereby preserving and affording people the opportunity to learn and grow from the choices they make regarding their lives.