 Boys & Girls Town’s St. James campus is located on 250 acres in a rural area of south central Missouri. The central core of this beautiful campus consists of approximately 35 acres. The peaceful setting includes eight cottages that provide living quarters for 120 children, a school with a gymnasium, swimming pool, administration building, training and social services center, medical arts building, dining hall, large pavilion and a vocational arts building. Elsewhere on the campus is a spacious recreation center and indoor equestrian arena, which are used in various therapeutic treatment programs. A 1,200 acre wilderness area is also nearby for therapeutic outdoor experiences.
Residential Treatment Program
The residential treatment program at Boys & Girls Town offers several levels of care including Intensive Treatment and Intermediate Treatment units. Based on individual need, a combination of these services is available to all residents.
- Individual therapy
- Group therapy
- Family therapy
- Recreation therapy
- Equestrian therapy
- Individualized education
- Psychiatric and psychological assessments and evaluations
- Medical services
- 24-hour supervision
 Intensive Treatment
Intensive Treatment Units are designed to stabilize young people at risk of suicide, running away, self-inflicted injury, violence and extremely aggressive behavior. This proven program treats children who need a safe, secure and structured environment. ITU’s offer special features including an audio/video security monitoring system, locked entry/exit, self-contained classrooms and a 1:4 staff-to-child ratio.
Intermediate Treatment
Intermediate Treatment Units offer programming comparable to the Intensive Treatment Units with less structured therapeutic surroundings and security. Audio monitors are limited to the living quarters and video monitors are located only in hallways. The cottage staff-to-child ratio is 1:6 and residents attend campus school.
Educational Services
Boys & Girls Town of Missouri School is accredited by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Services are contracted for the on-ground schools in St. James through the local school district but operated by Boys & Girls Town of Missouri. The school provides a wide range of services for “at risk” populations. The certified staff specializes in individual planning for each child within the 20+ classrooms.
Graduation with either a traditional diploma or an alternative GED diploma is possible for students who master all the state and agency identified requirements. Classes are kept small with specialized programming to best fit the child’s need.
Special programming possibilities at the school include:
Self-contained, traditional and coed classrooms and scheduling, students are matched up with their greatest opportunity for success.
Academic pre- and post-testing is done for every student to insure the correct curriculum level is being used and not just based on the age of the child.
Service Learning/Community Services projects have every student engaged in helping others.
Industrial Arts Classes are part of the vocational offerings at the on-campus schools. Students apply their creative ways in working with wood and wood products. Items are made as a group and individual desires.
Educational Field Trips every quarter and some every month depending on course of
study and time of year.
READ 180 is a reading program offered to every child over and above their traditional Language Arts Curriculum. Reading is such a common thread to success in all walks of life. This specialized program allows us to often “turn kids on to reading” and make a 180 degree turn around.
Class size is a 1:10 student to staff ratio with a 1: 3 computer ratio---all needed for the specialized programming we need to provide.
GED programming for those who may not be successful in a traditional graduation track—identified students must be of 16 years old.
School to Work program is offered for selected students who could benefit from a small part time job. All students are exposed to the world of work through career interest inventories and guest speakers. Each child is prepared in resume and application preparation and have a mock interview to assist in the pre-employment skills.
Fine Art classes are enjoyed by every student, students’ works with several forms of art expression including pottery, masking, charcoal, watercolor and more. An art show is held each year to showcase the talent of the students.
Because of the highly individualized programming, student success rate is astonishing with students on the average increasing their academic skills by more than is year in there short stay. The school staff works hard to get kids not only exited about education but get them back on track.
Therapeutic Recreation
 Outdoor Program
An integral part of the therapeutic program at Boys and Girls Town of Missouri is the outdoor program based at the 1,200 acre Meramec Wilderness Learning Ranch in nearby Steelville. Here youth experience the outdoors in a way they never have before through a variety of programs tailored to develop character, integrity, teamwork, self-confidence and an appreciation for the outdoors. Programs range from backpacking trips, adventure activities such as climbing, caving, and rappelling, primitive skill building, wilderness survival trips, low and high ropes courses, camping, and outdoor education programs. The activities, however, are only a catalyst for the deeper changes that are occurring in both the individuals and the group.
Through activities like these in the wilderness environment, youth begin to internalize invaluable character traits that will form them into adults of integrity who will be able to make a positive contribution in their world. They learn of personal strengths that they never knew they possessed ; they face their weaknesses and fears head-on and overcome them with the help of the people around them that they are learning to rely on; and they begin to see their need for others and others’ need for them. The informal and formal processing and therapy that is the constant focus of these outdoor and wilderness programs guides the youth in seeing their need for change in their behavior patterns and helps them determine on their own to make choices that will lead them to a successful and purposeful life.
Equestrian Program
The St. James campus offers a comprehensive equine program to youths residing at Boys and Girls Town of Missouri. The program engages youths in trust exercises that utilize horses to help children to learn more about themselves and their behaviors. Children begin the program at an introductory level learning about horse behaviors, physical characteristics, care and riding gear. The St. James campus has an equestrian training stable on site. Following the introductory level the youths will visit the stables where they will become familiar with the horses living environment, grooming procedures, and the maintenance of riding gear. The youths’ interactions with the horses at the stable provide opportunities for children to process coping skills, trust exercises, social interactions and team work. Prior to executing riding exercises in the field, youths will learn techniques associated with harnessing, saddling, mounting and safety precautions associated with equestrian travel. Upon successful completion of the training youths are encouraged to participate in riding opportunities to include community sponsored events, the "Trailride to Triumph" and equestrian trail rides at the Meramec Wilderness Learning Ranch. The St. James campus also offers a full indoor riding arena that enables youths the opportunity to work with horses year-round.
 Admissions Information
Admission into one of Boys & Girls Town’s programs is fast, confidential and focused on addressing the needs of the child and family.
Children are referred by Missouri Department of Social Services Children’s Division, Department of Mental Health, Division of Youth Services, the court system, insurance and managed care companies, employee assistance professionals, parents or other guardians. Referrals may come from Missouri or other states. Children placed in the residential treatment program must meet basic admissions criteria including age 6 to 17, availability of bed space, current diagnosis and ability to pay through public or private sources.
Common diagnostic characteristics include: attention-deficit disorder, anti-social behavior, bi-polar disorder, conduct disorder, depressive disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, oppositional defiant disorder and suicidal ideations.
These disorders are often exhibited through one of more of the following behavioral problems: inappropriate behavior in school or at home, poor school performance, acts of delinquency, running away, sexually acting out, gang involvement and substance abuse.
Boys & Girls Town placement experts work with families to identify all available public and private resources to ensure that each child gets the help he or she needs. The cost of treatment programs is covered by most insurance plans.
Most children remain at Boys & Girls Town for six to nine months, although length of stay is evaluated on an individual basis and can be influenced by the policies of the referral source, the child’s behavior, family circumstances and treatment team recommendations.
More than 80 percent of the youth leaving Boys & Girls Town residential care in 2007 returned to live with a parent or family member, or transitioned into foster care or independent living services. Others remained in residential care or moved to more restrictive environments such as hospitals.
How You Can Help
The success of Boys & Girls Town’s treatment of young people is a tribute to the generous support of the community and friends throughout Missouri. Those interested in helping these young people succeed may provide financial support to help maintain and develop programs, serve as a mentor, provide employment opportunities. Individuals, companies and civic groups interested in volunteering time and talent are welcome.
Boys & Girls Town of Missouri – St. James Campus
13160 County Rd. 3610
St. James, MO 65559
Phone: (573) 265-3251
Fax: (573) 265-5370
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