Rowley Family Foundation Fund for Women and Children, Community Foundation of Orange and Sullivan support EverGreen Meadow Services

Sullivan County, N.Y. — Today, Friends of EverGreen Meadow Academy announced new funding through a generous grant from the Rowley Family Foundation Fund for Women and Children, a Fund administered through the Community Foundation of Orange and Sullivan. The grant will be used to support the development of programs and provide services to Orange and Sullivan County girls and their families through Evergreen Meadow Services, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting middle-school girls who are struggling because of trauma.

“When my daughter was 13, I got a call from her school that forever changed our lives,” said Stacey Millman, founder of EverGreen Meadow Academy and EverGreen Meadow Services.  “Our daughter’s best friend had informed a teacher about her intricate plan to end her life. We got our daughter to a hospital, nearly two hours from home, where she was admitted and stayed for two weeks before being discharged to a partial hospitalization day program for five weeks that was just as far from home. But upon her discharge, we went into crisis again when it was clear that she needed longer-term treatment and we found none.”

Millman soon learned that there was a dearth of mental health programs and that there were no specialized residential treatment schools for middle-school girls in New York who were at risk of self-harm or suicide, even though youth suicide has been rising at an alarming rate. “We eventually found a residential school for our daughter, but it was thousands of miles away,” said Millman, considering themselves lucky and recognizing that this is not an option for most families.

Unwilling to stand by while other girls and families languish, Millman founded EverGreen Meadow Academy and Services in late 2021 The academy will be a residential school for middle-school girls who have experienced trauma and located in Sullivan County.

“We are proud to support the important work of EverGreen Meadow Services. The mental health and wellness of young women in our region are of utmost importance and impact all of us,” said President and CEO Community Foundation of Orange and Sullivan Elizabeth Rowley.  “We hope that our support inspires others to learn about the life-changing programs of this emerging organization.”

Statistically, girls who have experienced trauma are at higher risk of engaging in self-harm and suicide ideation. These girls need specialized, intensive support, with some requiring residential treatment. Intervention during middle school years offers the best opportunity for girls who struggle with the impact of trauma to heal and thrive.

Once it is completed, EverGreen Meadow Academy will be the first of its kind residential school in New York State, created with the sole purpose of treating only young adolescent girls therapies along with equine, nature and farm-based living.

A residential school is an important part of the services that must be made available to girls and families in crisis. So are prevention and intervention services. To that end, Evergreen Meadow Services is providing services to support healing and prevent and suicide. Currently, EverGreen Meadow Services is offering the “Let’s Tackle Trauma Together” virtual program to girls and their families via telehealth and is working to provide in-person services to Sullivan County middle schools, girls and families. The interactive 10-week program includes a psycho-social assessment, individual and family therapy, online group activities, as well as parental support.

“We’re already making a difference in the lives of girls and their families,” said Millman. “If you’re a middle-school girl in New York State who is struggling with trauma, we want you to know that we’re here for you and your family — right now.”

Parents and girls seeking support can contact EverGreen Meadow Services at www.evergreenmeadowacademy.org or  (833) 346-4968.

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EverGreen Meadow Academy, located in Sullivan County, New York will be a residential treatment center for middle-school girls who need an intensive and structured environment in which to learn and heal. EverGreen Meadow Services supports girls, families, school districts, social service agencies and organizations across New York State with short-term therapeutic interventions, referrals and assessments.

Rowley Family Foundation Fund for Women and Children seeks to support programming that helps women and children thrive and reach their full potential by offering help, hope and lasting change. 

Community Foundation of Orange and Sullivan is a philanthropic institution with the long-term goal of building permanent, named funds for the broad-based charitable benefit of the individuals and families in the region.