Bens Ranch Foundation Inc

BEN'S RANCH SEEKS TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF YOUTH STRUGGLING WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES BY CONNECTING THEM TO JOBS AND EXPERIEINCES ON FARMS, AT STABLES AND OTHER SETTINGS.

IN 2023 WE SERVED 20 TEENS AGES 14-18 IN PAID INTERNSHIPS OR SMALL GROUP PROGRAMS. TEENS WHO PARTICIPATE IN OUR PAID INTERNSHIP PROGRAM OFTEN WORK AT A SITE FOR 3-12 MONTHS, AND PARTICIPANTS IN SMALL GROUP PROGRAMS PARTICIPATE ON AT LEAST SIX DATES FOR UP TO THREE HOURS EACH DAY. OUR TEEN CLIENTELE CAME FROM FOUR COUNTIES IN CENTRAL INDIANA AND FROM SEVEN DIFFERENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS. CLIENTS WERE SERVED AT 15 FARMS, STABLES AND OTHER AGRICULTURAL AND NATURE FACILITIES. TOTAL VARIABLE COSTS FOR PROGRAMMING WAS $27,400 INCLUDING THE COST OF PART-TIME AND CONTRACT PERSONNEL, MEETINGS, TRAVEL, MEALS, ETC.OUR FLAGSHIP PROGRAM IS PAID "INTERNSHIPS" FOR TEENS STRUGGLING WITH THEIR MENTAL HEALTH. TEENS WORK FOR FARMS AND STABLES RECRUITED BY OUR ORGANIZATION AND ARE PAID BY THOSE HOST EMPLOYERS. NO FEES ARE COLLECTED FROM PARTICIPANTS FOR THIS PROGRAM AND BENS RANCH PROVIDES MARKETING, CASE MANAGEMENT, APPLICANT SCREENING, THE IDENTIFICATION OF HOST-EMPLOYER FACILITIES AND IN MANY CASES FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR HOST-EMPLOYER FARMS, DESIGNED TO OFFSET THE COST OF INTERN WAGES. DURING THE YEAR 17 TEENS PARTICIPATED IN INTERNSHIPS, AND WE PAID HOST EMPLOYERS OVER $3,000 TO REIMBURSE FOR WAGES. WE LAUNCHED OUR NEW SMALL GROUP PROGRAM DURING THE SUMMER AND FALL WITH TWO GROUPS AND SEVERAL 2-HOUR ASSESSMENTS. WE SERVED EIGHT TEENS, WITH VARIABLE COST OF $1,600. PARTICIPANTS IN THE SMALL GROUPS PROGRAM PAY $300 FOR A SIX-WEEK PROGRAM. HOWEVER, BENS RANCH DISCOUNTS OR WAIVES THIS FEE BASED ON THE HOUSEHOLD INCOME OF APPLICANTS. SMALL GROUP PARTICIPATION FEES GENERATED $1,237 WITH $1163 WAIVED OR DISCOUNTED.DESCRIBE OTHER PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTSIN 2023 THE FOUNDATION BEGAN TO PLACE GRADUATES OF OUR PROGRAMS AND ACTIVE INTERNS IN PEER-TO-PEER ROLES, PROVING INSTRUCTION AND SUPERVISION OF TEENS IN OUR PROGRAMS. WE HOPE TO EXPAND THIS PRACTICE IN THE FUTURE, BASED ON EVIDENCE POINTING TO THE EFFICACY OF PEER PROGRAMS. IN ADDITION, WE INITIATED EFFORTS TO STRENGTHEN THE CONTENT AND VIGOR OF OUR PROGRAMS TO BETTER ALIGN THE CONTENT WITH ACADEMIC AND WORK-BASED LEARNING STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES REGULATING SCHOOL COURSEWORK.