PROVIDENCE — For more than 37 years, Whitmarsh House has provided a sanctuary and support network for at-risk boys and young men from dysfunctional families living throughout Rhode Island.
The residents, ages 12-21, have been placed in the care of the nationally-accredited agency by Family Court through the Department of Children, Youth and Families, with the goal of eventually returning to their homes or living independently in the community.
Whitmarsh House opened its doors in 1971 when Family Court Judge Edward Healey expressed his concern to the Brothers of Our Lady of Providence that several young men he’d seen in his court room were in danger of becoming homeless and at risk of getting into additional trouble with the law.
The young men were given shelter by the brothers, who lived in a residence on Whitmarsh Street in the city’s West End. The judge was aware of the work of the brothers, whose order was founded in 1959 to serve youths, by the late Bishop Russell J. McVinney and Father Clyde Walsh, pastor emeritus of St. Matthew Church, Cranston and an active member of Whitmarsh House’s board of directors for many years.
By 1975, more young men had come to live in the brothers’ residence, and Whitmarsh House became incorporated as a non-profit agency serving the needs of at-risk youth. The program currently serves 55 boys housed in seven group homes in Providence and another in Pawtucket.
In addition, the program provides full services to seven at-risk young men who live independently in the community, and some support to an additional three adolescents who participate in the state’s YESS program, an acronym for Young Adults Establishing Self Sufficiency. YESS continues to pay the rent for these three young men and provides case management and other services on a limited basis.
Because of recent state budget cuts, Whitmarsh House lost the funding necessary to provide full services to an additional 10 young men ages 17-20.
“It is a difficult financial hit, “ said Our Lady of Providence Brother John McHale, the agency’s executive director. “It has certainly affected these older kids and their future.” He noted that the agency will lose $400,000 in funding this year.
The financial support comes from DCYF and some private donations. Brother McHale noted that continued agency support is crucial to these at-risk young men, who he said have started to turn their lives around by making good decisions. Now, without essential services, they will have a much more difficult time accomplishing their goals.
“Every person needs a support system,” emphasized Charles Maynard, president of the agency’s board of directors. “In essence, we become the support system for these kids. But without the services, Maynard said, they wind up at what he calls “the tipping point” and could end up spending their lives in the court system, incarcerated, or dying if they make poor decisions.
Daniel M. O’Grady, the agency’s court coordinator, noted that the young men are removed by DCYF from troubled homes often led by single parents who are incarcerated or suffer from drug or alcohol dependency. Some boys have been physically or sexually abused, and all bear deep emotional scars that take years to heal.
O’Grady added that while most Whitmarsh House residents attend public schools, some attend classes at the agency-operated Project Vision, an educational alternative that also serves a few students referred by the Providence Public Schools for behavioral issues.
“Our goal for the residential students is to move them into community schools,” he added.
Whitmarsh House recently received a three-year accreditation from the Commission on the Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) for Out-of-Home Treatment: Mental Health ( Children and Adolescents).
The process took two years of intense planning and preparation by administrators and staff. Residents completed surveys and participated in discussions that offered them opportunities to express their thoughts on the care and supportthey received from the agency.
Maynard said that the accreditation “professionalizes and brings recognition” to the agency, as well as respect from funding sources, such as DCYF, which urges agencies to become accredited.
Paulette Reynolds, an agency case manager for two and-a-half years, emphasized the important role that Whitmarsh House plays in providing stability.
“The biggest difference is the amount of security that the kids have here,” she said. “Its always a place they can come back to. They get a lot of support from this agency.”
Reynolds noted all students served by the agency enjoy success, whether it is completing a vocational job training program or a college degree. One alumni recently graduated from law school, while others enjoy careers in engineering, law enforcement and education.
“Brother John never stops working with the residents,” she said, adding that many former residents return to seek the well-known youth advocate’s advice.
Ari Brisbon, 18, a senior at Hope High School, has been in the care of the agency for three years. He recently won first place in the Rhode Island Shakespeare Competition and plans to attend the
Community College of Rhode Island in the fall.
“If it wasn’t for them,” I don’t know what I would be doing,” he said. “I’d probably be in jail or worse.”
Instead, Brisbon is heading to New York in April for the National Shakespeare Competition.
“Whitmarsh House helped me to find myself, and find who I am on the inside,” he observed, adding that while he once belonged to a gang, the program has helped him make positive changes.
“It has helped me learn how to take care of myself and be a young adult,” the young actor said.
O’Grady stated that the agency is seeking mentors to provide support and friendship to the residents. Interested individuals should contact him at 351-7230, ext. 108; or e-mail dogrady@whitmarshcorp.org.
