Eckerd Connects’ Residential Academies provide short‑term, intensive rehabilitative programs for youth involved in North Carolina’s juvenile justice system. Each academy offers a safe, structured, non‑punitive environment with individualized treatment and academic plans that address behavioral challenges through a strength‑based approach.
What are Eckerd's Residential Academies?
Our boys’ program serves adjudicated youth ages 13–17 across three residential sites, delivering a complete rehabilitative experience over an average of 4–6 months. Our girls’ program at Kerr Lake operates with a fully accredited on‑campus school and a trauma‑informed model designed from operational experience.
Why It Matters
Residential Academies create an innovative, public‑private model that shifts how youth are served in North Carolina—combining promising, evidence‑based practices with strong family transition to support safer communities and healthier futures.
By delivering intensive services in a focused 4–6‑month timeframe, youth build the skills, credit recovery, and therapeutic supports they need to return home, re‑engage in school, and reintegrate successfully into their communities.
Areas Served
Residential Academies serve male and female youth referred by the Division of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention within North Carolina’s juvenile justice system. The Girls Residential Academy at Kerr Lake launched on September 1, 2020, broadening access for female youth statewide.
Our Services
- Individualized treatment and academic plans
- Individual and group counseling
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy®
- Motivational Interviewing®
- Trauma‑Informed Care®
- Family‑Centered Practice®
- Forward Thinking® interactive journaling program
- Accredited year‑round on‑site education
- Vocational education
- Social and life skills training
- Family transition planning and support
- Community reintegration and service
What Makes It Unique?
- Evidence‑based, Strength‑based Care: Programs integrate Cognitive Behavioral Therapy®, Motivational Interviewing®, Trauma‑Informed Care®, and Family‑Centered Practice®, delivered in small group settings with assigned counselors.
- Family Transition at the Center: Robust family engagement and transition planning support reintegration and long‑term stability.
- Positive Youth Development: Intentional skill‑building, experiential learning, and preparation for employment align care with future goals.
- Accredited Education on Site: Year‑round, fully accredited academics enable residents to continue coursework, recover credits, and transition seamlessly back to their home schools.
- Gender‑responsive Design for Girls: Kerr Lake utilizes gender‑specific group curricula—Girls Circle and Seeking Safety—with consistent access to a licensed mental health therapist and a highly qualified psychiatrist.
