

Today, Seneca remains committed to the belief that all youth are capable of success when their unique needs and experiences are honored. Rather than entertain the idea that these youth would experience yet another displacement that would keep them further isolated from their communities, the group founded Seneca as a small residential program into which the youth were welcomed regardless of the behaviors that had made their previous placement untenable.įrom that day on, Seneca set out to develop services on the principle that youth do not themselves fail, but are instead failed by systems unable to address their specialized needs. When this facility contemplated shutting its doors in 1985 in response to increasingly disruptive youth behaviors, he banded together with a small group of like-minded individuals to develop a new option. In the mid 1980s, Ken was working at a local residential facility for youth whose severe emotional and behavioral challenges had resulted in removal from their homes.

Ken Berrick is the founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Seneca Family of Agencies, a nonprofit agency with the mission to help children and families through the most difficult times of their lives.
