Mission, History and Vision

The Crossroads Programs’ mission is to empower youth who have experienced trauma and may be at risk of abuse, neglect, exploitation, or have intellectual/developmental challenges, to lead healthy, productive lives.

Crossroads Programs was founded in 1978, through a collaboration of interfaith community leaders committed to providing shelter to run away and homeless youth. These leaders formed a volunteer board of directors and incorporated Crossroads Programs as a private, non-profit organization.

Since that time, the agency has developed considerable expertise to provide safe and supportive residential treatment opportunities and therapeutic services for youth 5 to 21 years old.

The current Crossroads Programs’ continuum of care includes crisis stabilization and assessment, a residential treatment center, I/DD group homes, a therapeutic pregnant and parenting adolescent mothers’ program, therapeutic transitional living program, and supervised transitional living program, as well as an array of treatment foster family homes. Safe housing, counseling, community connections, life skills and appropriate allied therapy services are delivered in family-like atmospheres with great care.

With administrative offices in Willingboro, New Jersey, Crossroads Programs has twelve locations in Burlington, Camden, and Mercer Counties to serve youth throughout the state of New Jersey. The organization assists approximately 350 youth annually in both residential and community-based programs.

Crossroads Programs believes all youth deserve a chance to discover and utilize their inherent strengths and talents to develop their inner wealth. The goal is to promote positive, healthy youth development and healing from trauma. Crossroads Programs utilizes The Nurtured Heart Approach to empower youth to achieve their goals. This approach removes focus from negativity; utilizing strategies to nurture a youth’s strengths and acknowledging their greatness, therefore transforming the way they perceive themselves, caregivers and the world around them.