Third Way Center, Inc.

A nonprofit organization

We provide truth and hope for struggling teens through residential treatment, accurate assessment and diagnosis, family and group therapy, education, parenting skills, vocational therapy, and aftercare and emancipation programs. We transform lives, empowering teens and their families to build better futures.

Testimonials

"Third Way Center gave me the hope and the skill set to be successful." - Former Resident

"My TRUTH is that my life has been a long, hard road. My HOPE is that I can move on and be more than my past destined me to be."
- Current Resident

"I never knew this many people cared about me. It makes me feel so wanted." -Current Resident

Mission

Third Way Center's mission is to offer truth and hope to the most vulnerable adolescents and their families with complex mental health issues, by helping them work towards trauma resolution and enabling them to become productive members of society.

Background Statement

Since its founding in 1970, Third Way Center has helped thousands of teens heal from trauma and overcome mental health challenges to transition successfully back into the community. Third Way was first established as a shelter for homeless teens who left institutions and had nowhere to go. Dr. Hildegard Messenbaugh, founding psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor, recognized that many of the teens suffered from mental illness and needed additional support. Over the past 52 years, the program has evolved into a residential treatment program providing a continuum of care for mentally ill, traumatized teens who do not respond to traditional treatment methods. On average, the young people we serve come to us after 30 placements in foster homes, youth corrections, treatment programs and failed adoptions.

Dr. Messenbaugh and her staff have developed a unique treatment process that focuses on the root cause of trauma as expressed by negative feelings and behaviors. Her Six Boxes™ methodology helps teens to identify and address the trauma they have endured and includes achieving restorative justice that results in positive feelings and beneficial behaviors.

Our clients receive around-the-clock mental health treatment in one of our five licensed Residential Child Care Facilities, capable of serving up to 101 teens and 12 babies at one time.

We have 120 full-time staff and 40 part-time staff including medical doctors, state-licensed Masters Level Therapists, Mental Health Counselors, and more than 25 educational staff. Currently, 36 of our staff members have been with Third Way for more than ten years.

Treatment alone does not lead to long-term success – Third Way Center also teaches our clients the skills they need to become successful adults. Our program includes two, fully-accredited, alternative high schools, led by Master's Level Special Education teachers, where students receive individualized attention in our small classes. Third Way also prioritizes post-graduation transition, and post-secondary planning is a big piece of each student’s education plan, whether it’s college, vocational training, or employment. We also provide life skills training, self-advocacy training, substance abuse treatment, support for successful parenting, and more to give our teens the tools they need to transition successfully back into the community.

Organization Data

Summary

Organization name

Third Way Center, Inc.

other names

TWC

Year Established

1970

Tax id (EIN)

84-0599572

Category

Human Services

Organization Size

Large Organization

Address

PO Box 61385
Denver, CO 80206

Other

455 Acoma Street
Denver, CO 80204

Service areas

Denver County, CO, US

Other

303-780-9191 413

Other

303-780-9191 416

Fax

303-780-9192

Social Media