Blair County Mental Retardation, 109 Lakemont Park Blvd, Altoona, PA 16602, US

In 1989, ACRP initially began working with youth through child welfare and juvenile justice, but there was an almost immediate realization that services needed to be provided to entire families. A grant for Family Preservation Services made this possible. Next the agency began implementing programs in local schools. This led to the development and creation of an Alternative Education Program for youth who could not succeed in traditional school settings. ACRP now operates (4) alternative school sites that service over 125 students?elementary, middle, and high school and is an approved Alternative Education Provider through the PA Department of Education. ACRP expanded its programming into the mental and behavioral health system in 1997. ACRP is now licensed through the PA Dept. of Public Welfare to provide a variety of outpatient, partial hospitalization, family, and school based programs. Through the years, ACRP has also expanded its coverage. Originally servicing clients in Johnstown, there are now 12 offices or schools covering Cambria, Somerset, Bedford, Blair and Clearfield counties, employing over 325 individuals and serving 4,000 clients, students, and families annually.