DEVEREUX FOUNDATION

Devereux is guided by its mission: To change lives by unlocking and nurturing human potential for people living with emotional, behavioral or cognitive differences.

We integrate the latest scientific and medical advancements with time-tested philosophies and compassionate family engagement to provide practical, effective and efficient care – making a meaningful difference in the lives of those we serve, and the world around them. We strive to help change the lives of people with autism spectrum disorders, intellectual and developmental disabilities, specialty mental health needs and child welfare concerns.

Devereux operates a network of clinical, therapeutic, educational and employment programs that positively impact the lives of tens of thousands of children, adults – and their families – every year. Our extensive array of services includes acute care, treatment in residential settings, community-based living, special education day schools, foster care, autism assessments, employment and transition services, group homes, school and family consultation, traditional and therapeutic foster care, and outpatient/other specialized services. Our programs serve as a beacon of hope and healing for the individuals and families we are privileged to serve.

In all of our work, we are guided by a set of core values fundamental to helping the individuals we serve find personal levels of joy and accomplishment. These core values include:

• Compassion: We have a deep and abiding understanding of, and respect for, our individuals and their families.
• Knowledge: We rely on data and evidence to inform our care. Our work requires a marriage of science and art.
• Collaboration: We require an integrated team approach based on respect, shared goals and altruism.
• Dedication: We maintain relentless optimism and perseverance to support the lifelong journey of those we serve.
• Learning: We pursue continuous personal improvement, professional development and expanding impact.
• Progress: We are Always en Route, continually incorporating new innovations to advance our services, our industry, and the lives of those we serve.

Devereux is recognized throughout the behavioral health community, from funders to peers, for its extensive experience and successful outcomes in serving individuals with the most significant behavioral health needs. The common thread running through the lives of all of these children, adolescents and adults is trauma. One of the pillars of Devereux’s Advanced Model of Care© is a system-wide, trauma-informed, data-driven, positive-behavioral approach to care. When joined with our individualized, evidence-based interventions, family engagement, and effective and accountable programs, Devereux rises to meet the significant trauma of these individuals and their families.

From the clinical perspective, Devereux’s commitment to providing trauma informed care (TIC) to every individual that we serve is fundamental to our mission. With an elaborate quality improvement and data collection infrastructure, we can complete extensive risk assessments and use that data to identify levels of supervision and individualized special precautions. In an effort to increase our staff’s awareness of the impact of trauma in the treatment setting, terminology related to TIC appears throughout Devereux’s Best Practice Guidelines, treatment protocols, and staff trainings. The use of both global and specialized assessments assists our clinicians and staff in determining the impact of trauma as well as the specific needs of the individual. Additionally, special attention is given to age, ethnic background, gender, intellectual level, comorbidity, and other factors that make the presentation of trauma symptomatology unique across individuals. This supports Devereux’s Philosophy of Care in terms of our focus on individualized service delivery. Clinical accountability and implementing systems to support clinicians and staff in the therapeutic environment is paramount to the therapeutic process. Devereux’s treatment models integrate outcome data to inform progress, effectiveness and the appropriateness of treatment objectives as a means of establishing accountability.

In the pursuit of staff excellence – which is a core component of effective and compassionate behavioral healthcare - Devereux launched a transformative, organization-wide culture movement called “Servant Leadership” in 2018. Coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in the 1960s, Servant Leadership is a philosophy – and a set of values and practices – that enrich the lives of individuals, builds better organizations, and creates a more just and caring world.

According to the Robert K. Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership, a servant leader:

Focuses primarily on the growth and well-being of people and the communities to which they belong;
Shares power by putting the needs of others first; and Helps people develop and perform as highly as possible.

Devereux has embraced this philosophy to create an enhanced work environment where employees feel empowered to voice ideas that will benefit the individuals and families we serve, along with staff, external partners, and our overall organization. As part of this long-term initiative, Devereux will continually work together to strengthen various behaviors within its organizational framework. These behaviors include:

• Being an active communicator
• Following-up on commitments
• Collaborating with others to find the best solutions
• Anticipating others’ needs
• Showing patience and a can-do attitude
• Being respectful, caring and willing to help
• Ultimately, Devereux’s goal is to better support its employees and, as a result, improve organizational excellence and outcomes for the individuals and families its serves every day.

Devereux was founded in 1912 by special education pioneer Helena Devereux, who noticed children with special needs were underserved by the Philadelphia public education system. She left her teaching job and opened a full-time residential school. Following a path she alone charted, Miss Devereux forever changed the course of special education and treatment for individuals with learning, behavioral and emotional differences. As part of our continuum of care, today Devereux employs 7,500 staff across 15 centers – and numerous community-based settings – in 13 states.

The guiding principles of Devereux’s Advanced Philosophy of Care provide for a more holistic approach to behavioral health and focus on reintegration of physical and behavioral healthcare, helping end the stigma facing people with emotional, behavioral and cognitive differences. Our programs embrace four significant essentials of treatment: family engagement, functional behavior assessment, trauma-informed care, and positive behavior support.

Launched in 2011, Devereux Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (D-PBIS) is a framework that creates a strengths-based, seamless, multi-layered system of support that defines, teaches, and supports desired behaviors to create a positive environment. D-PBIS was designed specifically for alternative settings including Approved Private Schools, day/residential mental health treatment programs, child welfare settings, and programs for adults with intellectual/ developmental disabilities and autism.
Devereux is proud to be a behavioral healthcare leader for the LGBTQ community. We have a rich history assisting diverse populations of individuals who need care, comfort and support – regardless of their ethnicity, race, religion or sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. At Devereux, we want to ensure every child, adolescent and adult feels welcome when they walk through our doors and finds a safe space that respects and honors them as their authentic selves.
Devereux was the first behavioral healthcare provider in the country to adopt the American Psychological Association’s Gender Affirmative Model of Care as its overarching clinical approach to supporting transgender and gender-expansive individuals. This model is the emerging best practice treatment of choice, focusing on resilience, coping, and wellness.

In early 2018 a four-phased, 18-month reorganization was conducted: 1. Reinventing our take on human resources management; 2. Redesigning our clinical function; 3. Redesigning our leadership and supporting structures; and 4. Formalizing a meaningful, constituent-engaged strategy, planning and integration process – developing measurable tactical plans.

It also addressed areas of need, responsive to the healthcare sector’s accelerating pace of change – medically, therapeutically, financially and socially – as well as to the escalating complexities of increased customer demand, regulation and litigation. The goal was to create a Devereux that: 1. More effectively identifies and develops population-specific, evidence-based clinical, medical and therapeutic best practices and thoughtfully integrates them with fidelity to improve the safety and success of our clients and staff, 2. Better meets the Devereux Family Standard through formal communications and family engagement initiatives, 3. Reduces and better manages organizational risk through stronger programs and more effective corporate supports and structures, 4. Generates, measures, communicates and markets meaningful client and family outcomes 5. Responds more proactively and meaningfully to market changes and regulatory/payer vagaries through strengthened business development processes, strategic marketing initiatives, business-to-business and business-to-consumer referral development, and customer service efforts, 6. Meaningfully engages in growth and new business development that meets customer need and strengthens Devereux’s continuum 7. More effectively ensures the long-term financial health and stability of our organization through self-supporting operations/business-model adjustments, and grows our Devereux Endowment through restricted contributions, investment income and alternate revenue streams, 8. Formally plans, steers and measures strategic and tactical momentum and alignment on all organizational priorities, and, 9. Conducts research and develops advocacy and public education campaigns to meaningfully and aggressively drive positive change in the world for those we serve and their families. 10. Is poised to become the undisputed thought leader in behavioral healthcare.

Due to the focus and improvement made to Devereux’s Quality Improvement function, there has been a significant decrease in Major Risk Events from Quarter 4-2018 to Quarter 4-2020 across the enterprise of 50.88% and across Behavioral Health programs of 54.76%.

From a clinical perspective, D-PBIS has been implemented in 97% of our residential programs and 50% of our community programs over the past nine years - with the goal of 100% adoption across all programs.

Most recently, Devereux has committed to a multi-year, organizational transformation related to the issues of diversity, equity and inclusion. Our DEI effort is led by a Steering Committee comprised of members o