I have spent the last 30+ years as a Youth Counselor, Education Specialist Social Worker and most recently as a Director of Education for a private non-profit. I have dedicated my life and career working to improve the lives of those in need. I began as a youth counselor in a residential treatment center for the first five years of my career, since then I have spent a significant amount of time working for the de-institutionalization of children. I believe with ALL my heart, mind and soul that education is the solution: the solution to poverty, crime, prejudice and intolerance just to name a few of society's issues today. Too often, when it comes to education, those who need the most get the least. And I'm not just taking about education and schools, community and family must act too. Academics alone will not improve the state of education in America. For me the take away from my diverse and extensive experience as a treatment professional and school administrator is we must blend education with treatment.My mission is to share my experiences and methods with private and public schools to treat kids where they are: in their homes and at their schools. Together my partner and I have developed a school-based treatment program designed to remove specific barriers preventing success for At-Risk students through a new program Life Learning; A Pathway to Education, that uses classroom assessment and referral to school based clinical services if needed.In my role with PEER we have the ability to design a curriculum that blends elective classes with treatment with a credit recovery program. The goal is to improve graduation rates, especially for those students who need it the most.