Our Mission

St. Augustine Youth Services (SAYS) shapes the future of Florida’s at-risk youth by providing coaching, counseling and care in family style therapeutic group homes and outpatient community services.

Our Story

St. Augustine Youth Services is a non-profit organization that has been serving youth since 1989. In those 34 years, we have provided treatment for thousands of boys and girls who have suffered abuse or neglect, or are otherwise in need of mental health support.

In 1989, we opened our doors on Saragossa Street in downtown St. Augustine, FL. That year, we served 18 youth. Today, our Hutson Family campus is located at 201 Simone Way, boasting four residential group homes (Specialized Therapeutic and Pre-Independent Living) and offices for our community programs. With our reach now extending to three counties (St. Johns, Flagler, Putnam) we are able to provide critical mental health services to hundreds of youths annually.

SAYS Core Values

Competency: Competency means having the knowledge and skills to do a job or task well. It's about being good at what we do so that we can help youth and families in the best possible way.

Advocacy: Advocacy means standing up for youth and families and speaking out about things that are important to them, and for them while teaching them to do the same for themselves. It's about being their voice and working to make sure they have the things they need to be healthy, happy, and safe.

Diversity : We strive to provide effective, equitable, understandable, and respectful quality care and services that are responsive to diverse cultural health beliefs and practices, preferred languages, health literacy, and other communication needs.

Compliance: Compliance means following the rules and doing what is right. It's about making sure we always act in ways that maximize our ability to keep our youth, families, and staff healthy, happy, and safe. We follow the laws and guidelines that are there to make sure everyone is treated fairly and well.

Integrity: Integrity is about being honest and doing the right thing, even when no one is watching. At SAYS, this is about being a good steward, being an agency employing good people, and treating others with kindness and respect. We believe in doing what is right, no matter what.

Why Values Matter

SAYS has always maintained a high level of quality care and services for youth. Since 2002, SAYS has been awarded the National Accreditation for Child and Adolescent Residential Treatment Programs, the highest recognition of the accrediting body. Our highly qualified and dedicated staff strive to meet the ever-changing needs of our youth in the best possible environment. Teaching them not only how to survive, but to thrive.

Through our core values, we strive to create immediate and lasting change in the lives of the youth we serve. We help youth work through their emotional barriers and provide them with the resources and support they need to cope and form healthy habits -- meanwhile improving their self-esteem and competencies. We foster a more promising future by providing comfort, security, and a fresh start, thus helping youth to leave their past traumas behind.