Focus House is one of two facilities of its kind in the state. The Ogle County treatment facility just north of Rochelle provides a continuum of services for at-risk youths, including residential, counseling, education and alternative programming.

Focus House will celebrate its 50-year anniversary in November. It offers residential treatment for boys aged 12-17 in the justice system that are court ordered by a judge to go to the facility. Kids in the program eventually transition back to their homes after education, treatment and public service work at Focus House. The facility has three teachers and two paraprofessionals.

Other programming includes alternative to suspension services for kids that receive out-of-school suspension in Ogle County. Focus House also offers alternative to expulsion services and outpatient treatment for youths on probation, along with evaluations for youths and work with students at the Chana Education Center.

Focus House will celebrate its 50th anniversary on Nov. 14 with an event at Luna. Attendees and speakers will include past and present directors, teachers and board members and the event will showcase what has happened at the county-owned facility over 50 years.

“It will celebrate the last 50 years and look forward to the next 50 years,” Focus House Executive Director Brenda Mason said. “I think 50 years for a mental health facility is a really long time to still be operating and to be operating well. The board members take a lot of pride in it and there are staff members here with a lot of longevity, some with 20-40 years here. It’s been such a staple of the community for so long. Focus House has changed a lot. It used to have babies that would be cared for here in the beginning. It’s touched so many families in the Rochelle and Ogle County areas. Everyone is excited about 50 years.”

When Focus House first started, it served as a home for youths involved in juvenile abuse and neglect cases without places to go. It previously served boys and girls from infants to teenagers, typically for longer terms than today. The first location was the Miller House in Rochelle before the move to its current Illinois Route 251 location that has seen new buildings over the years.

“Facilities like this are very uncommon,” Mason said. “For it to be county owned and operated, there’s one other facility in Illinois like it. It’s very unique. It’s incredibly good for Ogle County youth, because they would have to be sent very far away if this wasn’t here. We don’t charge anything for Ogle County youth. If we sent them out for treatment, it would cost the taxpayers a lot of money to have to pay for that. We can give so much treatment to the youth and keep them here and close to their homes.”

Focus House sees support from the community, which Mason called “amazing.” Focus House kids work for the Flagg-Rochelle Community Park District from April to October cleaning up parks to earn money. The Rochelle Police and Fire departments often go to the facility for demonstrations or help with programming.

Foundation for Focus House serves as a nonprofit to raise funds for kids’ needs, such as hygiene items, clothes and school supplies. That organization holds three fundraisers a year.

“I think it’s such an amazing thing to have so much community backing and wanting to help the youth of the community,” Mason said. “It’s such a rich community of people that want to help their youth and keep them in the community. The staff here are so passionate about that help. I think they care so much. These kids need a lot of help.

“It comes out as bad behavior, but at the end of the day they came by it pretty honestly. I think it’s awesome to see a community rally behind kids that didn’t have a good upbringing and really just need the help.”

Focus House has longtime staff members, including some that have been there over 20 years. Mason said not being a Department of Child & Family Services facility allows Focus House to prioritize Ogle County youth and build its own program, which helps staff to stay committed to the cause and kids.

The Focus House executive director enjoys looking back on kids that had a positive outcome after their time in the facility.

“Even if they came away from here and had a slip up, they’re young,” Mason said. “I think they always think back to this time where they were in a structured, supportive, nonchaotic environment and they saw it’s what they want for their lives. I know our kids will always look back on this time and know they were supported here and that this felt good and they don’t want to live in the chaos they grew up in.”

Mason enjoys coming to work at Focus House each day to help kids on the road back from behavioral problems after hard upbringings.

“If we as a society can’t intervene when those bad things are happening, we should be helping them later on,” Mason said. “They’re still kids and need support, love. and care. That’s what brings me to work every day. Our kids become so well mannered and you get to see them just be kids. These are 15-16-year-old boys who have never built a snowman at home or had a water balloon fight. Here, they can do that.”