History & Philosophy
The Development of Dragonfly Transitions
Dragonfly was founded in June 2000, by Mona Treadway and Glenn White. It began as Dragonfly Adventures, a customized wilderness program for individuals and families. Mona and Glenn believe that the outdoors is an effective vehicle for growth, awareness, self-discovery, and change. In the first year of operation, it became evident that there was a need to support young adults within a community setting. In 2002, Dragonfly Transitions was born and has continued to expand and evolve over the years.
August 2008 marked the last official Dragonfly Adventure trip, and the focus became Dragonfly Transitions. Dragonfly continues to utilize the outdoors and provides many recreational opportunities for students. In 2010, Mona and Glenn added A Leap of Taste and Aerie Acre. This was in the spirit of experiential education and to provide increased opportunities to Dragonfly students.
In 2012, Dragonfly added The Homestead. The Homestead offers a “softer” landing for students coming from the wilderness or other residential settings. The Homestead can house up to 8 men and sits on 30 acres. Dragonfly expanded to Ashland, Oregon in 2014. The Ashland campus can house up to 12 students and is a co-ed campus. Ashland is located just 70-miles from Klamath Falls. It is a vibrant and unique community offering a variety of experiences from performing, visual, and culinary arts, to education, wellness, and outdoor recreation. In 2018, Dragonfly Transitions and Glenn and Mona joined Embark Behavioral Health Care.
Dragonfly Transitions strives to provide an environment of respect, compassion, support, and challenge where young people and their families can discover their strengths, develop their talents, and move towards a successful future. There is emphasis on nutrition, exercise, emotional growth, technology abuse education, living skills, education, future life goals, honesty, respect, balance, and a strong work ethic. Dragonfly believes each person is a unique individual and treatment plans are tailored to meet individual needs.
The young adult that is faced with mental health, emotional or motivation issues is uniquely challenged. Often the familiar home environment makes it difficult to continue their growth and progress. Living in a new community with a supportive and structured environment allows young adults to mature and move towards independence. Dragonfly students are at a place in their life where they are ready to manage the temptations and opportunities a town setting can offer with the support of the program.
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