CONTACT: Barbara Fornasiero, EAFocus Communications; barbara@eafocus.com; 248.260.8466; Erika Jones, Judson Center; Erika_Jones@JudsonCenter.org; 248.837.2052

Royal Oak, Mich. — July 10, 2019— Judson Center, a multi-county human service agency that provides autism programs, behavioral health services, child and family services including foster care and adoption in tandem with its affiliate, Child Safe Michigan, employment services for persons with disabilities, and primary care for all ages, has purchased a building in Farmington Hills which will become the Judson Center headquarters. Opening in early August, the address is 30301 Northwestern Highway, Farmington Hills, 48334 and the phone number is 248-549-4339. The announcement was made by CEO and President Lenora Hardy-Foster. 

The addition of Farmington Hills, which gives the growing non-profit prominent signage on the busy Northwestern Highway corridor, brings the total number of Judson Center locations to ten, all within Genesee, Macomb, Oakland, Wayne and Washtenaw counties, with additional home-based autism services provided in Livingston County. Several administrative departments are moving to Farmington Hills from the Royal Oak office, including executive leadership, finance/accounting, human resources, IT, development, and marketing.  Additionally, Judson Center will expand autism services to the Farmington Hills location. 

“The Royal Oak campus needed additional space to expand our core services to help serve more children and families in our community. In order to accomplish this, we decided to purchase the building in Farmington Hills and relocate our administrative departments off campus to gain programming capacity,” Hardy-Foster said. “We included additional Autism Connections services at the new Farmington Hills location because there is a measurable need in that community.”

Ancillary  programs, support groups and training provided by Judson Center through the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services that are also relocating to the Farmington Hills headquarters include the Wayne County and Oakland County Building Community Partners departments, the Adoptive/Foster Parent Recruitment and Retention Region 5 program; Oakland County foster parent support groups and community task force meetings, both of which are focused on coordinating and sharing resources to support foster and natural families involved in the child welfare system; and PRIDE training, which is mandatory pre-service training for foster parents. Also moving to Farmington Hills is 855-MICHKIDS, the phone line managed by foster care navigators, experienced foster care parents who can answer questions for people considering becoming a foster parent, help them find a foster care agency to work with, and provide them with guidance along their journey to becoming a foster parent. 

With a $26 million budget and approximately 470 employees, Judson Center is celebrating its 95th anniversary in 2019. Judson Center’s Autism Connections program has experienced growth in recent years, providing a continuum of care to individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). From pre-education skills (communication, play behaviors) to community and daily living skills, and soft skills training for jobs, Judson Center serves hundreds of individuals from 18 months to early adulthood, including individuals in its annual summer autism camp. Approximately 25% of the individuals in Judson Center’s vocational training services also have an ASD diagnosis.  

In addition to evidence-based, staff-intensive Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services, Judson Center’s comprehensive approach includes family counseling, parent training, Sibshops, occupational therapy, and speech services, minimizing a family’s need to drive around town to obtain services. Judson Center doesn’t turn anyone away for inability to pay, offering funding to help defray deductibles. In 2018, Judson Center introduced Bridges to Success, a non-residential program on the Royal Oak campus using ABA therapy to help teens with autism develop relationships, independent living and pre-vocational skills as a gateway to successful adulthood. In May 2019, Judson Center opened a new 4,000 square foot Autism Connections program in its Warren location. 

About Judson Center

Judson Center, trusted by Michigan families for 95 years, is a non-profit human service agency that provides expert, comprehensive services in Southeast Michigan that strengthen children, adults and families impacted by abuse and neglect, autism, developmental disabilities, and behavioral health and primary care challenges so they are successful in their communities.  Since opening its doors in 1924, Judson Center has grown to change the lives of over 10,000 children, adults, and families each year. Judson Center has five regional offices in Genesee, Macomb, Oakland, Washtenaw and Wayne counties. Headquarters are located at 30301 Northwestern Highway, Suite 100, Farmington Hills, MI 48334-3277.  Learn more at https://www.judsoncenter.org/.  

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