KOTA Cares: WellyFully works to support at-risk youth

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) - WellFully helps more than 700 teens each year, who are either dealing with addiction or suicidal thoughts or are experiencing abuse or neglect in their lives.

The non-profit focuses primarily on at-risk teenagers. WellFully believe society often writes these kids off without understanding the trauma behind their behavior.

“These kids have had terrible things happen to them. You can’t have these terrible things happen to you and still trust people,” added Burke Eilers, CEO of WellFully. Some of the behaviors that society calls as being bad behaviors and problematic; that’s how they survived those difficult things that they went through.”

WellFully offers services such as an addiction recovery program, a behavior health unit, a psychiatric residential treatment facility, and an adolescent crisis care center.

Additionally, the organization offers a summer and after-school program, called Lab. This program provides a safe space for youth who otherwise might be unsupervised and could fall victim to risky behaviors.

“Kids need to keep busy, if they don’t keep busy, they can get into mischief or make some poor decisions or they get bored and do things that they shouldn’t do,” said Eilers.

If your child is experiencing a crisis contact 605-277-3750 or visit WellFully’s Crisis Care Center at 22 Waterloo St. in Rapid City.

If you would like to donate to WellFully click the link here.

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