As community members, partners, and stakeholders of Hillcrest Academy, we support the preservation of the Hillcrest Academy program as a resource within the County’s continuum of care.

• Hamilton County informed Hillcrest Academy that, after 11 years of operations, it would end its contract on August 1st.  
  If closed, the County’s at-risk youth will no longer have the opportunity to participate in Hillcrest’s large, 88-acre campus that provides residential, education and treatment programs; youth will be placed in facilities located elsewhere in the state with fewer opportunities for community based services and family engagement.  
• Hamilton County is basing the decision to close the long-standing program on one incident that, while serious, is the first of its kind over the past 11 years of operation. Notably, the incident was first reported by Hillcrest Academy to county officials, and led to the immediate termination of the employee involved.
• Any decision about the future of Hillcrest Academy should take into consideration the significant positive outcomes, successes, and accomplishments of thousands of youth over the tenure of the program.
• More than 70 staff will lose their jobs, some have worked with youth for over 15 years.
• Hillcrest staff will continue to provide services for youth through the summer and are committed to working with stakeholders and ultimately finding a permanent path forward to keep this remarkable campus a community resource.

We are asking for people who support the continuation of Hillcrest Academy and to acknowledge their support for future discussions with Hamilton County by signing this petition. We believe that this valuable community asset should be preserved and remain available to benefit at-risk youth in the future, regardless of who operates the program.