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Third Way Center special needs school in Denver, CO
SchoolDenver, CO

Third Way Center

Grades and ages

High school

Tuition

Contact for pricing

About Third Way Center

Third Way Center offers truth and hope to some of Colorado's most vulnerable adolescents and their families. Founded in 1970 by psychiatrist Hildegard Messenbaugh, MD, the nonprofit grew from a single shelter for at-risk teens into a continuum of care across metro Denver, combining home-like residential settings with specialized education and clinical treatment.

Education happens through Joan Farley Academy, two state-approved facility schools staffed by licensed Master's-level special education teachers, school social workers, and counselors trained to support traumatized youth. Small class sizes, experiential learning, and vocational partnerships give students a path to a high school diploma or GED. Eighty percent of eligible students earn that credential during their time in the program.

Treatment is rooted in a trauma-informed philosophy that recognizes how trauma changes the brain. The center's Six Boxes methodology and its encephalopathy unit pair clinical care with practices like meditation, sound therapy, and yoga, so students can heal first and then focus on learning, growth, and a healthy future.

Student fit

Who this school serves

Grades and ages

  • High school

Learning needs supported

  • trauma
  • emotional_behavioral
  • mental_health
  • substance_use
  • traumatic_brain_injury

Learning and support

Curriculum and therapeutic services

Services and supports

  • Trauma-informed treatment
  • Psychiatric care
  • Encephalopathy (brain healing) unit
  • Meditation, sound therapy, and yoga
  • Licensed school social workers and counselors

Programs

Programs at Third Way Center

Other programs and supports

  • Trauma-informed treatment
  • Psychiatric care
  • Encephalopathy (brain healing) unit
  • Meditation, sound therapy, and yoga
  • Licensed school social workers and counselors

School facts

Practical details for families

Accreditation and licensing

  • Two state-approved facility schools (Colorado)
  • Council on Accreditation (COA / Social Current)

Tuition and funding

Tuition: Contact for pricing

  • Referral-based placement through referring agencies and school districts
  • Supported by the Colorado Child Care Contribution Tax Credit

Visit us

Location and directions

Map coordinates are not available for this listing.

Denver, CO 80206

Physical address

Denver, CO 80206

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