The staff at Glade Run Lutheran services' acute therapy program.From left, Kristen Walker, lead mental health worker; Renee Fischer, nurse; John West, lead mental health worker; Alex Salcido, vice president of clinical services; Steven Green, president and CEO of Glade Run Lutheran Services; Rachel Rumbaugh, director of the Partial Program; and Lauren Williams, mental health therapist.

A new program providing services to at-risk youth is being offered in Zelienople, bridging a recovery gap the county has been missing for several years, according to a Butler County Human Services spokeswoman.

For years, minors and their families had to look outside of the county for acute therapy programs that offer an intermediary between hospital stays and outpatient treatment for teens and children who suffer from any number of issues that they deal with on their way to adulthood. But now, Glade Run Lutheran Services is attempting to fill the gap with a program that kicked off Sept. 23. The Zelienople site will offer a six- to eight-week intensive program for 20 students.

This is an excerpt of an article that will appear in Wednesday's Butler Eagle. Subscribe online or in print to read the full article.