Empowering youth through comprehensive residential treatment and individualized nonpublic school programs. We create a supportive space where healing, learning, and growth happen every day.
Founded in 1989, Oak Grove Center is a nonprofit Residential, Education and Treatment Center (with multiple campuses) for at-risk and special needs youth. Oak Grove’s mission is to rebuild the lives of at-risk children and their families through educating, healing, restoring relationships, building character and instilling hope.
Serving more than 800 children and teens each year, Oak Grove offers a wide spectrum of services: residential care, education, wraparound, sports and the arts, programs for autism and independent living, partial hospitalization, outpatient services, addiction recovery and relapse programs, and much more.
Oak Grove is the gold standard of facilities in California having received multiple prized accreditations and licenses. Oak Grove is licensed by the California Department of Social Services as a Group Home and has earned accreditation by the Joint Commission (JCAHO) and Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).
Whether you represent a government agency, a managed care provider, a medical professional, a parent or family member, Oak Grove’s admissions staff can help you identify and access the service you need.
At Oak Grove, we believe in children and their ability to grow, heal, recover and rise above the challenges they face. The mission of Oak Grove is to rebuild the lives of at-risk children and their families through educating, healing, restoring relationships, building character and instilling hope. We believe that the “work we do today builds a better tomorrow” and that this is accomplished through an outstanding school and therapy programs, a talented clinical team, and a dedicated staff that is committed to maintaining a positive, reinforcing, and holistic environment designed to engender change in the lives of children. We believe in a strengths based approach, which means that we look to find what’s “working” and to build on that as we work to restore relationships, teach improved coping skills and improve academics. The youth of Oak Grove learn about respect, sportsmanship, teamwork, perseverance and character as they work on improving their education, social skills, family relationships and self-confidence. We have a diverse program that provides many enrichment opportunities in the area of sports, recreation, performing, literary and visual arts, as well as job training and a practical focus on what it takes to be successful in relationships and in life.
951-677-5599 ext 2259
Chief Executive Officer
Chairperson of the Board
Sonya Linden
Business & Life Skills Coach
Vice-Chairman of the Board
Johnthan Martin
Axos Bank
Secretary
Karen Locklin
COO
The Planners Network, Inc.
Director
Leslie Echolds
Self-Employed
Director
Karen LaPointe
Owner
LaPointe Wealth Advisors
Director
Becky Sims
Coldwell Bank ABR
Director
Julie Ngo
Owner
Julie Ngo Agency
Director
Mark Sitar
Retired
Director
Randall A. Powell
Self-Employed
Oak Grove operates two special education nonpublic schools under our umbrella of services – Jack Weaver School, located on the Oak Grove Campus in Murrieta, and Oak Grove at the Ranch, located in Perris. Both serve similar populations and are certified by the California Department of Education. Additionally, both campuses are in the third year of a six-year accreditation by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). Jack Weaver serves up to 76 children who reside at the facility as well as 90-100 day students, while The Ranch has a capacity of 60. Each site has a faculty of special education teachers who are either fully credentialed or in credentialing programs, licensed clinical therapists, and a staff of fully-trained and dedicated professional and para-professional support staff. Our Local Education Agencies (LEA) are the Murrieta Valley Unified School District for Jack Weaver, and Val Verde Unified for the Ranch. Both campuses are in full compliance with the state-mandated standards-based curriculum and textbook selection, and offer students a wide range of extracurricular and enrichment activities. Our child-centered schools offer students the opportunity to provide input into various aspects of the program, including developing electives, selecting educational and recreational field trips, and helping to run the Student Government and “Behavior Bucks” reinforcement programs. The program also allows students and staff to develop meaningful relationships that help guide the child through both the good times and rough spots as they work to complete their programs. We see it equally important to enrich the lives of the students, guide them toward recognizing the value of positive interpersonal contact, and understand the benefit of a strong educational foundation.
Athene Banche
Director of Education
Staff Psychiatrist
Dr. Harinder Grewal M.D., a board certified Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, leads the therapeutic team in its work with children as Oak Grove Center’s Medical Director. Dr. Grewal, who has specialized in child and adolescent psychiatry since 1982, maintains a local private practice and is a Primary Investigator on staff of World Wide Research in San Diego. She also provides psychiatric services to two Drug and Lcohol Programs:, Above it All and A better Tomorrow. She has practices in California since 1981, starting at the University of California Medical Center Irvine as Department Chief for the Adolescent Inpatient Care. Dr. Grewal is a spokesperson for pharmaceutical companies such as Bristol Myers Squibb, Pfizer Inc., Astra Zeneca and Johnson and Johnson, in addition to being a CME provider.
Clinical Director
Billie Gengler, LCSW, has been with Oak Grove since 1999 and has been licensed with the State of California, Board of Behavioral Sciences since 1988. She has extensive previous experience in a diverse variety of fields, including child, adolescent and adult mental health, medical social work, managed care, neuro-rehabilitation, and crisis intervention. Bille is passionate about building strengths not only in her clients, but also the clinical team, and has experience in resiliency building and evidence based practices. She is committed to continuing to provide integrity to the department and to the facility as we strive to provide the best possible clinical expertise to our clients and families. She strives to bring the current best practices to Oak GroveCenter in facilitating ongoing trainings and in-services to all staff of Oak Grove Center. Billie oversees and provides supervision to the Clinical operations in all departments, residential, day treatment, and WRAP.
The Clinical Department is comprised of licensed therapists and registered Interns who work in all departments at Oak Grove, Residential, Day, and WRAP. Our therapist may also act as Case Managers, depending on the program, which means they have the primary role of coordinating the child’s care within our system and in the community and to ensure that we provide a well rounded and individualized approach to addressing the complex problems our children face. Our Case Managers/Therapists have extensive experience working with children/adolescents and families in a variety of settings. Their many specialities include, but are not limited to Evidenced Based Practices, Resiliency building Posttraumatic Stress, child abuse and neglect, attachment and trauma related behaviors, Trauma focused CBT, DBT, substance abuse, adoption related issues, mood and anxiety disorders, family reunification, self injurious behavior, obsessive-compulsive behaviors, play therapy, eating disorders, use of music in therapy, Art therapy, Cognitive Behavioral interventions, psychoeducation, parenting training, emancipation education, Aggression Replacement Training, Seeking Safety, psychotic disorders, oppositional and conduct related behaviors, blended families, personality disorders, sexual perpetration and physical disabilities. Depending on the program, and individual needs, our therapists provide case management, individual, family and group therapies.
Billie Gengler, LCSW
Clinical Director
Oak Grove Center
951-677-5599 ext 2260
fax 951-698-0461
Over its 28-year history, Oak Grove Center (OGC) has become an increasingly vital and cherished part of California’s network of providers of residential and outpatient treatment and education for children with emotional and behavioral challenges. Today, Oak Grove Center is a nonprofit educational and residential center that serves 200 children on three campuses. OGC meets the state of California’s highest standards for providing care to at-risk children, and provides California families with a better alternative than sending children out of state to inadequate residential facilities.
Oak Grove Center was founded in 1989 in Murrieta as a 24-hour residential treatment and education facility for children with emotional and behavioral challenges. In 1994 OGC began to accept day students from Riverside County into the nonpublic school. In 1999, OGC began to treat children with autism. We now provide a nonpublic school setting for an additional 80 children and youth that are transported from all over Riverside county, although predominantly the Temecula Valley, the Corona area and North San Diego. We have a second nonpublic school in Perris, Oak Grove at the Ranch, which serves another 50 students. In 2010, we opened Oak Grove in the Desert to provide Wraparound and THRIVE services to youth in the Coachella Valley.
Children come to Oak Grove Center with a variety of psychological, social, emotional, behavioral and academic problems. Because of the dedication of our professional staff and volunteers, and the support of a caring community, Oak Grove has positive outcomes with both children and their families.
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Oak Grove Center is committed to providing specialized and intensive treatment to all Managed Care clients, with the specific goal of stabilizing symptoms, transition to a lower level of care and preventing regressions and re-hospitalization. Oak Grove maintains contracts with most major Mental Health Managed Care Companies. A list of companies we have contracts with is included in the detailed section below.
We work collaboratively with all psychiatric acute care hospitals both in Southern and Northern California to provide step down placement designed to further stabilize symptoms at the least restrictive level of care.
Oak Grove has tailored our services to specifically meet the needs of Managed Care clients and includes the following components:
Intensive psychoeducation and skills training related to mental illness, mood management, emotional regulation, stress reduction, behavioral modification, coping strategies, both to clients and parents to improve successful transition and maintenance at a lower level of care.
IOP Mental Health Program Information
IOP Chemical Dependency Program Information
Thad Snow, Intake Coordinator
951-677-5599 ext 2237
Billie Gengler, LCSW, Clinical Director
951-677-5599 ext 2260
Beverly Hooks, Director of Day Program and
Outpatient Services 951-677-5599 ext 2277
We prioritize managed care calls. If one of us is not immediately available, the receptionist will route your call to an alternate member of the Intake Team.
Oak Grove Center maintains contracts with the following mental health administrators:
To open a contract with Oak Grove please contact us at 951.677.5599 and ask for our business office.
Dr. Harinder Grewal, M.D. is a Diplomate with the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and is Board Eligible in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Dr. Grewal has extensive experience with child and adolescents since 1981 and has been with Oak Grove since 2007.
Dr. Vedhire Reddy, M.D. is Board Certified in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, has specialized in the field for the last 24 years and has been with Oak Grove since 1996.
“My name is Sarah and I was a resident at Oak Grove between 2002-2004, ages 15 to 17. This was a very dark time of my life; I remember that my mental illnesses caused me to feel alone and confused most of the time. I often lashed out in anger at those close to me, further alienating myself. I am now 28, and I have turned my life around. I am getting my bachelors degree in a couple months, and I’m studying to be a special education teacher.
When I think about the support that children with special needs require, I think about some of the counselors at Oak Grove, and the way they never gave up on me. Billie Gengler was my therapist at the time, and I remember her patience and support during a time of my life when I felt worthless.
I hope to make a similar impact in my career as a special ed teacher in the lives of children who are struggling. I highly recommend Oak Grove to children and adolescents who are going through a turbulent time in their lives.”
Sarah S
Growing up i was a pretty troubled kid due to tons of bullying. I was in and out of mental hospitals trying to
Get help. However i always came back to the same dark place where i would think and try to
Hurt and kill myself on a regular basis. One day a cousler i was seeing recommended i
Go to a rtc. My parents chose oakgrove we packed up my stuff and went.i can say with all my heart that oakgrove has saved my life and has taught me coping skills i still use today 14 years later. The staff is very caring and understanding to
Help you get through your personal hurdle. Thank you oakgrove from saving me from myself and guiding me in a positive direction– love kimberly wayne
“I came to Oak Grove very hard and closed minded about my views. The reason I was so callused was from the out of state placement. Oak Grove helped soften me up and helped me get my normal life back on track”.
– Student J.S (16 years old)
“Before I came to Oak Grove, I didn’t care about my education, and I caused a lot of problems. I used to walk off the campus, and I didn’t care about the consequences. hen I first came to Oak Grove, I was an angry person, but when I talked with the counselors and teachers, they showed me how important my education is. I realized that I needed to change my attitude. The teachers took the time to teach me coping skills, and they told me that these skills will help me later on in life. The teachers prepared me for the CAHSEE exam, because before, I just bubbled in whatever, since I didn’t care about the results…I passed the English part with a high score. Now I am getting a lot of help with my math, and I am getting better at it. I am also the Secretary in our Student Government. In my Individualized Education Plan meeting, they told me that if I continue to do well, I’ll go back to my regular high school, and this time I will make the most of it. When I succeed, I will become a counselor and help kids with issues like mine… Oak Grove has helped me change my ways, and I am very thankful.”
– Student J.R (17 years old)
“YOU WERE WITH ME THROUGH THE BAD TIMES YOU WERE WITH ME THORUGH THEGOOD TIMES THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME YOU’RE THE BEST”
– Student (14 years old, dorm B)
