Our Agencies History
The founders of Butler Valley had a child with special needs. They discovered, after attending many seminars, that behavior modification techniques taught by individuals with specialized skills and educational backgrounds could assist people with developmental disabilities to attain the greatest measure of independence possible.
After investigating several options, they decided in June 1980 to incorporate as a non-profit charitable 501(c)(3) organization providing services and training in normalized living environments to adults who are developmentally delayed and who may have other medical diagnosis.
Butler Valley’s first home
opened in 1981 with the
assistance of Redwood Coast
Regional Center (RCRC) grant
money. Butler Valley #1 is
located in a Victorian house
overlooking the town of Arcata,
CA close to Humboldt State
University. This residence was
one of the first Intermediate
Care Facility (ICF) pilot projects in the state designed for six persons or less (most have sixty residents or more).
In the initial years, Butler Valley supplied their own on-site day program, which ran until our clients were accepted by other workshops in the area. Special tutoring services continue to be offered to residents who need an individualized day service.
In 1985, Butler Valley #2 opened in Eureka. This home, located in a residential neighborhood on the eastern side of town, also serves six residents. Both facilities started under the Community Care model and transitioned to the ICF model, through the Department of Public Health. It stresses profes-sional guidance in developing and providing an individualized active treatment program for each resident along with a team approach to health care and medical oversight.
Butler Valley opened our own day program in 2000. It is designed to serve clients without day programs, or whose needs could be better served with lower staffing ratios or more intensive behavioral supports. The Carole Sund Center began in Northern Arcata where it was located for five years in a large one room facility.
In May of 2005, it was relocated to the Pine Hill area , just outside Eureka City limits. The move allowed for a number of project rooms, as well as a safe outdoor environment.
In October of 2013, the Carole Sund Center expanded its horizons with a move to a 4 1/2 acre parcel on the South end of Eureka. The agency spent several years renovating the old dairy farm to accommodate our needs. The participants are now earning and learning as they operate our small farm, they are "farming for their future"
