Congratulations on 10 Years, MVTC!!!!

November 27, 2011 – An easy date to remember. The first Sunday after Thanksgiving. My fifth day with a new left hip. And, yes, the day Mountain Valley opened its doors to our first residents.

My colleagues and I all arrived on the Pike, NH campus early that morning, as anxious as any of the more than 800 residents we would eventually come to serve. “Were we prepared?”, we asked ourselves. Yes we were. “Would the four families show up, as they had confirmed?” Yes, they did – all four families – three of them referred to our nascent program by one educational consultant (Can’t thank you enough, Diederick!) – pulling into our parking lot in formation to be greeted by a smiling guy on crutches, a veteran clinician, and a young visionary. All of us – parents, new residents and staff – confident that we would be able to deliver on our promises.

And deliver we did – and continue to do so. While the mission is simple – treat adolescents suffering from debilitating anxiety and OCD – the work can be challenging. And rewarding.

A lot has changed at Mountain Valley during the past 10 years. I suppose we have become better at our craft. A bit more sophisticated, perhaps. New campus. Significantly larger staff. Better training. More residents. But I would like to think that those first four families might visit us someday – perhaps return for next summer’s Annual Reunion – and easily recognize, despite our growth, “their” Mountain Valley. A Mountain Valley that continues to attract talented staff  – both clinical and residential – that are totally committed to their responsibilities. A Mountain Valley that doesn’t feel institutional. A Mountain Valley that cares. A Mountain Valley where kids, despite the hard work involved, have some fun – and make lifelong friends.

Ten years. Such a long time, but November 27, 2011 seems like yesterday. We thank all of you who have supported us over the years. Parents who have shared their children with us. Residents who have worked so hard – and done so well. We could not have accomplished any of this without you. I look forward to another ten years – and then some!

All my best,

Carl J. Lovejoy

Executive Director/Co-founder