In 1996 two child and adolescent psychiatrists, Dr Peter McGeorge and Professor John Werry, along with educational psychologist Tom Guild, were invited by the then Department of Social Welfare (now the Department of Child Youth and Family) to design a treatment programme for young people diagnosed with severe conduct disorder.

The original residential programme was developed and Youth Horizons Trust was established as a direct result of this invitation. Since the establishment of the Auckland Severe Conduct Disorder programme, Youth Horizons has grown to encompass many other specialist services for young people and their families/whanau.

Our wide range of community focused programmes have developed to work with young people who, as a result of their demographic or social situation, are perceived as being at risk of developing behavioural or mental health difficulties.

Our governing principles include:

• working with children and young people;
• working with young people who have challenging behaviours;
• working together for family reunification and preservation;
• the provision of culturally relevant and safe services for our young people and their whanau;
• the provision of high quality evidence-based services;
• providing unconditional care and intervention that is flexible to the needs presented by the young person and their family/whanau.