XTRAMILE
XtraMile creates and sustains community-based, long-term, one-to-one relationships between our community partners, families and youth who are in need of mental health support.
This relationship exposes youth-in-need and families to new opportunities for learning and growth, with an emphasis on positive youth development, health and wellness, prevention services, and critical skills for future self-sufficiency.
Our Core Values
R.E.A.L
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Finding common ground with the clientele that will establish open communication, trust and the ability to influence positively.
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Encourage and challenge the clientele to act on his/her aspirations of what they deem being successful in a manner that can be interpreted with ease and received with comfort and genuine care.
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Assist each clientele in alignment with his/her individualized service plan to continue on the path they have altered for themselves.
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Once a solid foundation is built, the mentor will continue to project a positive lifestyle beyond life’s shortcomings for the mentee to witness.
Meet Our Directors
Jessica Carter
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
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Jessica Carter, born and raised in Charlottesville, is deeply committed to community service, particularly youth empowerment. After graduating from CHS, she earned a Bachelor of Arts from Mary Baldwin University and a Masters of Arts in Human Services-Mental Health and Wellness from Liberty University Online.
Jessica's career path has been dedicated to supporting adolescents. She began as a correctional officer/counselor, initiating a Youth Program for incarcerated juveniles. Transitioning to Blue Ridge Juvenile Detention, she served as a residential advisor, impacting young lives.
Moving into community-based roles, Jessica became a Case Manager for Region Ten CSB, aiding youth with mental health and developmental disabilities. Simultaneously, she worked as a Therapeutic Behavioral Specialist, offering crucial support to children and families.
Jessica's commitment to youth extends beyond her professional roles. She served as an Attendance Counselor for Charlottesville City Schools, coached basketball at various levels, and is involved in nonprofit work. She founded HER SPORTS in 2020 to break down barriers for girls in sports and co-owns XtraMile Youth Services, providing therapeutic services to youth and families.
Certified in Mental Health First Aid, Mandt, and suicide prevention, Jessica is trained in trauma-informed strategies and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). She holds a QMHP-C license from the Virginia Department of Health Professions Board of Counseling and has received accolades for her contributions.
CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER
“Love is a creative and redemptive will toward another.”
Desmond Athey
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Desmond is a Louisa County native who has a tremendous passion for assisting youth and adults within his community in achieving success in their own right. After attending Old Dominion University studying psychology and then experiencing a multitude of untimely tragedies, he deemed it his purpose to service youth through mentoring. He gained a pension for working within the youth services field after sitting as one of the board members of the Our Brother's Keeper mentoring program at Louisa County High School. He began servicing the youth at a higher capacity while working as a mentor under CM mentoring services in the start of 2019 with young men ranging in age from 9-17 until the latter portion of the year when he transitioned into providing his own service structure along with Jessica Carter.
He has done exceptionally well in producing results due to his exceptional capability to build strong bonds and good rapport with mentees he comes across as well as their families. He has assisted youth cases from various referral sources to include DJJ, DSS, CSU, Region Ten, as well as Evidence Based Associates (EBA) and is certified to conduct the Casey Life Skills Assessment. His personal experiences include being a caretaker to his mother since the age of 14 until her untimely passing in 2017. He maintains certification as a mandated reporter, mental health first aid, and human resources certification gained while serving in our armed forces for 8 years. He has completed volunteer work in Louisa County and is a member of 100 Black Men and sits on the committee for a burgeoning non profit (HER Sports) pioneered by his business partner Jessica Carter that seeks to serve young ladies while shedding light on women empowerment through sports and mental health awareness. His personal mission is to serve our adolescents in any way that he is called. Desmond brings a very open minded, positive, and infectious personality to the table when approaching all in need. Through his trials and triumphs he is able to relate to young men within the depth that they often cannot find in many others. Overtime he has gained experience in a multitude of life/business endeavors that have provided him the necessary backing to share different life paths for struggling youth and adults. He’s well versed in a variety of pathways that can/will aid the youth in there search for a successful, fulfilling life upon reaching full independence. These circumstances have led to an abundance of information that when properly paired with the presentation to others that Desmond intends to offer for prosperity of those he’s serving, often lead to impactful awareness and life changing perspectives. He’s currently been co-operating alongside Jessica Carter for 5 years now serving locations all around central to northern Virginia and intends to continue to be of service.
Join the team
Want to join our team? We’re always looking for people who want to make a difference, click the button below to apply.
HOME ~ ABOUT ~ SERVICES
Headquarters Office
165 Main Street Palmyra VA 22963
Louisa Youth Center
3770 Waldrop Church Road Louisa VA 23093
Mailing Address
25 Troy Road, PO Box 981 Troy VA 22974