Randy Jones: Adult Foster Care Provider(Updated Profile)

There's a yellow house on water street lined with flowers whose petals have given into the fall breeze and been carried away. Inside this home is a collection of individuals who have the same amount of potential as these flowers to stretch their leaves and bloom into independent individuals who can lead full, successful, and happy lives.

This is the mind set of Randy Jones, whose goal is to make his clients feel empowered enough to be able to move onto a more independent living situation. "Our system is self empowerment and behavioral modification. We do this through change in environment and education," said Jones.

He said that the definition of empowerment is the increase of an individual's abilities and knowledge. And that is exactly his approach; skill building so that his clients can become more capable, making them stronger and more secure with themselves.

A client of theirs happily reported: "I like it here a lot, it's the best place of all the places I've lived." This same client, adult-male, said that he feels Randy runs the house very well, "It's as fair as fair could be."

Another client, senior-male, said he enjoys living here but feels he is ready to move out on his own. Whether the state agrees or not he doesn't know, but his focus is set in the right direction.

Both clients agreed that Randy helps them a lot. He helps them when they're hurt or need support and guidance. With Randy's help, a client said, he has made it past a lot of milestones.

By his loved ones he is described as honorable, ethical, intelligent, hard-working, and strong-willed. His nephew, Devin Clifton, thought back fondly to a time he and Jones built a fence together. "He teaches me not just the fundamentals, but life lessons that I can take with me in everything I do." He describes his uncle as knowledgeable: "He knows what he's talking about, not only from books, but from life."

His wife, Kami Jones, said her favorite memory with her husband is their wedding day. "Randy was everything I wanted before I knew what I wanted," said Mrs. Jones. "I became a better person when I began to grow my life with him."

Together Randy and Kami Jones have three children, Zachery-22, Savana-18, and Hunter-13. Jones' hope is for his children to learn the business and one day take it over.

The Jones' business is highly reputed for taking the hardest cases and making significant progress with them. "Our main clientel are those that are behaviorally challenging, or behaviorally intense. I've been told that all of the people we have were refused by everyone else," said Jones.

"With our system of self empowerment we are able to stop violent behaviors almost immediately, and in some cases we have successfully been able to stop individuals desire for violence."

Throughout his career he has owned and operated about 8 homes, ranging from Nevada to Lebanon to our home town of Albany. They've specialized in all sorts of cases, including: most all forms of personality disorders, schizophrenia, autism, aspergers, and sex offenders.

When his clients talk about Jones, no matter what their situation is or where they came from, they have an obvious respect for him. You can tell by the tone of their voices, and the hope in their eyes when they talk about their aspirations.

Sometimes what people really need is someone just to believe in them. In the Jones' home, they found the support they've been looking for in abundance. "I honestly feel like everyone who has come into this house has left it a better person," said Jones.