Team Archives - Shelterwood Residential Treatment Agency

As Shelterwood Executive Director, Rujon Morrison leads program operations, the team of Shelterwood Directors, intake assessments and much more. “Keeping an open mind is key,” Rujon says. “We can always get better, we can always create something more excellent as we face new challenges.” Meet Rujon Morrison, and discover how she leads Shelterwood’s work in transforming lives and restoring families.

What she loves most about Shelterwood: “I love working with young people. Whether it’s Healing for the Nations, our spiritual retreat for students, or our leadership development program for our Young Adult Mentors, I enjoy seeing these young men and women grow in character and maturity.”

Before Shelterwood: Rujon studied psychology, education, science, leadership and organizational development. She launched her career in education serving students with learning and behavior disorders, and also worked as an educational consultant in the Southeast for more than 10 years. She continued her work with adolescents, as the Educational Director at Georgia’s Brawner Psychiatric Institute, where she initiated inpatient program models and led the educational department, and later became Clinical Program Director.

After a serious car accident, Rujon’s eight-month-old child developed a seizure disorder. “All of this training set me up to be the mom of a special needs kid,” Rujon says.

Rujon made a career change from secular mental health to a Christian model, serving as a Clinical Program Director for a Christian hospital serving one of the nation’s largest juvenile court systems. With all of her experience and passion, Rujon enjoys consulting with other programs, guest speaking at conferences, writing and serving NATSAP (National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs) as Chair of the Best Practices Committee.

What brought her to Shelterwood: Rujon and her husband, Steven, left their corporate jobs and started Healing for the Nations, a retreat ministry. “After the recession, we both prayed and asked God what he wanted us to do,” Rujon says. In 2011, Jim Subers, a long time friend, had just been named Shelterwood President and CEO, called and asked if she would join him as the new program director. “He is really persuasive!” Rujon laughs. “But we needed to pray about it. Jim invited us up to see Shelterwood, and we fell in love. God provided clarity that we were called to serve youth here.”

Day in the life: As Executive Director, Rujon ensures that Shelterwood has an excellent program that brings long-lasting healing and change. Additionally, she leads the program’s team of directors. “Team building, creating an excellent program, that really brings long-lasting healing and change — that is paramount for me,” Rujon says. In addition to her focus on planning and team development, Rujon enjoys engaging with the students and their parents.

When she was a teen: Rujon began leading at a young age. From cheerleading to basketball, baseball, tennis and track, she was grateful to be very involved in high school. “I was busy. I was the good girl, but as the daughter of a psychiatrist, I could be mischievous at times.” she smiles. “I was really honored to be able to do everything I did.”

Family: Rujon and Steven have been married for 33 years and have six children. “We’re a blended family — yours, mine and ours,” Rujon says. Their oldest child is 47 and youngest is 31. They have enjoyed spending time with their eight grandchildren and the therapy community they have built through the years.

Outside work: “I can’t get enough of gardening and painting!” Rujon gardens in the Shelterwood garden and her own. She also cherishes traveling and visiting different members of her family.

Best part of her role at Shelterwood: “I love being part of growing people and seeing God move and work in their lives. It is meaningful to see everyone on campus really be challenged, discover more of who they are, grow in confidence and find their place in the Kingdom.”

Interested in learning more about the Shelterwood team? Explore more profiles here.

This month, Stephen Hobson celebrates 15 years of service to Shelterwood, first joining the team as a young adult mentor. Today, he combines his accounting acumen with his heart for teens as the Director of Accounting. Meet Stephen Hobson.

What Stephen loves most about Shelterwood: “I love the focus we put on restoration of the whole family,” he says. “Nothing we do at Shelterwood focuses exclusively on the student’s issue. We see the most success when the whole family makes the commitment to grow, and I love how Shelterwood walks alongside parents and families in that process together.”

What brought him to Shelterwood: Stephen was a student at Oklahoma State University studying accounting when he met Shelterwood founder Richard Beech. “We talked for several hours. I even ended up missing my next class! I truly got hooked on his vision for the ministry,” he recalls. “I had spent a few summers doing youth ministry, and I saw the mentor opportunity as a chance to continue that impactful work with teenagers. I was also looking for the discipleship training that Shelterwood would offer me. I knew that caring for struggling teens would be a tough environment, but the challenge of it struck me too. I wanted to get Biblical leadership training while getting the hands-on experience of working with teenagers.”

His next Shelterwood steps: After his year as a mentor, Stephen continued as an intern. It was during that season that he met Amy, the Shelterwood Women’s Discipleship Director, who would later become his wife. At the time, Shelterwood had locations in Branson, Missouri, and Denver, Colorado; after Stephen and Amy got married, they moved to Denver. Amy accepted a full-time role in Shelterwood admissions. Meanwhile, Stephen planned to continue his Shelterwood work while studying counseling at seminary. “I thought my dream job was to become a Shelterwood counselor.”

Finding his calling in accounting: Stephen capitalized on his accounting degree and worked part-time in Shelterwood’s accounting department while in seminary. “Over that year, God was shifting my desires. I started to see how my gifts could be used in a different way to serve the ministry. I started to see that this could be a great fit for me: I could serve in that accounting capacity, and still be a key part of the ongoing ministry. What initially drew me to Shelterwood was my heart for the students. I still get to serve them in my role today.”

Family: Stephen’s wife Amy also is still part of Shelterwood, currently working in a part-time role as the Outcomes Research Coordinator in connection to NATSAP’s Evidence-Based Outcomes. They have four young children. “Living life with them is an adventure!”

Outside work: Stephen, along with Amy, spends most of his free time with the kids. They love doing activities outdoors together, especially going on bike rides, and he enjoys cheering them on as they start to become involved in sports.

Best part of his work at Shelterwood: Stephen points back to his first role with Shelterwood as something that drives his work today. “I love that my role supports our relational model,” he explains. “Our staff gets to know these teens at a deep level, where we can earn their respect and then model a Christ-like life and be someone they can look up to. I love how we have incorporated this into our program, and it is so unique to us at Shelterwood.”