Spectrum was founded in 1970 by the Burlington Ecumenical Action Ministry (BEAM) and a group of concerned citizens as a shelter for young people, most of who were running away from their foster homes.  It was originally known as SHAC, which stood for Shelter Action.  Among its early Board of Directors members was Patrick Leahy, then State's Attorney.

SHAC provided a safe harbor and counseling for runaway youth.  Later, when Federal funds for the program began to decline the shelter was replaced with Link Homes as safe, temporary housing for runaway youth.  Link Homes were short-term, emergency foster homes, and that model formed the basis for Spectrum's work as a licensed Foster Care Placing Agency through Social and Rehabilitative Services.  From these roots in residential and counseling work Spectrum grew through the years as a private non-profit agency providing services for adolescents at risk.  During the 1980's the agency was involved with the Vermont effort to integrate young Cambodian refugees into the community, and also developed a Truancy Project that worked with area schools.

Spectrum's first efforts to reach out to homeless youth - those not in State custody - began during 1988 when it was awarded a Federal grant from National Institutes of Mental Health.  Through this 3-year grant the first drop-in was established on North Winooski Ave., and a variety of services were developed to meet the needs of this vulnerable population, such as dance and movement therapy, art therapy and mental health counseling.

The 1990's were years of huge growth for the agency - from 18 employees in 1990 to over 100 by 2000.  Residential programs for youth in custody grew from Foster Care and Supervised Apartment living to the Youth Co-Op, and other living options that have since been discontinued.  The SRO was developed in 1993, and in 1995 Spectrum created SOS, returning to its roots by once again providing a youth shelter, as well as the drop-in.  Other programs that had grown and evolved over the years were brought under the SOS roof to provide a multi-service center for youth.  Programs that we now offer such as Education, JOBS, Juvenile Justice, the Domestic Abuse Education Project, Transitional Services, medical clinic and Sand Hill were all begun during the 90's.

In 2003, the Federal Department of Health and Human Services awarded Spectrum a 3-year Street Outreach grant to address sexual abuse and exploitation in the homeless and runaway youth population. This three-year funding supports Spectrum's efforts to continue to provide on-site treatment, counseling, shelter, referrals and support services to youth who have been subjected to, or are at risk of, sexual exploitation or abuse in the community, including those young people in Spectrum's residential programs. In addition, this funding supports Spectrum's dissemination of prevention information, education, and referral services to youth and adults in the community.