Right Direction Crisis Intervention (UT) created an adolescent intervention and transport webinar to help educate and clarify what transport is and what it is not. This video answers many of the FAQs that parents have when considering this option as a means to place their kids in treatment. This should also prove to be a useful tool for those working with clients contemplating intervention and transport. The webinar contains a link to an independent published research paper that is enlightening as well. It is 18 minutes long and can be viewed at www.rdas.net/webinar.
Please contact Brian Shepherd, Owner, Right Direction Crisis Intervention, brian@rdas.net if you have any feedback.
Ferguson Behavioral Health Consulting (CA) is now FBHC Advisors, at www.fbhcadvisors.com.
Our name may be a little different, but our service remains impeccable. Visit our new website, www.fbhcadvisors.com. You can also still find us at www.fergusonbhc.com, so no need to update your contacts!
Our friends at Duration Consulting were excellent partners in helping us build a clean and clear site, and we couldn't be happier with their work. We look forward to continuing our partnerships with the amazing providers with whom we work, and helping families move from crisis to solution.
All the best,
Mike Ferguson and the FBHC Advisors Team
For any questions, please contact the office at 800-624-2650 or info@fergusonbhc.com.
FBHC Advisors specialize in therapeutic crisis management. Our team works with families and clients nationally, with our focus on therapeutic placement, intervention services, case management, and in home therapeutic support services and has offices around the country.
Eva Carlston Academy (UT) is excited to welcome Ericka Lagron as a Parent Coach in the CORE Parenting Program. She comes to us with over a decade of experience working in residential treatment programs, Education Consulting, and strategic planning for parents transitioning their children home from therapeutic programs. Ericka earned her masters degree from Utah State University in Psychology with a focus in Experiemental Behavior Analysis. As a Parent Coach, Ericka will work with Eva Carlston parents teaching them valuable parenting skills and giving them the foundation necessary to support their daughter through treatment, transition, and continued health. With the addition of Ericka, the CORE Program will be able to reach even more families.
Eva Carlston Academy (UT) is a small residential treatment center located near the urban center of Salt Lake City. The program serves young women between the ages of 12 and 18 in a clinically intense, family-style program which focuses upon creating opportunities for students to explore the arts while working toward continued growth and healing.
Eva Calston Academy (UT) would like to welcome Allison Conover. Allison has been working with youth in a variety of capacities for over ten years and will now be bringing her expertise to the Eva Carlston Admissions team. Most recently, Allison has been working in a suuport role for parents in a wilderness therapy program, but she is also experienced in residential treatment, teaching, and has run programs for underprivileged children. She holds a degree in Environmental Biology which has helped her take her passion for the outdoors and combine it with her work with youth. Allison is excited to help assist parents in the process of finding a program that will be the best fit for their daughter.
Eva Carlston Academy (UT) is a small residential treatment center located near the urban center of Salt Lake City. The program serves young women between the ages of 12 and 18 in a clinically intense, family-style program which focuses upon creating opportunities for students to explore the arts while working toward continued growth and healing.
SUWS of the Carolinas (NC) Field Supervisor Blake Smith, delivered a webinar to over 60 clinical professionals and parents on Friday March 25, 2016. The monthly webinar series highlights themes from each group in the SUWS program. Blake works with families in group Bravo. Bravo is comprised of adolescent males 14-17 years of age. The webinar titled "We Said: Fix. Our. Kid.” – Exploring How Parents Can Create Balanced and Effective Home Agreements with Therapeutic Support, addressed the following:
Today’s high-speed society adds levels of stress and information that can overwhelm any parent or caretaker’s emotional or physical capacity to cope.
Often families to turn to a string of mental health providers, educators, and health providers seeking to help them solve or manage an adolescent’s maladaptive or risk-taking behavior. A family’s increased reliance on the therapist or educator can lead to a gradual dependence on professional advice and a decrease in the parental self-assurance/confidence needed to solve a troubled family-relational dynamic.
Families establishing a firm home contract can effectively set limits and support an adolescent’s authentic goals with a well-designed and responsive home agreement especially with ongoing collaboration with a mental health provider, coach, case-worker or therapist.
To access the recording, click here.
SUWS of the Carolinas is a therapeutic wilderness program with a focus on short-term, high impact intervention and assessment. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, SUWS offers specialized niche groups, providing a homogeneous environment for treatment resistant children and teens. There are four program options, serving students ages 10-17. SUWS Adolescent serves students who are struggling with a range of mental health issues, including trauma, depression and anxiety. Seasons is a co-ed program for students ages 10-13, who deal with poor emotional regulation, high family conflict, depression and poor impulse control. Phoenix Outdoor assists teens with co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders, and Approach is a social learning program for students who are living with autism spectrum disorders, nonverbal learning disorders, pervasive developmental disorders.
Uinta Academy (UT) has amazing staff and would like you to meet Kayla Vee Stock, our Registered Nurse.
Kayla completed her CNA and LPN licensures at Bridgerland Applied Technology College. She obtained her degree as a Registered Nurse at Weber State University. While completing her nursing program, Kayla was elected to perform a preceptorship with the Cache Valley Youth Center. She also worked multiple rotations in the Behavioral Health Unit at Logan Regional Hospital. While attending college, Kayla worked at Uinta Academy as a Family Teacher for three years. This previous work experience provides Kayla with great insight into both the emotional and physical work the girls put forth at Uinta.
Kayla is certified as an Equine Specialist through the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association (EAGALA) and has worked with the girls providing equine therapy as well as recreational riding. In her free time, Kayla enjoys spending time with family, making crafts, exercising, and playing sports. She enjoys anything outdoors, especially spending time with her horses.
Uinta Academy is a fully licensed residential treatment center focused on working with young ladies ages 13-21. Uinta Academy is the nation’s leading multi-dimensional residential treatment center for adolescent girls, specializing in the treatment of identity development, attachment, and trauma based issues. In pursuit of relationship development, Uinta Academy utilizes a highly sophisticated equine program where every girl has her own horse to take care of and work with therapeutically. Uinta Academy’s clinically intense and sophisticated treatment program is balanced by a warm, nurturing, family-style living environment.
Last week Dragonfly Transitions (OR) students embarked on spring break trips to the Redwoods, Oregon Coast, and Yosemite National Park. During these trips, the students experienced new and exciting ways to safely engage in spring break, and they returned refreshed and ready to continue with their school year.
Yosemite National Park
For most of the students, this trip marked their first visit to Yosemite. Many shared they had waited their entire lifetimes to experience it and described Yosemite Valley as the most beautiful place they had ever seen.
During the adventures in Yosemite, students visited Half Dome up close and also got to check out the old town of Wawona. Before going back to Klamath, we spent the night at beautiful Lake Shasta. We had a closing ceremony and an American stir-fry. One student remarked that “Yosemite is definitely the most beautiful place I’ve ever been to, and I can’t wait to go back.”
The Redwoods and Oregon Coast Trips
For the Redwoods and Oregon Coast trips, a group of Dragonfly students traveled to northern California for a few days of sightseeing, exploring nature and even whitewater rafting. We camped among the giant redwoods in Jedediah Smith State Park, and spent a day with the organization Redwoods and Rivers who planned a fun-filled day for the group of team building activities and rafting. Starting the day, students were challenged to work together on various activities on Redwood and Rivers' low ropes course, and then in the afternoon, those students who wanted went white water rafting on the Trinity River. The water was cold but the wet suits and excitement kept everyone warm enough to enjoy riding the rapids.
Along the Oregon Coast, students explored the beautiful and rocky coastline, with stops at Harris Beach State Park, Face Rock, Cape Blanco, the Coquille Lighthouse and Devil’s Kitchen, among others. We also visited the dinosaurs at Prehistoric Gardens, explored some local shops in old town Bandon, and ate fresh fish and chips at the Bandon Fish Market.
Students also enjoyed visiting the Northcoast Mammal Rescue Center and nearby Ocean World Aquarium, where we learned more about local marine life, got to pet starfish, sea anemones, sharks and sting rays, and watched a seal and seal lion performance. The final night was spent playing laser tag and enjoying the warmer weather before driving back to Klamath Falls the next day to begin getting ready for spring term.
Dragonfly Transitions serves young adults 18 -30 in three locations in Southern Oregon – Klamath Falls, Ashland, and the Homestead (for men, just south of Klamath). Students learn life skills and work to transition into a healthy young adult life with independence, autonomy, integrity and sustainability. Dragonfly provides opportunities for real world experience in a stable, supportive environment where students can flourish.
Leading residential treatment center, Elevations RTC (UT), has brought musical delight to students for two years this spring.
Spring 2016 marks the second anniversary of Elevation RTC’s music program. Weekly music classes have brought together students of all abilities to learn and perform together. Experience has ranged from students who have never touched an instrument to students who are multi-instrumentalists with a decade of experience, and every gradient in between.
Standing musical ability is not a factor considered for music group candidacy. When students feel they are ready to join the music group, they write a letter which details why they're interested in participating in the music program, how they would support and contribute socially to the group, as well as how they’ve used effective conflict resolution strategies in the past. Students are accepted into the music group if there is room in the group and if they display an investment in their treatment, are trustworthy and willing to cooperate with peers, and have put a visible effort into their letter.
“The decision of what songs to play is left up to the students, and they can bring in their iPods to play music through our PA system,” says Joseph Ballent, a member of the Outdoor Recreation Staff and Music Teacher at Elevations RTC. “This helps a lot with the process of coming to a consensus and playing along for practice purposes.”
Students get to choose their instrument based on what they are interested in and are provided rudimentary instruction to get them to a level where they can keep pace with the group. The musical instruments available include a drum kit, keyboard, electric guitar with amp, and bass guitar with amp, as well as a vocals microphone. Students may also bring their own instruments to play. The focus within the music group is to keep the energy lighthearted and fun.
The music group culminates in a performance for peers, which usually takes place in the library. Much in the style of a 'spirit animal,' each performer is given a 'spirit rocker,' usually to the applause of their peers.
“Many students have expressed to me that the music program is the highlight of their week, and it's been tremendously gratifying to see so many of them gain confidence and a new skill set through their participation,” comments Ballent.
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Elevations RTC is a unique residential treatment center that works with both young men and women ages 13 - 17. Elevations offers guidance, support and relief to young men and women struggling with issues like trauma, depression, mood disorders, behavioral problems, and substance abuse. Elevations RTC is located in Utah and provides specialized, clinically intensive programs to struggling teens.
For more information, please contact Laura Burt or Tamra Foy at 866-952-7930.
Evoke Therapy's (UT) outdoor adventure trips include mountaineering, rock-climbing, canyoneering, kayaking, cross-country cycling, trekking, cultural excursions and international adventure trips that are facilitated by experienced and certified outdoors guides.
Pursuits is designed for young adults or families looking for an exciting once-in-a-lifetime experience and a healthy sober adventure. Pursuits adventures are regularly scheduled throughout the year, and custom trips are available for private small groups or families. Please check with our admissions team for more information at 866.411.6600 or visit www.evoketherapy.com/pursuits.
The following trips are planned for 2016:
Moab Multi-Sport Journey
July 16-23 & September 3-10
The Desert Summits
June 17-25, & October 7-15
The Canyon Adventure - Canyoneering in Southern Utah and Northern Arizona
June 3-11 & August 5-13
Utah Backpacking
June 26 - July 4 & July 6-17
Guatemala and Belize: Best of Both
August 2-17 & August 19 - September 3
Covering Four Elements: Peru The Multi Sport Journey
October 15 - November 3
Peru: The Giving Journey
July 5 - July 23 & July 25 - August 12
Nepal Pursuits
November 8-21 & November 30 - December 13
Life Designs (WA) now has the ability to work with a local medical detox. Partnering with a high-end private detox gives Life Designs the ability to work with a more dynamic population of residents. With detox as an option, Life Designs is able to not only accept residents that need detox first, but also offers a unique service to transitional programs whose residents are relapsing. Life Designs has the capability to take residents struggling in transitional programs, get them detoxed, offer them structured programming to get them back on track, and then send them back to their original program; this is a great option, as it allows for individualized stabilization of relapsing residents without sending them back through primary care. As always, it is Life Designs’ mission to empower young adults in recovery and provide as much support as possible to other programs. Please contact Life Designs at any time for more information.
Outdoor Experiential Education (OEE) at Gateway Academy (UT) extends far beyond recreation. It is a critical element of our therapeutic approach. Our weekly adventures and extended trips change with the seasons and we are fortunate to have the whole of Utah as our big backyard.
As the snow begins to melt, Gateway students will be putting away their skis and snowboards, but not the memories and relationships formed on the wintery slopes. One thing is certain -- our students became aware of what they’re capable of. They discovered new depths of resilience and confidence and took their potential to new heights.
But the springtime brings a new adventure, and with it new skills and experiences that will allow our students to set their own goals, achieve their own successes, and tap into undiscovered strengths. The Outdoor Experiential Educators will focus these next few months on Canyoneering — a blend of rapelling, hiking and rock climbing. These activities are low-risk in nature, but carry a high perceived risk, which is a great recipe for building confidence and self-esteem. They often require both physical and social risk taking; learning to ask for support from one’s peers – and accept it – is an important and valuable skill. At the same time, each student can see firsthand how his choices and behavior influence the goals of the group, and how his support might be just the thing that helps another student succeed.
The discoveries our students make about themselves in therapy – lessons of self-confidence and capability — are reinforced in adventures on the weekend and on week-long excursions. For some boys, outdoor experiences are key to unlocking the door to their resistance and self-doubt.
Gateway weekend trips are not about “athletics.” There is no emphasis on competition, winning or superior sports skill. Nature is an equal opportunity playground. Our canyoneering adventures are all about dynamic, ever-changing and challenging environments, complete with obstacles, decision-making and fun.
In certain circles, Gateway Academy (UT) has become know as Hotel California. Once you are part of this community, it’s hard to leave. The longevity of our staff team illustrates this concept, as do the groups of alumni students who come back to campus each summer to work as Peer Staff. This Spring we welcome back to Gateway, Matt Jackman. Matt worked with us beginning in 2008, and served as a lead residential staff while he worked his way through graduate school at Westminster College. Once he completed his Masters in Professional Counseling, he went on to work for several years as a therapist in both residential and outpatient settings, and volunteering at The Sharing Place, a local grief counseling center for children. This Spring we were fortunate enough to have an opportunity for Matt to rejoin the team at Gateway, this time as a primary therapist in our Summit Group.
In speaking about his return to Gateway Academy, Matt says, “For me, Gateway is a place where a group of special people come together to help clients realize their potential. It is a humbling experience to come together as a team and see the growth and development that happens to the boys and their families here at Gateway. I am grateful that I am trusted and able to be a small part of these boys' life long journey.”
Matt believes that everyone has potential and that through support and hard work, each of us can make this life what we want it to be. Matt uses the strong relationships he creates with his students as a way to address difficult topics while assisting them to maintain a high level of accountability in the work they do together. He loves the individualized and experiential approach at Gateway. He takes advantage of the opportunities to spend time with his students outside the office to goof around and play a pickup game of basketball or ultimate Frisbee. He appreciates how much he learns from his students and their families as he supports them through their transformative journey.
Outside of work, Matt enjoys spending his free time with family and friends. He enjoys experiencing the outdoors during Utah’s four diverse seasons. His hobbies include snowmobiling, snowboarding, hiking, camping, fishing, boating, wakeboarding and four wheeling. He is excited to get out on some of the expedition trips this summer with the Gateway boys, and share with them his love of the outdoors.
Welcome back, Matt!
New Roads Behavioral Health (UT) recently sent a few of our employees to the Portland DBT Institute to complete extensive DBT training. By doing so, our employees were able to reevaluate our current DBT program and implement minor changes to strengthen the treatment we provide to our clients.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy is a specialized type of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy developed by Marsha Linehan, PhD. DBT focuses on changing behavior and changing thought. There are five “modes” of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. These modes utilize a support team to help promote healthy behaviors and reinforce the skills taught in therapy. These areas are:
- Individual Therapy
- Skills Training
- Ancillary Treatments
- Telephone Consultation
- Consultation Team
With all of these elements combined, clients are given a great deal of support and guidance as they look to identify goals and make changes in their lives.
All of the staff at New Roads have been specially trained in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. Many of our therapists have been trained extensively at the Portland DBT Institute, including their most recent Comprehensive Implementation and Training Initiative. These staff members attended two sessions over a period of six months where they were able to learn more about implementing DBT in treatment facilities, implementing/making changes to DBT within the program, and reevaluating the experiences at the end to complete their certification.
Our amazing staff that attended this most recent training were able to analytically review what we were doing to be able to make minor changes and add components to strengthen the DBT aspects of our treatment programs. An ad hoc committee was created at New Roads upon completion of the training to ensure that we’re correctly implementing all of the modes of DBT. New Roads strives to provide continuing training and educational opportunities for our employees, which helps strengthen the overall quality of the treatment we provide.
Summit Achievement (ME) marks a milestone with a "2Oth" logo in celebration of twenty years of helping young people and their families.
Throughout this 20th year, we will be highlighting the many staff, past and present, who have helped Summit be the special program that it is. We are grateful for everyone who has helped Summit evolve with a special shout out to our wilderness guides who work so hard to help young people. We are proud to say Summit pays one of the highest starting day rate for guides in the outdoor behavioral healthcare field.
Next month, we have two presentations of interest to those in the field.
On May 5, Nichol Ernst, Summit’s Executive Director & Clinical Director, will be co-presenting with Lauren Seltzer from the Grove School at the Boston IECA conference on a talk titled "Blurred Lines: Managing Boundaries and Ethics in an Ever-changing World."
On May 20th, Nichol will be presenting a Webinar for NATSAP members titled "A Case Study of Guide Appreciation and Becoming Compliant with Executive Order 13658".
Summit Achievement is, and always has been, guided by positive reinforcement and the power of choice. Our outcome-focused program employs effective therapeutic and educational principals. Through the process of engaging therapy, classroom academics and exciting wilderness expeditions, students experience the therapeutic benefits of outdoor adventure-based activities while learning to manage the demands of a more traditional environment. As an intentionally small, owner-operated program, we serve adolescent boys and girls, ages 13-20, from around the world.
As Primary Therapist, Jessica Walker, LCSW, has helped hundrens of teens find therapeuic success.
ViewPoint Center, a teen assessment center based outside of Salt Lake City, UT, proudly highlights the experience and work of Primary Therapist Jessica Walker LCSW.
Jessica has worked in the mental health industy for eight years, working mainly with teenagers in a varity of setting, including inner city youth programs in Chicago, juvenile probation, foster care, residential treatment centers and outpatient therapy with victims and perpetrators of sexual offenses and domestic violence.
"I love the ever-changing dynamics of teens and their families. There is a challenge to gaining rapport, gathering information and making some postive change in a short amount of time.. and I love it," says Jessica Walker, LCSW. 'As a new student comes in the door we never know what challenges they have been through. Being able to dig into the struggle, make sense of it and have a completed picture of who this child is, is an amazing journey to be a part of."
As Primary Therapist at ViewPoint Center, Jessica estalishes a good rapport as quickly as possible with students and their parents in order to gain accurate insight into each student's struggles, road-blocks and personal goals. As she gains the trust of each student, she is able to make important connections in order to help assess what is holding each child back from their true potential.
Jessica utilizes family therapy as a tool to help students and focuses on building the foundational framework of communications. She also helps support and prepare each child for their next step after ViewPoint so that they have an understanding of what to expect and are equipped with the maximum opportunities for success.
"Jessica has a way of really understanding teenagers and getting down to the root of what they are struggling with. We are so lucky to have her on our team," says Judith Jacques, M.Ed, Executive Director of the ViewPoint Center.
Evoke at Cascades (OR) has joined Evoke at Entrada (UT) in completing the sweeping requirements for Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Accreditation, administered by the Association of Experimental Education's (AEE). As a member of the Outdoor Behavior Healthcare (OBH) Council since 2010, Evoke at Cascades has made a commitment to uphold the OBH Mission, Ethical Standards and Best Practices, which includes contributing to the collective research of OBH members for the betterment of outcomes for all participants.
OBH Accreditation provides impartial validation that Evoke meets or exceeds the most rigorous standards developed exclusively for outdoor behavioral healthcare programs. This includes operating above industry standards of ethical care, treatment services, and risk management practices. Through the process of becoming accredited, Evoke at Cascades gained valuable insight and perspective through rigorous internal and impartial external reviews.
Being OBH accredited is just one more way Evoke at Cascades is distinguished in the growing field of wilderness therapy.
College Excel (OR) is excited to announce that we have launched our new website! As we continue to grow and improve as a company, it's important for us to keep a website that is clean, easy to use and an accurate depiction of who we are as a company. Please feel free to take a look around the site and see what we have to offer: www.collegeexcel.com.
College Excel is a residential college support program that works with young adults who have diverse learning needs and require extra support academically and personally in order to be successful in college. Students receive daily support from our team of specialists while they earn college credits at one of our local colleges. Located in beautiful Bend, Oregon, we provide students, ages 18-25, the opportunity to experience college in a supportive, structured and supervised setting.
Robert Trout, MA, has joined the Pacific Quest (HI) Clinical Team and brings over 17 years of experience in therapy, group facilitation, rites of passage, wilderness therapy and experiential practices. He utilizes narrative and experiential techniques that influence people’s belief systems while working with metaphors to encourage the exploration of the self. Of working at Pacific Quest, Robert says “In addition to the experiential therapies we employ, my favorite part of being at Pacific Quest is the team-based approach. I work collaboratively with a team of skilled clinicians, talented direct care staff and professional referral sources to create unique and individualized strategies for each student. The ability to take a fresh look at each student and their situation is truly invigorating as a therapist! One of my personal goals is to challenge individuals beyond their own limiting beliefs.”
Robert received his Masters in Counseling from Southwestern College in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He focused on transformational ecopsychology and rites of passage, which is an incredible fit for his work at Pacific Quest. Robert enjoys working with experiential modalities of therapy, including ceremony and psychosomatic activities.
“Robert is a results-driven leader who brings a wealth of industry experience, clinical skills, and pure passion and drive to his work,” says Dr. Lorraine Freedle, Clinical Director. “He is making quite a splash. I could not be happier with his choice to join our team!”
Robert’s unique perspective was shaped largely through his own time in the wilderness, over 1000 days. Robert began to explore the world in a new way, influenced by the many lessons he had learned during his own wilderness experience as a teen. Of this experience, Robert says “The program I attended saved my life, but more importantly pushed me to find purpose and meaning for the rest of my life.” Robert has worked in many outdoor programs since he completed college and has developed into a leader in the field in rites of passage work with youth and adults.
In his free time, Robert likes to backpack, snorkel, scuba dive, swim, fish and generally just play outside. He also loves to garden at home and explore the outdoors with his wife and daughter.
Pacific Quest is an outdoor therapeutic program for struggling adolescents and young adults that offers a clinical, yet holistic, approach to treatment. Our neurodevelopmental approach, combined with horticultural therapy, integrates evidence-based therapeutic methods, whole-person wellness and organic gardening to sustain a healthy community and motivate change. www.pacificquest.org
EDGE Learning and Wellness Collegiate Community (IL), a residential support program for college students, announces its first non-resident program.
EDGE has successfully helped students overcome obstacles like substance experimentation, mental health crises, and executive functioning deficits to find academic and social success, says Jason Wynkoop, Executive Director of EDGE Learning and Wellness. "We've recognized that many college students struggle to succeed in their first semester away from home and, as a result, drop out, transfer, or return home to live with their parents. Those students and their families experience these outcomes as failures."
Beginning in July 2016, EDGE will offer a suite of coaching, support, and accountability services to families who believe their students can succeed in college but are concerned about the difficulty of the transition. Based in Lincoln Park, students attending Northwestern, Loyola, DePaul, UIC, Columbia, Roosevelt, and other Chicago colleges and universities are expected to participate. According to Wynkoop, "We want those families who might otherwise keep their aspiring student at home instead of giving them access to the residential college experience, or those who fear a call from the college, to have the confidence to send their child to a Chicago college and know that there will be support and accountability to support their success."
Support plans are individualized and can include life coaching, learning coaching, individual therapy, substance testing, academic advising and advocacy services. For more information, contact us.
EDGE Learning and Wellness Collegiate Community located in Chicago, IL offers a therapeutically supported living environment for post-treatment young adults striving to excel academically while creating a life of balance, joy, and wellness.
Alpine Academy (UT) welcomes Joni Fotheringham to our clinical team. Joni brings a wealth of experience in working with those who struggle with substance abuse, ADHD, anxiety, depression, and trauma.
Joni earned a degree in Psychology from Westminster College in 1992. She took a break from her education pursuits to raise her young sons following the death of her husband that same year. After her sons were grown, Joni returned to school and earned a Master’s degree from University of Phoenix in 2013.
Joni went to work for the House of Hope, a residential treatment center in Salt Lake City that helps women with substance abuse disorders. In that setting, she gained valuable experience in working with a variety of mental health situations.
Joni is passionate about working with women, particularly empowering women of all ages to become the best possible versions of themselves. She is looking forward to engaging the young women and their families to effect positive change in their lives. Alpine Academy is excited to put Joni’s therapeutic and life experience to work in helping our students and families.
Click here to learn more about Alpine Academy’s excellent clinical team.
Minnesota Life College (MN), where we teach Real Skills for Real Life, is currently enrolling for our popular Summer Internship Program (SIP). Designed for students ages 17-20, SIP is a three-week session running July 10-29, where students get a taste of independence through apartment living, job site internships, vocational skills classes, and structured social programming designed to increase confidence, encourage problem solving, and build friendships.
Many young people with ASD and learning differences struggle to get and keep jobs, making building a resume very challenging. At Minnesota Life College's Summer Internship Program, our focus is on preparing students for the world of work through real-life internship experiences with local companies. Each day our program begins with communal breakfast, a time to talk about the day's events, practice social skills, and increase independence by packing a lunch to take to a worksite. After breakfast, students attend a daily vocational skills class covering issues such as:
- professional attire at work
- what to do if you get sick on the job
- dealing with challenging coworkers
- how to ask for a promotion
- interview dos and don'ts
- and more!
After class, small groups of students, supported by a job coach, head out to internship sites around the community. Students will spend 3-5 hours per day in these entry-level positions, working in retail, customer service, housekeeping and light maintenance, and manufacturing. Minnesota Life College has wonderful community partnerships with local businesses who are excited to have our participants learning Real Skills for Real Life at their site.
Once the work day is done, it is time for some fun! Students relax by our pool, play games or watch TV in our student center, hang out in the courtyard, or go across the street to the park to shoot hoops. Each evening, a small group of students is assigned to cook dinner for all program participants. With the support of staff, they menu plan, go to the grocery store, cook a delicious meal, and even do clean-up -- for many of them, it's the first time they've ever done these tasks!
Evenings we go out and about, whether it is mini-golfing, to one of the Twin Cities' many outdoor fairs and festivals, exploring the Sculpture Garden, or hitting up a Twins game, there is always a new and exciting adventure, an opportunity for laughter and new experiences, and a chance to make lasting memories. A parent of one of last year's students said "for the first time, I saw that she had real friends. She even created a Facebook page so she could keep track of them. Other parents are frightened of social media use, but I was ecstatic -- she was doing something that other young people do!"
If you are looking for a chance to take a SIP out of summer, and experience what an independent life could look like, visit Minnesota Life College today!
Lake Ozark, MO. Nationally recognized Dr. Jonathan Baylin (psychologist, author and trauma/attachment expert) trained Calo preteen, teen, young adult and New Vision Wilderness teams in Lake of the Ozarks last week (April 1, 2016) on the "Theory, Science and Practice of Attachment Based Therapy". Dr. Baylin has authored a number of books on the science and practice of Attachment Theory and brain-based parenting and is a renowned expert on developmental neurology and trauma. According the Rob Gent, Calo's Chief Clinical Officer, "we are privileged to have had Dr. Baylin at Calo, not only for his academic and scientific expertise, but for the additional fact that he is a practicing clinician with a passion for engaging first hand in clinical practice".
Alex Stavros, CEO explained, "It was great experience for the entire staff. We are creating an organization that encourages consultation, training and partnerships with some of the best and brightest in the field of developmental trauma and attachment. Dr. Baylin provided experiential learning, a contemporary framework and developmental research on how Calo's interventions (neurotherapies, Brainspotting, HRV, and others) are best implemented in a residential setting.
In addition to Dr. Baylin, Steve Sawyer, NVW Co Founder and one of only 3 independent Brainspotting instructors in the country provided intensive training on interventions focused on central nervous system integration and processing (BSP/HeartMath).
The two day, cutting edge experience concluded with training on neurological development, functioning and application for therapy by Dr. Baylin. "I really enjoyed being with Calo and really like the work they are doing to build an integrative model for attachment focused work", said Dr. Baylin.
For more information visit www.caloprograms.com
Living Well Transitions (CO) offered a service learning, wilderness incorporated, and unique cultural experience to our clients this year. A group of 14 young men and women visited and worked with Bandelier National Monument during Spring Break, to experience the well protected rich American history that is specific to the Southwest. Our group volunteered for the park one day, and also spent time hiking in the diverse high mountain desert landscape, encountering the natural rhythms and inevitable interconnectedness of humans and the environment. Camping underneath the expansive starlit skies and unplugging from the general distraction enabled clients to realize just how accessible and close we are to the natural world. The trip culminated in a one night stay at one of the most highly revered healing mineral springs, Ojo Caliente, allowing clients to relax and let their stressors dissolve.
While talking to the clients and staff upon their return, we were told that the group encountered some less than desirable weather during one of their camping nights and a client remarked, “Yeah, we were all bummed that it was so cold and windy, but the wind made us closer – we were suffering together.” The clients also described being with a good group of people and that everybody seemed interested in getting to know one another on a more intimate level – which is unusual for a group of 14 people traveling together.
Living Well Transitions offers three other trips throughout the year. The next trip is scheduled for the summer and will be a road trip to Montana via Jackson Hole and Yellowstone National Park – Stay tuned!
Living Well Transitions located in Boulder, CO offers intensive therapy, groups and life skills counseling to young adults ages 18-32 in a real-world, independent living environment. We help clients struggle less by developing self-acceptance, values clarity and the courage to take action so they can lead purposeful lives in alignment with their core values.
Mountain Valley Treatment Center, a specialized residential program treating debilitating anxienty and OCD, is pleased to announce it has been accredited for a period of three years by CARF International.
CARF is an independent, non-profit accrediting body whose mission is to promote the quality, value and optimal outcomes of services through a consultative accreditation process that centers on enhancing the lives of the persons served. This accreditation decision represents the hightest level of accreditation that can be awarded to an organization and shows the organization's substantial conformance to CARF standards. An organization receiving a Three-Year Accrediation has put itself through a rigorous peer review process and has demonstrated to a team of surveyors during an on-site visit that its programs and services are of the highest quality, measurable, and accountable.
"Being awarded a Three-Year Accreditation by CARF repesents an important milestone in the evolution of Mountain Valley," remarked Don Vardell, Executive Director. "While we have always know we provide un-paralleled, high quality treatment, being recognized by CARF highlights this and the dedication and professionalism of our staff."
Mountain Valley Treatment Center is a not-for-profit organization located at 2274 Mount Moosilauke Highway in Pike, NH. It has been providing licensed residential treatment for male and female adolescents and emerging adults with anxiety, OCD and related disorders since 2011.
For additional information regarding Mountain Valley, contact Jennifer Fullerton at 603-989-3500, or visit us on our website at www.mountainvalleytreatment.org.