At Monarch School (MT), we offer a 14-week Shakespeare course that culminates in a 6-day trip to the Shakespeare Theater Festival in Ashland, Oregon. In this class, the Monarch School students will read, study, research and analyze 5 to 7 plays in repertory at the Festival. After students have become familiar with each play, they will act as directors of a play of their choice and will create a portfolio of their production. This portfolio will include research on the play (setting, time period, etc.), analysis of the play’s major themes, costume and set drawings, and a cast list with supporting material for their choice. Completion of the portfolio is a necessary prerequisite for participation in the trip.
Every year, English teachers Brian and Anna lead our annual trip to the Ashland Shakespeare Festival. Our trips offer the rare opportunity to see contemporary and classic masterpieces performed by a world-class repertory theater, and the backstage tour provides Monarch School students a glimpse into how a single company can perform such a variety of shows on just three stages. We stay at the idyllic Abbott’s Cottages, just a short walk from the theaters where Monarch School students prepare all of their own meals. Every year we have a contest between the Monarch School boys and girls to see who can cook the most delicious meal; the runner-ups are on cleanup the night Brian and Anna cook. On the final night, everyone dresses up and goes out to Pasta Piatti for a fancy meal before the last show. While this trip packs a lot of theater into a short time, we also find time to play in Lithia park and check out the little shops that make Ashland so unique.
For more information contact Monarch School Admissions
Phone: 406.847.5095
Visit us online at monarchschool.
Aspiro Group (UT), with great enthusiasm, announces Chelsea Dickinson as Admissions Director. “I am so proud and grateful to be a part of the Aspiro family. Everyday I am a witness to courage, dedication, hope, innovation, talent, and commitment from both the Aspiro team and the families we serve. It inspires and motivates me” says Chelsea.
Chelsea will provide admissions leadership and oversight for Aspiro Adventure Therapy and Vantage Point in Utah. “I have known Chelsea for over 13 years and been privileged to work with her at Aspiro for the past 5 years. It will not be a surprise to those who know Chelsea when I say that she is honest, ethical, genuine, hard working, tough, bright, humble, balanced, loyal, and a proven leader,” says Josh Watson, CMO of the Aspiro Group. We are so excited for Chelsea to take this next step of leadership within our team. Chelsea is a certified family coach (CC) and is passionate about helping individuals overcome adversity. With her education in social work, business communication, marketing and her financing knowledge, Chelsea brings a unique skill set to Aspiro and the families we serve.
“While I will still be very present and provide clinical support to Chelsea and the Admissions Team for Aspiro Adventure and Vantage Point," Josh will continue to focus on marketing, strategic planning, and admissions oversight for the other partner programs within the Aspiro Group. Please join us in congratulating Chelsea as she takes the reins of this new role on our leadership team.
Chelsea can be reached at cdickinson@aspiroadventure.com or by phone at 208-262-1691.
We look forward to working together in 2016!
The Aspiro Group
Outback Therapeutic Expeditions (UT) has always been and will continue to be clinically based, wilderness based, strengths based, and choice based. We believe very strongly that the approach we take with teens in prompting them out of their comfort zone while providing strong mentors to invite them into change is the best way to facilitate growth. Listed below are several elements we have added that further enrich our program’s strengths.
BASECAMP
· 3 day layover in walled tents with wood burning stoves
· Setting for our intensive clinical workshops
· Hot showers, family style meals
CLINICALLY INTENSIVE EXPERIENTIAL WORKSHOPS
· Half-day workshops designed to create a strong foundation for each teen to build upon once they leave Outback.
· Focus on 4 fundamental concepts: Identity, family/relationships, Resilience & Future Vision
THERAPEUTICALLY DESIGNED EXPEDITIONS
· After each workshop our students venture out on 10-day expeditions designed to reinforce and amplify those foundational clinical concepts
· Expeditions are designed to be attractive adventures (mountain summit challenges, bow and arrow making, travel by pioneer cart, etc.) in which physical challenges translate into positive life-changes.
INCREASED THERAPEUTIC CONTACT
· In addition to our clinical workshops we have increased our therapy days to 3 times a week
PARENT COACHING
· Outback holds weekly webinars based on the core clinical concepts that help the parents experience a parallel process with their child.
· The parents also get tailored therapeutic assignments and readings that are simple yet powerful ways for them to begin implementing change in their own lives.
A NEW LOGO & WEBSITE
· Outback’s new logo and website captures both the history and the future of Outback.
· Outback’s logo shows the challenging yet rewarding path that leads up through the mountains to a progressing and brighter future This simple design captures both our vision and passion.
McKay Deveraux, CSW, Karen Eusebio, MS, LMHC and Rick Meeves, PhD, LMFT will all be at the NATSAP Conference in La Jolla, CA and look forward to discussing the evolution of Outback.
Novitas Academy (ID), a unique therapeutic boarding school for boys ages 14-18, introduces their seasoned Clinical Team.
Dr. Andrew Sapp is the Founder & CEO of both Novitas Academy and Cherry Gulch. He has extensive experience working with children and adolescents in the fields of mental health and psychology. Dr. Sapp earned a M.A. and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University and also graduated with honors from Oregon State University where he earned a Bachelor of Science in psychology.
Dr. Sapp is deeply passionate about helping boys who struggle academically because learning differences run in his family and he too had undiagnosed learning disabilities that he has spent much of his life trying to overcome. Andrew believes that these challenges have helped him become more determined to reach his goals. By far his greatest accomplishment has been starting two successful programs and serving the many students and families that have benefited from this award-winning and life changing programs. His greatest joy is spending time with his three precious little girls and his wonderful wife.
Hanna McKenzie Young, LCSW received her Master of Social Work degree in 1999 and has since spent the majority of her career working with children, adolescents and families in a variety of settings, including wilderness, residential, outpatient mental health and public schools. She comes to Novitas with over six years of experience as a therapist in a therapeutic boarding school and has strong individual, family and group/experiential therapy skills. Hanna believes that everyone has something amazing to offer the world and loves spending time outdoors enjoying Idaho's amazing rivers and mountains with her two incredible kids.
Clayton (Clay) Smith, LMSW excitedly joined the Novitas team in 2015. Previously he worked as a Mental Health Clinician for 5 years in juvenile corrections. Clay attended Walla Walla University (Missoula) and earned his Masters degree in 2011. He became a counselor to fulfill a dream of helping others to find joy in life. Clay struggled in school with ADHD and has had to learn to believe in his ability to concentrate when needed. Outdoor recreation is a big part of his life where he enjoys backpacking, cycling, motorcycles and kayaking. Clay believes that recreation can be used to motivate scholastic and career oriented goals. He has joined Novitas to help youth do just that. Most important to Clay is his wonderful wife and 2 boys.
For more information, please contact Kylie Peters, Novitas Admissions Director.
ViewPoint Center (UT) is excited to announce adding Music Therapy to students' therapeutic milieu. Music has been shown to have a profound effect on your body and psyche.
Music Therapy is used within a therapeutic relationship to address physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of individuals. With this new programming, patients' abilities are strengthened and transferred to other areas of their lives. Music therapy also provides avenues for communication that can be helpful to those who find it difficult to express themselves in words. Music is often linked to mood. A certain song can make us feel happy, sad, energetic, or relaxed. Because music can have such an impact on a person's mindset and well-being, it should come as no surprise that we are excited to announce we have added music therapy to our program.
For ViewPoint Center Admissions information, please contact Randy Nelson
Elevations RTC (UT) involves the entire campus community in mentoring students through learning by experience and engaging students in pro-social behaviors. Elevations RTC, a leading residential treatment center for teens ages 13-18, observes National Mentoring Month by discussing the active role students and staff play in mentoring students on campus. The entire experience of Elevations RTC is based, in many ways, around mentoring others. From the Executive Director to direct line staff, everyone is involved in fostering positive change and growth within the student body.
As a community-based residential program, Elevations RTC offers an opportunity for more advanced students in the program to mentor new students on campus through peer-to-peer mentoring. At Elevations, more experienced students help new students transition into campus and learn both structure and expectations of the program. As students progress through Elevations, they are given more and more mentoring responsibilities. This allows them to develop a better understanding of how their behavior affects others, a skill which they can use as they transition out of the program. “I think the biggest, most important aspect of mentoring at Elevations is the peer to peer interactions that take place,” says Eric Flores, Program Director of Elevations RTC. “We encourage and nurture strong peer relationships. From these interactions, students understand what it feels like to have a healthy relationship versus an unhealthy relationship.”
Elevations RTC believes parents can also make engaging mentors. According to Elevations, becoming a better mentor starts with being involved and active in the lives of teens. Actively listening to teens can help build positive relationships with their parents.
“At Elevations, we find that many teens have difficulty problem solving. Their first reaction or their first instinct is to be aggressive, disrespectful or defiant,” comments Flores. “Being a mentor for your struggling teen begins when you teach your teen how to normalize their behavior. They need to know that it’s okay to be upset, but expressing such intense emotion doesn’t work in certain situations. Offering teens different approaches and ideas can help them better understand how to modify and change their negative behaviors.”
Gateway Academy (UT) introduces the Gateway House, a residential home in a family neighborhood located around the corner from Gateway Academy’s main campus. In this smaller eight-bed setting, boys have the chance to try out fledgling skills in an atmosphere of greater flexibility and freedom. It’s a period of applying the treatment gains they’ve made to new contexts — with the full safety net and support of Gateway Academy.
Students will continue in individual therapy, family therapy and group therapy as well, though the topics and focus will largely shift to transition planning and the future. Along with student perspective, and taking into account the possibility of regression during this delicate transition period, the Transition Therapist monitors the student’s progress at every step.
During this final phase of our program, the emphasis shifts from clinical intensity to community-based in vivo (real life) interventions and increased independent choices. From getting himself up, fed and ready for school to deciding how to balancing free time with electronics, fitness, work/volunteering, each student — within his individual abilities — is given the chance to test and refine new skills little by little.
SUCCESSFUL TRANSITIONS START HERE
Research consistently points to two factors found in successful outcomes:
1) active family participation and
2) opportunities for practicing and solidifying new skills in the community.
Months before discharge from Gateway House, each boy’s therapist will work closely with his parents and our experienced Transition Therapist to design a transition plan. The future is the focus, and this phase includes forays into the community, structured interventions, visits home and more independent experiences. The level of structure and support each student needs at Gateway House and will need post-Gateway — as determined by his family and treatment team — highlights the roadmap for his transition.
During his time at the Gateway House, we begin to focus on mirroring what life will look like beyond our walls. During regular home visits, students are assigned tasks such as interviewing new therapists, visiting new school settings, interviewing for jobs, and locating recreational outlets in the home setting.
With each consecutive home visit, layers of responsibility and stressors are added, so that by the final visit, each young man’s schedule and experience looks just like it will when he leaves Gateway. Both students and families can visualize what to expect; what’s more, he’s had the chance to practice over and over again the skills and self-advocacy he will rely on every day at home.
Every year The Sundance Film Festival brings some of the brightest and most thought provoking contributions to the film industry, and Eva Carlston Academy (UT) is proud to be an annual participant in this event. This year our students were able to view several films and participate in Q&A periods with filmmakers. This unique art medium invites curiosity in the students and gives them a great opportunity to learn. However, this year our activities at Sundance are the precursor to an exciting venture coming up this spring as we team up with Spy Hop, a local and innovative program for young people. Spy Hop's mission is to expose youth to the digital and media arts, and they are the recent recipient of the National Arts and Humanities Youth Art Program Award.
Beginning early spring 2016, Eva Carlston students will participate in a youth mentoring program where they will create 6 short films. The students will be in charge of every aspect of filmmaking including producing original scripts, original music, acting, and animation. This multimedia project will focus on themes of voice, identity, communicaty engagement, and civics. This is an ideal platform for our already creative students to learn, show off their talents, and be part of a meaningful mission. Eva Carlston Parents and Staff alike are eager to view the outcomes of this project during our summer Family Workshop Weekend.
Trauma certification supports Red Oak Recovery (NC) mission to redefine the client and family clinical experience. Trauma issues are often part of clients’ histories at Red Oak Recovery, an innovative addiction treatment program for young adults struggling with substance abuse and co-occurring mental health issues. For this reason, the entire clinical team and other key staff at Red Oak Recovery recently underwent intensive trauma training with established trauma expert Judy Crane, LMHC, CAP, ICADC, CSAT-R.
Crane is the founder and former CEO of one of the leading trauma and addiction treatment centers. She later founded Spirit2Spirit to teach clinicians how to work with trauma survivors. After completing her module-based course, clinicians earn the distinction of Certified Trauma Therapist (CTT)
One hundred percent of the female clients who undergo treatment at Red Oak have experienced trauma in their past, as do the majority of our male clients,” said Jack Kline, MS, LPCS, LCAS, CCS, Chief Executive Officer of Red Oak Recovery. Red Oak Recovery is unique in its clinical approach, employing master’s level clinicians with dual credentials, licensed in both mental health and clinical addiction. The program addresses underlying emotional and traumatic issues with co-occurring issues of substance use through evidence-based, research-supported clinical interventions.
In their training, the Red Oak clinical team learned practical assessments, up-to-date approaches to treatment, and essential intervention techniques for treating clients with trauma issues. The group sessions and hands-on experiential training truly prepare the clinical staff for addressing clients’ deep psychological wounds.
“We experience trauma when we cannot effectively process what happens to us, whether on an emotional, mental, spiritual, or physical level,” explains Heather Schnoebelen, MA, LPC, LCAS, CCS-I, Executive Clinical Director of Red Oak. For recovery to be successful, they have to be able to address the traumas that fueled their addiction and not just the substance abuse itself.”
“When trauma work is effectively integrated into treatment, as this training has reinforced for us, it allows people to get at the roots of their behavior and lets them walk more freely toward a life no longer dominated by destructive habits,” she said.
Red Oak Recovery is located in the pristine Blue Ridge Mountains, just north of Asheville, NC. The program uniquely blends quality clinical care, adventure therapy, experiential therapy, 12-step work and social skills development to create positive, lasting change. For more information, visit redoakrecovery.com.
Calo Programs is excited to announce Kathy Donovan has joined Calo Young Adults as Executive Director, reporting to Calo Programs CEO Alex Stavros.
Kathy Donovan started her career as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Philippines where she developed a drug and alcohol education program. She continued abroad as the YMCA International Program Director in Japan. She returned to the States to work in many capacities in the DC area, including the DC child welfare system and DC Superior Court as a clinical consultant and therapist.
In addition to private practice and clinical consulting in the Washington DC area, Ms. Donovan worked as a Second Nature Wilderness Program therapist for four years. As a therapist for Second Nature, she was sought out around the country to treat clinically complex emerging adults who have stalled developmentally, leaving them ill-prepared for successful transition into adulthood. She also served as the Executive Director of a trauma-based residential program for young women. In this capacity, Kathy developed a trauma-informed “treatment to transition” model with an emphasis on intensive individual therapy combined with small group work to best prepare the women for successful transition from residential to supervised apartment living. Following this experience Kathy developed her own Independent Treatment Living Program for emerging adults in the Washington, DC area.
“I have spent most of my professional career specialized in post-traumatic stress, attachment issues, depression and anxiety disorders in emerging adults,” said Donovan. “This is why I felt Calo Young Adults was a perfect fit. I am excited about incorporating Calo’s proprietary CASA Treatment Model into working with emerging adults.”
Donovan's clinical work includes: desensitization and exposure techniques to reduce debilitating stress and trauma responses, skills to detect and reverse nervous system distress, resilience training, social and leadership skill development and methods for developing greater self-awareness.
“Kathy has a ton of life and work experience. She is a wonderful fit personally, culturally, clinically and operationally and we are ecstatic to have her on the team” said Stavros. “Kathy’s sense of humor is a delight and her clinical chops, particularly as it relates to trauma and working with emerging adults, are exceptional. However, what was most appealing was her absolute commitment to quality clinical care.”
Joining Donovan on this high performing clinical team is Dr. Ken Cuave. Calo partnered with Dr. Ken Cuave late last year to develop Calo Young Adults, a cutting edge adoption, trauma and attachment specialized program for emerging adults. Stavros said “Dr. Ken Cuave is one of the foremost experts on struggling emerging adults and we are lucky to have him on the team as Executive Clinical Director."
Dr. Cuave began his work with emerging adults in the early 80's. New Lifestyles was started in Florida in 1985 and he co-founded the College Living Experience in 1994. In 1997 Dr. Cuave began New Lifestyles of Virginia. “This is an important next step in my career. I am invigorated to take my multi-decade experience with emerging adults and partner with Calo to start a one-of-a-kind program,” said Dr. Cuave.
Calo Young Adults is open and currently working with students. They are actively reviewing and accepting enrollment applications. Contact Jon Young at JYoung@caloyoungadults.com or Kathy Donovan at KDonovan@caloyoungadults.com for admissions and tours.
Like Calo YA on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/caloyoungadults/
Fulshear (TX)
Dear Friends,
Throughout this last year we have shared our Adult Attachment Model at various conferences and with our on-campus visitors. It has been exciting to see the difference it has made in the lives of the women we serve and their families!
We've had multiple requests to have access to more of this information; with that in mind we have included more on our website for you and the families you serve. We are excited to share this information and hope it is helpful for you!
https://www.fulsheartransition.com/our-program/treatment/adult-attachment-model/
Warmly,
Nikki Preece
Executive Director
Alpine Academy (UT) is excited to introduce a new set of Family Teachers to campus. Family Teachers are a married couple that live in our residences with the students. Each Family Teacher couple in responsible for the running of a home and the care of 10 students who live in the home with them. They are the primary point of contact for parents of our youth and the hub of information and collaboration between the residential, clinical, and academic teams. They get trained and certified in the Teaching-Family Model to provide teaching and skill development for the social-emotional development of our youth. They are one of the key elements to Alpine Academy’s unique and successful approach.
Our newest couple, Cory and Leslie Paulos, relocated from Oklahoma with their daughter Kaylee (age 7) to join the Alpine Academy Team. Cory and Leslie bring several years of experience working with families and children, and have previous experience using the Teaching-Family Model.
Cory has been certified in the Teaching-Family Model three times and was elected TFA (Teaching-Family Association) Distinguished Practitioner of the year in 2008. He has also filled the role of a Group Home Program Consultant. Prior to his last 13 years of working with families and children, Cory was in the entertainment industry.
Leslie joins the team with 2 years’ experience in the Teaching-Family Model and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. Leslie has also worked with children and families through state agencies as a Family Case Worker and a Behavioral Health Rehabilitation Specialist.
The Paulos family enjoys spending time together watching movies, listening to music, playing games, and attending church together. They are excited and appreciative of the opportunity to encourage, support, and grow with the professionals and families of Alpine Academy.
Edge Learning & Wellness Collegiate Community (IL)
Making New Year’s resolution is a tradition in many parts. Sometimes they are articulated as general goals—“I’m going to get in shape this year!”—and other times into more actionable, measureable objectives like, “I will go to the gym three times a week.” A resolution itself is not change, though it does acknowledge the need for action and a readiness to engage in the real work of change. What are the other signs that someone is ready for change? How can friends and family support the change process? How does one know when change has happened?
Parents are often in the position to make difficult decisions with their young adult children. With emotions like pride, hope, concern, guilt, fear, and others involved, it is difficult to tell your 19-year old son that he needs to prove he is ready to return to campus before you will support him trying again. You can feel the urgency and earnestness in his plea to “let me try again—I know that I’m ready!” Unfortunately, a student without the opportunity to prove readiness can only talk and a parent without trust cannot offer the student a legitimate proving ground.
That crossroads is where young adult transition programs are able to offer something to parents and their young adult students. While at EDGE, measureable, achievable goals set by the student, parent, and staff can help clarify what work is required to earn another opportunity on campus or in independent living. Putting responsibility on the student to use the support and accountability of the program, parents can put themselves in the role of cheerleader instead of negotiator, supervisor, or evaluator. Students, instead of living at home, can separate from their parents and have the space to develop skills and demonstrate success in living autonomously.
Recognizing that change takes time and that multiple months of maintenance are the precursor to consistent, sustained success, EDGE Learning and Wellness recommends families commit to a minimum of six months in the program. Research by James Prochaska and Carlo DiClemente (Prochaska & DiClemente, 1983; Prochaska & Prochaska, 2009) on the Change process lays out stages that many go through as they work to improve some aspect of their lives. Acknowledging the need for change — making a commitment — is followed by developing a plan and taking action. Maintaining the change for a period of eight to twelve weeks without significant setbacks signifies a move into a maintenance cycle that becomes the “new normal.”
Even after the new behavior is established, the odds of relapse (a return to old behaviors) is high, which is why EDGE offers guidance and oversight throughout the process. Students who work toward change consistently for six to nine months at EDGE, practicing skills and maintaining healthy habits, confidently continue their journey of mastery by building a transition plan and successfully launching into their lives.
Contact Edge Learning and Wellness Collegiate Community at Info@EdgeLearningCommunity.com
EDGE Learning and Wellness has continued to improve its program through important partnerships. The newest of these is with Parent Coach Professionals. Beginning in February 2016, all new EDGE parents will be offered the opportunity to work with one of the premier parent coaching groups in the country. As an organization, Parent Coach Professionals has been providing high quality coaching services to families for over 25 years. These additional resources will enable parents to receive support outside of the program while also receiving valuable information and support from EDGE staff. Different perspectives will help parents examine their own roles and needs while creating healthy boundaries that allow their student to thrive.
We will be at NATSAP Conference in La Jolla, CA. We look forward to answering any questions about this new feature to support our families.
About EDGE Learning & Wellness Collegiate Community
EDGE’s location in downtown Chicago affords participants amazing experiences: immersion in a major city with the necessary support to be productive; numerous networking experiences; world-class educational institutions; and a broad array of career paths and positive influences to allow our students to pursue their passion.
To learn more about EDGE visit www.edgelearningcommunity.com or contact us directly through email: info@edgelearningcommunity.com or call John Conway at (224) 616-2655
Trails Carolina (NC), a wilderness therapy program for teens ages 10-17, believes great mentors can empower individuals to improve their lives, inspire hope in those who are struggling, and help people pass on wisdom to those who need it. At Trails Carolina, parent involvement is taken seriously into account. As a parent, being a positive mentor for your teen can help build and reinforce a bond between you and your child. Trails offers the following advice to ensure a positive mentorship experience:
- Get the timing right: some parents see a problem and want to help teens fix it right away. However, by attempting to mentor teens in the heat of the moment, the lesson can be lost because they are clouded by emotion. Instead, name the problem area and come back later to talk about it. Set aside a time in both your and your teen’s life that you can speak about this issue. A positive mentoring experience occurs when there are no time constraints and everyone’s emotions are in check.
- Allow your child to mentor you from time to time: teens have so many things they can teach parents. Everything from technology to the latest fashion and music can help parents understand more about today’s world. Creating these opportunities allows for the doors of communication to swing both ways. It helps create a connection that allows a child to be much more apt to be mentored by that parent in the future.
- Phrase mentoring differently for teens. Often, teens will push back when adults try to offer guidance. Instead of saying, “you’re doing this right and I can show you how to…”, say something like, “I think you’re doing a really good job in this particular area of your life. I think I can share some things that have helped me in the past that could help you become even greater than you are. I’d like to set up a time, maybe this weekend and I can show you. Both of us can see what would be most helpful for you”.
- Don’t just mentor your teen where you see there’s a need but also mentor where you can. Parents tend to focus their mentoring on areas that really bother them, such as school work and technology use. Parents can mentor teens in areas they are knowledgeable in that are not areas of contention, like cooking. This kind of mentoring can be non-threatening and offers a great opportunity for bonding.
- Have your own mentor. Speak about your experiences with mentors often with your child. Helping them see how your mentor, whether it’s someone you know professionally or through your community, is allowing you to become the person you want to be in your life can be really helpful for teens.
As a therapeutic program that fosters growth in young people, former students come back to Trails to act as mentors for current students.
“Former students come back for days, weeks, or even months to share their experiences before, during, and after their treatment. They discuss what brought them to this experience, what their experience at Trails was like and what wilderness treatment taught them,” says Jason McKeown LMFT, CPE-I, Director of Family Services at Trails Carolina.
In addition to mentoring current students, former students and parents can also mentor parents. These former students and parent mentors are usually willing to help in any way they can, speaking at parent workshops and on parent support calls.
Another way that Trails has embraced the mentoring philosophy: Trails has also incorporated a mentoring component within the programming internally. More senior, advanced level students who have gone through the program usually mentor newer students in the program.
“One of the best ways to learn something is to teach it. When one of our more senior students is able to teach or mentor other students in the group, it helps inspire and create hope in the new students,” comments McKeown. “It also reinforces for the advanced student how far they’ve come along in their program. Being able to be a living, breathing example of how someone has conquered a challenge or navigated an issue in their life can be extremely empowering to both students.”
Trails Carolina is a wilderness therapy program based just outside of Asheville, North Carolina that offers a multi-dimensional wilderness therapy model to troubled adolescents, ages 10-17. Trails capitalizes upon the profound effects of a student’s wilderness experience, and then combines that experience with strong clinical assessments and therapy. For additional information about Trails Carolina, please call 800-975-7303.
Katie Walsh, from The Wediko School and Barb Cunningham from Summit Prep, had the opportunity to visit many consultants throughout Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas on a 2 week trek. Our companion was Dave, Katie’s Grand Golden Retriever - what a road warrior!
Over the years we have both had the opportunity to set up tours for many consultants to visit our respective programs and other area programs. Typically, consultants come to the area for 3 to 5 days and tour 2-3 programs each day and often drive several hours in between programs. This is often an exhausting venture.
Our trip was similar except we were visiting consultants, not programs. It was so fun having the opportunity to visit folks on their own turf and to take in the scenery as we traveled. We started in Miami and ended in Asheville for the GEMS Conference. The Southern hospitality was awesome, the stops were dog friendly, and the weather…well we did not get into the brunt of Jonas, but had hoped for a bit warmer temps.
Here are 10 takeaways from our travels.
- It is harder to get to your destination on time than we thought.
- It is important to build in breaks, and stretch times. (More for Katie and Barb than Dave)
- People really can eat their way through the Southeast… Biscuits and Gravy, Grits, BBQ, muffins, pizza, and coffee.
- It is a challenge to get work done on the road. For example, being on a call when the GPS wants to give you several different turning options!
- It is important to have a phone with a hotspot AND have an Atlas!
- It is great to travel with someone who gets you and a Golden Retriever.
- If you are playing the license plate game, Hilton Head is a gold mine!
- Overpacking can come in handy when there is bizarre weather conditions.
- It is fun to spend time visiting with old and new friends… but then it is good to have nap time.
- There are some REALLY great consultants in the SE! Well, actually there are great consultants all over, but we just had the privilege to connect with these folks on this trip.
We realize that it is time to start planning our next adventure. Let’s see we have toured the NE, SE and Texas. Where to next? Stay tuned #Where'sDave may be coming to a location close to you!
Mansfield Hall began 2016 with an all-staff training focused on Restorative Justice, facilitated by Marc Wennberg and Jon Kidde (co-author of Restorative Justice: A Working Guide for Our Schools, with Rita Alfred, 2011), and was then followed up with Winter Convocation, which we kicked off with a structured Restorative Justice 'Circle Process' to help set the tone for the Spring Semester.
Restorative Justice is a philosophical framework which "promotes values and principles that use inclusive, collaborative approaches for being in community. These approaches validate the experiences and needs of everyone within the community, particularly those who have been marginalized, oppressed or harmed. These approaches allow us to act and respond in ways that are healing rather than alienating or coercive.” Lorraine Stutzman Amstutz and Judy H. Mullet, The Little Book of Restorative Discipline, 2005.
By begining our year with this day-long all-staff training, and starting our year with the 'Circle Process,' we are bringing Restorative Justice into the forefront of our dynamic work with our students. As a relationally-based program we're continuially (re)creating community and providing intentional social support for our students - many of whom may have some lagging skills in the area of social cognition. While the 'Circle Process' helps to lay a foundation for explicitly defining community expectations, it is but a small part of how the Restorative Justice approach is utilized at Mansfield Hall.
Restorative Justice dovetails seamlessly with our use of Collaborative Problem Solving, as well as provides a structure for students to utilize some of the skills they've learned and practiced in the Social Communication Seminar, which draws heavily on a Social Thinking (TM) - influenced approach to applied social pragmatics. By coupling CPS and Social Thinking, and augmenting them with Restorative Justice, social mistakes, miss-steps, and even transgressions can transition from "problems" or "mistakes" to real-world object lessons which are addressed in a supportive-to-all setting to help students develop their cognitive flexibility and perspective taking, and increase and deepen their capacity to understand how their actions impact others - all key steps on our student's progression toward authentic independence.
For more information about Mansfield Hall, or to learn about how we implement Restorative Justice, please check us out on All Kinds of Therapy, on the web at www.mansfieldhall.org, or contact Jake Weld, M. Ed., Director of Admissions.
College Excel (OR) has recently added a new 3,000 sq. foot multi-purpose Student Life Center. This facility has additional private coaching room, personal study stations and group seminar space. The Student Life Center also functions as a relaxing community space featuring table tennis, foosball and an 70" HD TV.
Moonridge Academy (UT) Clinical Director Jennifer Hedrick, MS, LCMHC wiill be presenting at NATSAP next week:
What if pretending to be an algebra instructor, who can only speak in Brittany Spears song lyrics, teaching to a class full of lactose intolerant zebras could help others understand the basic guidelines for honest relationships? Using improv as a therapeutic tool can be an effective way to help parallel this idea.
The four basic rules of improv are
1) Always “Yes and”
2) Commit fully
3) Leave your ego at the door
4) Respect.
This presentation will demonstrate how using the rules of imrov can provide structured opportunities to teach teens about honesty in relationships, validation and having a heart at peace. This presentation will also include an experiential activity. Join us Thursday morning!
Originally from Southern California, Jennifer came to Utah to attend both undergraduate and graduate school. She comes to Moonridge Academy from Southern Utah University where she worked in student development and academia for 18 years. She has received a significant amount of training in, and teaches, human development and group psychotherapy. Her experience has been diverse. She has worked with a variety of different ages and issues including intensive trauma groups, eating disorders, family of origin and attachment. Jennifer started working with adolescents in 2008 and discovered her passion for helping young people gain confidence in the understanding and expression of personal emotion. Jennifer not only loves working with youth but believes that strong family work is an integral part of the change process.
All of the services, supports and supervision we provide in our regular program are included in the transition program. However, the expectations, structure and method for providing support and assistance differs. The transition program itself is a small, stand-alone facility licensed by the state of Utah located about 4 miles from our Provo Campus and about 10 miles from our Springville campus.
Monday through Friday the girls participate in a regular schedule of activities at the Springville campus which includes school, therapy (individual and group), recreation therapy, skills groups and any other extra-curricular activity that is planned. They are on the Springville campus from 9:00 AM until 6:30 PM Monday through Friday.
On February 26th-28th, Dragonfly Transitions (OR) with facilitate a Family Workshop at the Running Y Ranch and Resort. Spread out over three days, this workshop will consist of comprehensive family therapy, informative presentations, and fun group activities.
Our Family Workshop often results in the most meaningful and uniquely impactful therapeutic progress for students and their families. This Workshop will provide a supportive space for open and direct dialogue between family members, which can increase self-awareness and mutual understanding. It also offers a great opportunity for families to interact with Dragonfly staff and connect with other families.
During the evenings and between scheduled Workshop activities, there is ample time for families to relax and enjoy each other’s company in the Klamath County area. There are many great spots for dining as well as indoor and outdoor activities. This Workshop offers an opportunity for students and families to nurture change and healing within the family system.
Pacific Quest (HI)’s Clinical Director, Lorraine Freedle, Ph.D., ABPdN will be co-presenting at the 2016 NATSAP Conference in La Jolla, CA. The back-to-back presentation entitled, “From Super Power to Darkest Hour: Giftedness... Why Does it Matter?” will take place on Thursday, February 11th from 1:45- 3:15 pm (Part I) and 3:30- 5:00 pm (Part II).
Dr. Freedle and Daniel Peters, Ph.D. will discuss how most educators and mental health providers receive little if any training in the characteristics and needs of students labeled “gifted” or “twice-exceptional (2e).” Gifted and 2e students have unique characteristics, along with tremendous potential and vulnerability. These students are typically more intense, sensitive, excitable and perfectionistic than others, and they are often misunderstood and misdiagnosed. Like other special needs populations, gifted and 2e students require differentiation and accommodation in education and treatment.
Participants in this presentation and experiential workshop will review characteristics of these students, discuss challenges, explore case studies, and develop interventions designed to transform suffering and fully embrace their high potential.
Additional Contributors include Heidi Molbak, M.S., NCC, CEP, Barbara Cunningham, Ed.D and Stephen H. Chou, Psy.D.
Valley View School (MA) students are taught the value of service as part of their developing character. We have generated a culture of service where each student has an opportunity to participate in various community projects and have contributed over 3000 hours of service to our local community throughout the past five years.
The value of service at Valley View comes into play in many ways. Students are offered a choice of service learning opportunities during their enrollment. Typically, our boys participate in regularly scheduled events, which may turn into long-term projects. Currently, 15 of our boys are involved in a weekly after school student mentoring program with local elementary school students. We help the youngsters engage in creative activities, games and recreational experiences for the purposes of learning to work with others while building social skills and having fun.
Other community service projects have included our fourth year working with the fund raising event "Heart for Heat" (raises funds for heat subsidies for those in need), The American Red Cross, The Quabbin Land Trust, "Socks for Siberia" (Russian orphanage), various church food pantries, 4H animal care and animal shelters, and senior citizen events.
Our projects are not limited to our local community, but also may take place on our campus. All Valley View students engage in an annual summer campus service project designed to improve the quality of campus life. This past summer, students took on the mission of landscaping a significant area of the Valley View campus.
Community service projects have offered our students the opportunity to concern themselves with the needs of others. This is a first time opportunity for many of our boys and it is a critical experience for them as they are often entrenched in the moment and have a tendency to think largely about themselves and their own needs. It is when they are exposed to the act of serving others that they can begin to learn the importance of putting others' needs first and thus, they learn the important lessons about how they fit into the world and what it is like to contribute to a problem as part of a solution, which may put their own problems into a better perspective. Valley View students develop a stronger sense of self worth through recognition and positive reinforcement and feelings are generated from making contributions to others without the desire to receive something in return. This character building opportunity is a valuable part of the Valley View student's overall experience.
Valley View School is a therapeutic boarding school fostering the growth of our students through a well developed, integrative program where supportive interventions and high expectations are balanced to create a structured and supportive learning environment. Our campus is rests on 215 acres of rolling hills and forests in the heart of boarding school country and is located 75 miles outside of Boston. Please contact Rick Bulger, Executive Director at 508-867-6505 and r.bulger@valleyviewschool.org for more information.
Brightstone Transitions and SUWS of the Carolinas are excited to host the 2nd Annual Southeast Conference on Autism on April 11th and 12th in Asheville. Dr Lauren Kenworthy will present on Unstuck and On Target: Teaching and Supporting Executive Functions. She is the Director of the Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders at Children's National Medical Center and is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Pediatrics, and Neurology, The George Washington University Medical School.
A panel discussion will include experts in our field discussing pertinent topics like treating students on the spectrum in a variety of settings.
If you would like to join or have questions please contact Jason Cox jason@brightstonetransitions.com or Deara Ball dball@suwscarolinas.com
Wilderness Therapy programs attract a disproportionate number of adopted clients. The wilderness therapy setting provides a unique opportunity to engage Presence, Attunement, Resonance and Trust with clients, key components in promoting healthy relational development of adoptees, regardless of the struggles adoption can bring.
SUWS of the Carolinas (NC) explores the incidence of adoption history in wilderness programs, investigates international vs. domestic adoption, explores the various mental health issues that often emerge among adoptees, and discusses evidence-based practice that best meet adopted children's needs. The discussion will be rooted in the framework of stages of human development, which can be unique for adopted children and adolescents.
SUWS therapist, Trysh Huntington delivers a powerful webinar on this topic, "Reaching the Adopted Child: The power of Presence, Attunement, Resonance and Trust."
Watch our series here http://www.suwscarolinas.com/about/webinars-workshops/
Applewood Transitions for Young Women (WV) is one of three programs operated by Q&A Associates. This program's unique qualities are many, but the signature difference piece is the Breakfast Nook Restaurant. The Applewood Inn is a three story building located in Canaan Valley, WV. Our clients begin developing real life job skills by working at the Breakfast Nook, which is open seven days per week. Each young woman has the opportunity to operate all aspects of the restaurant, including ordering, marketing, cooking, waitressing, washing dishes and customer service. Clients develop real world life skills and personal responsibility by having an external project that acts as a catalyst for internal changes and growth. We are in the height of ski season in Canaan Valley and the Breakfast Nook is a gathering spot for locals and seasonal folks looking for a good meal before they hit the slopes.
The Nook- as it is affectionately referred to by customers - is managed by former Applewood client, Colleen. Colleen came to Applewood as a client four years ago and is one of our many success stories at Q&A. She came to us with addiction issues, trauma, family conflict, academic challenges, depression, and anxiety. She took advantage of all facets of the program, and met every challenge with support of our staff and community. She moved into the transition phase of the program a year later and was managing the Nook at the time. She moved on to work in various restaurants and resorts in the community, using what skills she learned at the Nook to build on. She chose to stay here in Canaan Valley after she finished the program because she felt safe here and had built her own community of friends and always had us here for support. She purchased her own car (she saved $10,000 while in the program!) and has had her own apartment for over a year. A few months ago, we approached her to come back and manage the Nook again. She gladly accepted.
When I asked Colleen about what she felt was different about coming back to manage the Nook now versus when she was in the program, she said "The other jobs I had in those two years helped me grow and mature and gave me the confidence and skills to come back to be a better leader and mentor to the clients." The Breakfast Nook currently employs five Applewood clients and two Cabin Mountain clients. I asked her what was the biggest challenge of managing the clients that staff the Nook, she replied "It can be hard to work with their different challenges they face and behaviors they may have to manage."
Colleen said the most rewarding part of managing the Nook and working with the clients is seeing their confidence and abilities grow. She also stated "It's pretty cool to work in the food industry, which I love, and also help the clients." She also reflected about the customers and their support. "We have cards on each table describing Applewood and what we are about and the customers read that and are extremely supportive and patient."
Applewood Transition clients often struggle with recurring issues from adolescence, causing difficulties in transitioning effectively to independence. Many of our clients have participated in numberous forms of therapy, but have struggled translating what they have learned to real life. Supported and guided by Certified Life Coaches and mentors, clients are presented with real life situations on a daily basis. This provides opportunities for them to have genuine experiences rather than contrived outcomes.
Second Nature Footsteps Therapists, Carla Shorts, MS, LPCA and Liz Lucarelli, LPC, NCC are presenting Last to the Finish Line: Why Smart Kids Fall Behind in a Fast Paced World at next week's NATSAP conference in San Diego
In this dynamic and engaging presentation, Carla Shorts and Liz Lucarelli will help audience members experience first hand what an academic classroom feels like to a young person struggling with a processing speed issue.
This presentation is designed to help audience members understand not only how processing speed impacts students on an academic level but how these deficits impact students socially as well. Participants will learn simple and practical techniques to recognize processing speed deficits in the classroom along with strategies to mitigate these challenges for students.
NATSAP/San Diego
Friday, February 12 at 10:00 a.m.
Second Nature Uintas Therapist, Bryan Lepinske, LCSW to Co-Present at Upcoming NATSAP Conference in San Diego
Working with International Families in the Therapeutic Milieu
Thursday, February 11 at 3:30 p.m.
PRESENTERS: Educational Consultant, Rebecca Grappo, M.Ed. and Second Nature Therapist, Bryan Lepinske, LCSW
Rebecca Grappo, M.Ed, and Bryan Lepinski, LCSW, have teamed together for many years to work with international students and their families in therapeutic settings. Not only have they spent countless hours on calls to discuss the therapeutic journey of the students, but also to navigate the unique challenges of working with the parents. Sometimes the challenges involve language and culture, or the family’s ability to understand the clinical approaches to therapy. Other times, families may seem resistant to the therapeutic process, or need further education to better support the process. Planning for transitions and selecting the next appropriate therapeutic setting is often another hurdle that must be addressed.
In this session, Bryan and Rebecca will present a concrete overview of the common issues they have faced, using case studies to illustrate how some of these challenges were effectively managed. They will present treatment success stories as well as some endings that did not go as planned. And finally, they will provide tips and tools they have developed along the way to help participants effectively serve international students and families in various therapeutic settings.
Greenbrier Academy for Girls (WV) is excited about the mental health field as neuroscience is rapidly evolving to help guide therapeutic interventions. As our understanding of brain development and how such things as trauma impact the entire central nervous system expands, treatment modalities can be developed that more effectively target problematic behaviors.
I recently read an article on the topic of memory reconsolidating, which suggested a template for successful therapy. I was quite excited as I read the article, for two reasons. The first reason was my recognition that what the article describes as effective therapy is being carried out on a daily basis at Greenbrier Academy. My second reason, probably connected to my logical male brain, was my awareness that what constitutes a complete therapeutic process could be expressed in a formula that provides the clinician with a sense of direction within the "maze" that therapy sometimes resembles.
The formula is as follows; I ===> E x NB ?
Because I wouldn't expect anybody to decipher this equation, allow me to elaborate. The I represents implicit memory, which must be brought into consciousness for successful problem resolution.The E stands for explicit memory, defined as conscious recall. The NB stands for new behaviors, which must be practiced an unknown number of times before they become inculcated.
Let me illustrate through the work of a student at Greenbrier Academy. As is the case with roughly 30% of our girls, Susan (not her real name) was adopted. She has been in therapy since around the age of seven, and always steadfastly maintained that adoption was not an issue. Certainly an aspect of actualizing the formula is the skill of the therapist in being able to operationalize the various factors in a way that is meaningful for the client. Remember that the I stands for implicit memories, which are unconscious memories that are generally formed early in life. Once formed, they then tend to be "acted out", outside of the individual's conscious awareness. Rarely does a cognitive or literal intervention dissuade someone who is operating out of their unconscious beliefs. (Trying to tell an alcoholic to stop drinking, while good advice, it is doomed for failure ). Instead, the clinician must be skilled at helping track the ways that a person's present behaviors and feelings provide clues to where they may have originated in the dim remembrances of the past. When I first met with Susan, she was attempting to convince me that none of the other girls at our school liked her. As we began to explore this further, I gently suggested that she close her eyes and then began a guided imagery process to track how long that feeling of being unlikable had been present. Around an hour into our time together, as I was simply asking her to allow her thoughts and feelings to come to the surface, she began to softly cry. She opened her eyes and told me that she had experienced a vision of being handed away as a newborn, and as a result has always had a feeling that she wasn't wanted or likable. It should be noted that I was not this young woman's primary therapist, and accordingly, had not even been aware that she was adopted. I had simply been present when she was upset about her perceptions regarding being liked, but as described, the therapeutic intervention ended up being much more significant and deeper than what she had initially thought. In this way her implicit memories were brought into her explicit awareness. She had a powerful quote at the conclusion of our work, where she stated, " I have never been able to remember what happened, but at the same time I've never been able to forget it".
Her developing awareness of the origins of many of her self-doubts was helpful. However, insight alone will not create resolution, any more than knowing the language spoken in a foreign country will allow you to suddenly start speaking it! That is where the second part of the formula, new behaviors, practiced many times, is necessary to truly create a new identity. At Greenbrier, we provide many of these experiences, and the majority of the time the girls are not told, "we want you to try this new experience to contradict your old belief system". The conscious mind resists interventions, related to the intractable nature of implicit memories. Therefore, we have found it is best to place students in situations that will challenge the old limiting beliefs, while doing so in a manner where they don't feel they are artificially being praised or rewarded.
A powerful example that illustrates a new behavior becoming internalized occurred recently when our African drumming performance group presented at a Martin Luther King Day celebration. One of our drummers came back and was speaking to the community, describing how she felt inspired being part of something greater than herself while she drummed for the audience. This was a young woman who had attempted suicide and has done work on her implicit memory of feeling unimportant and not good enough. As she fed off the energy of the crowd, she became aware of her own smile, and further noticed that as she smiled, her perception was that everyone in the audience was smiling back at her. She excitedly shared the story with the GBA community, beaming the entire time, and almost incidentally adding how she cannot even remember her old feelings of depression and despair. According to the formula, I would suggest that she has done the work that allowed her unconscious, or implicit memories to surface, and she has now had many experiences that provide a contradiction to her feeling "invisible".
It is extremely exciting to be a part of this kind of transformation. You can literally see changes in the students’ physiology, as they begin smiling more, standing taller and looking people directly in the eye, as a result of changing these unconscious perceptual distortions. In future articles, we will discuss specific means of actualizing the formula, through methods and modalities that bring implicit memories to the surface, and how to skillfully provide contradictory experiences to help form a new identity.
--
Mike Beswick, LICSW, BCD
Clinical Director, Family Programming
Turn-About Ranch (UT) is pleased to announce the placement of the new admissions director Shane Young, M.S., ACMHC. Shane has a strong history of success with the ranch; Shane began working at Turn-About Ranch in 2009 while completing his master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. His unique opportunity of working as night and line staff contributed to his investment and success as one of Turn-About’s therapists. After a brief absence, Shane accepted his current position as Admissions Director in 2014.
Shane’s passion for counseling and talent for helping others have been a great fit for his role in the Admissions process. Families quickly realize Shane truly cares about their happiness and success. He helps parents assess and navigate the overwhelming events and decisions required to help their children succeed. Shane’s compassion for the conflicting emotions of parents is verified by his dedicated effort to help each and every family who reaches out to Turn-About Ranch.
From one of the parents of a Turn-About Ranch Student:
"…I’m grateful [God] led me to Turn-About, for the people He has place on our journey and, of course, for the outcome and hope for the future. On a personal note, I want to tell you, Shane, how thankful I am for you. Right from that first phone contact with you, I was encouraged and hopeful. (I had so much going on emotionally as both a devastated Mom and a newly grieving widow.) It is obvious to me that you love your job and have a huge heart for these kids. … God is using you in a mighty way. Thank you with all my heart!" -Robyn
Shane earned his bachelor’s degree in Psychology & Family Science from Brigham Young University in 1998. He worked full-time in construction to pay for college and the expenses of raising a family. After college, he built a successful career as a General Contractor. His wife and three children were very supportive with his decision to return to school for his master’s degree in 2009. The nearest school, University of Phoenix, was 3 hours away and Shane had just begun a large log home for a local family, but the family agreed to support him. When asked about it, Shane and his family have no regrets. “We’ve never looked back! It has been hard, but worth it and I couldn’t have done it without my family’s support along with the tremendous opportunities I’ve had with Turn-About Ranch.”
Turn-About Ranch appreciates the passion Shane brings, we look forward to continued success in this new position
For admissions questions please contact Shane Young, MS ACMHC Syoung@Turnaboutranch.Com or 800-084-21165
Kaizen Academy (UT) has been announced. The name Kaizen is borrowed from Japanese culture and means, in essence, “continuous improvement.” Continuous improvement, kaizen, is the backbone of the company and treatment culture. Kaizen Academy began 25 years ago by Lynn Loftin and Corbin Linde. Located up Utah's Spanish Fork Canyon, Kaizen provides comprehensive residential treatment for teenage boys who are struggling with inappropriate sexual behaviors. Over the course of more than two decades, Kaizen's core team blazed the trail for all other treatment centers working with this population. Kaizen's team are national experts in changing the lives of sexually inappropriate teen boys.
Loftin and Linde are pleased to announce the expansion of their executive team with the additions of Dr. Ken Huey as CEO and Dr. Clark Hammond as Executive Director. Dr. Huey will oversee all corporate functions, including expansion. Dr. Hammond will oversee operations at Kaizen’s primary facility. Huey and Hammond come to Kaizen Academy with years of experience in the treatment world. Dr. Huey was the primary founder of Calo in central Missouri. Dr. Hammond has been a clinician at Outback, Alpine Academy, and Telos, and was a founding partner at Wingate.
Kaizen Academy is the foremost residential treatment center for teenage boys who are struggling with inappropriate sexual behaviors. Kaizen has been in existence for over 25 years. More information on Kaizen can be found at www.kaizenrtc.com. For admissions information, please contact Lynn Loftin at 801-361-9917.
Daniels Academy (UT) has a new home in Heber along with our current home in Daniels. Having two homes allows us to serve more students while maintaining a home like environment that Daniels Academy is known for. Like the Daniels home, the Heber location will keep with our vision for Daniels Academy.
- Multiple places for socialization and recreation
- Low stimulation room (Chill Zone)
- Spacious gourmet kitchen and dining area
- Multiple washers and dryers for laundry
- Large backyard for outdoor recreation
- Community integrated location supporting our authentic to life approach
The two homes plus the two THRIVE apartments will increase our total student body to 30 students. This larger group provides more diversity in relationships, activities, student body interests, etc., yet still small enough to maintain our family style approach.
For more information contact Sean Haggerty, Admissions Director at sean@danielsacademy.net