Novitas Academy is proud to team up with Breakwater Expeditions for an adventure of a lifetime in the San Juan Islands! We have creatively combined Project Based Learning and Adventure Therapy for an unforgettable educational/therapeutic journey.
Breakwater comes at an exciting time for the Novitas boys! Our summer classes will feature many concepts that can be experienced on the San Juan Island Adventure! Here are some examples of what the boys will be learning in the field: Ecology will feature biogeochemical cycles and plants, animals, and environments of specific ecosystems including the ocean; Expository Writing will help students plan to write about their findings and experiences within a non-fiction setting; World Cultures in the U.S. will broaden perspectives of different cultures of people past and present in the United States, with the San Juan Islands being home to unique people; finally, in Experiential Math, students will be able to explore how math invades our everyday lives. These invasions will be relevant to the ocean in tidal changes, moon phases, and physics of kayaks.
Acknowledging self and Community while Educating the mind!
Acknowledge...
Students start by assessing their strengths, priorities, and barriers through creative exercises that are designed to uncover their natural talents as they focus on prime life objectives.
Community...
Participants explore how, why and with whom they communicate and collaborate as an important component in developing healthy relationship within their community.
Education...
By utilizing motivation, tools and outdoor classroom, students will transform an idea into a work of art. Staff will guide students through exercises, activities and discussions to build on personal knowledge.
Where the views and waters are clear, where natural wonders and experiences are expansive and abundant, we have developed an amazing experience for our boys! This fun-filled discovery experience will be led by Novitas faculty and Breakwater Expeditions.
For more information, please contact Kylie Peters, Novitas Admissions Director.
Operating costs for wilderness therapy programs will go up this year. Executive Order 13658 requires any wilderness therapy program holding permits for BLM, Forest Service, or other federal land is required to pay staff a minimum wage of $10.15 per hour, a rate higher than many states current minimum wage. The Executive Order effects operating costs at all wilderness therapy programs.
RedCliff Ascent is now helping families navigate the world of insurance reimbursement. RedCliff Ascent believes in paying a living wage and also believes in helping families and their children too. RedCliff Ascent is now helping families navigate the world of insurance reimbursement. In 2016, of the seventy-one families that have started this process, twenty-one families have worked through the requirements. Fifteen families have collected an average of just over $16,000. This is more than one full month of tuition. Insurance reimbursement is not a guarantee, but it worth investigation.
About RedCliff Ascent
RedCliff Ascent, located in Enterprise, UT is a clinically driven, outcomes-based approach to wilderness therapy. It began in 1993 and works with male and females ages 13-17 and young adults 18-26, operating both as single gender groups to assess and stabilize clients.
Mountain Valley Treatment Center located in Pike, NH was honored to host Jonathan Abramowitz, Ph.D. in June. Dr. Abramowitz, Professor and Associate Chair of the Department of Psychology and Clinical Program at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, spent two days with the Mountain Valley Clinical Team updating our clinicians on the latest Obssessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) research and providing case consults.
Mountain Valley is collaborating on a research project with Dr. Abramowitz and Lillian Reuman, MA. The project is looking to examine psychological predictors for sympton accommodation in families. The study will use clinical interviews and self-report surveys to gather data among co-residing relatives of individuals diagnosed with fear-based disorders. Mountain Valley is in an ideal position to help Dr. Abramowitz and Reuman with this research due to our narrow focus treating fear-based disorders like specific phobias and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
About Mountain Valley Treatment Center
Mountain Valley Treatment Center, a not for profit program, was founded in 2011 to provide intensive residential treatment to adolescent boys and girls and emerging adults struggling with severe anxiety, OCD and other related disorders. Located in Pike, NH at the edge of the White Mountain National Forest, Mountain Valley stands apart from like providers because of its specialization, its unique setting, and its comprehensive approach to care. Residents typically spend 60 to 90 days at MVTC taking advantage of the most effective evidence-based treatments through individual, group, and family therapy, conducted in a caring, supportive and ethical fashion that meet the unique needs of the individuals, and the expectations of the professional practice of social work, psychology, and psychiatry.
The first of its kind, Embark by Calo offers highly specialized and transformational Therapeutic Family Intensives and Therapeutic Family Workshops with the adoptive family in mind. These interventions address the root cause of what keeps many adoptive families stuck in dysfunctional patterns that impact their functioning.
Embark by Calo also announced the hiring of Cecily Mitchell, M.A., LPC as the Embark Director. Ms Mitchell is a former Calo Teens Therapist and has particular interest in attachment and trauma. She will oversee Embark which includes designing and implementing customized therapeutic experiences for families that align to their particular needs. Calo's Chief Executive Officer, Alex Stavros said in a statement, "We are pleased to welcome Cecily back to our family. She will not only help us create treatment that is not only specialized, but also extraordinary. With that in mind, EMBARK’s week-long Family Intensive is our newest one-of-a-kind intervention. The Intensive provides therapy, assessment, intervention and planning that accelerates healing".
Embark Family Intensives are for;
- Families not yet ready or perhaps don't need or maybe can't or don't want to pay for residential or wilderness treatment, but still want best in class specialized help.
- Families currently in a residential program, but are stuck and need help refocusing on the root issues.
- Families after completing a stint in residential or wilderness that need a family therapy capstone.
Embark is meant to provide 6 months of therapy in 3 to 5 days.
Rob Gent, Calo's Chief Clinical Officer explains, "our specialty is healing the effects of adverse childhood experiences, particularly as it relates to families with adopted children. During Embark Family Intensives we equip families with the experience and understanding they need to heal their family". Mitchell added, "The Clinicians and Neuro-technicians guide the family to implement techniques for increased regulation, boundary setting, connection, and consistency. Canines and adventure therapy also play a role in helping a family explore how their life history and neurobiology play out in the present. Upon completion a report that includes summary findings, test results, and proposed plan of treatment with interventions and next steps is provided.
To learn more about Embark by Calo, please contact Cecily Mitchell at Cmitchell@ca-lo.com.
College Excel is pleased to announce the launch of College Excel's MindSpa, a dedicated room for stress relief and anxiety reduction. In the MindSpa, students can read, listen to music, do yoga/pilates, or meditate, all while practicing healthy stress reduction techniques. This wonderful space also has aromatherapy and iPad apps to help with mindfulness and relaxation, serving as a quiet refuge for our students to decompress from the stressors of everyday life.
In the college setting, students are constantly faced with the numerous demands of higher education. With the MindSpa, students will now have a safe and relaxing place to decompress and practice the mindfullness that College Excel emphasize so much as a program. Moving forward, College Excel will be using this as a main tool for reducing anxiety.
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.
Evoke at Cascades is proud to announce that Birgit Show, M.Ed, BBS, has been awarded the NW Regional NATSAP Excellence in Service Award in the category of Direct Care.
Birgit Show is a German national, who earned her Masters degree from the University of Augsburg, in southern Germany. Her relationship with Evoke began in 2007 as a field staff, and then in 2014 she joined the clinical team as a Clinical Assistant. She often says she moved from Germany specifically to work for Evoke because of her belief in wilderness therapy and the company as a whole.
As a result of living and working in Germany, Canada and the U.S., as well as having traveled extensively to countries in Asia and Africa, she has deep respect for opportunities within cultural diversity and speaks several languages.
Birgit is truly the most consistently positive, enthusiastic, and compassionate individual. Evoke is especially proud and grateful to have Birgit as a part of their team because she goes out of her way to consistently give positive and personal feedback to all members of their program including field staff, office staff, the field department, and the clinical team. She is a champion for making sure everyone's voice is heard and honored. She helps everyone remember the importance of celebrating one another and their successes as a program even in times of high stress and challenge.
When Evoke mentioned to their staff that they would be nominating Birgit for this award and asked the question "what do you appreciate most about Birgit?", here are just a few things they shared:
"She always has foresight into the bigger picture and takes immediate action to solve any issue that comes her way. She is also the first to affirm others for their good work, and always thinks about other's experiences in work and life. She is one of the most selfless people we work with."
"Birgit sees through any mask I put on. She possesses such a high level of empathy, that it really seems as if she feels your feelings with you. That type of connection with someone is very special and hard to come by."
"She always looks for the good in others."
"Birgit is almost too good to be true. She always has a positive attitude and takes the time to connect with others no matter how much she herself is juggling. I always feel validated and supported by her."
"Birgit is one of a kind. She has two kids, works full time, and tells ME I can call anytime if I need something. She would give the shirt off her back for any of us. That's just who she is. She's a woman who is selflessly available and supportive no matter how challenging her day has been."
"Birgit is superhuman, she just had a baby and came back and covered for three groups, and she still manages to smile, ask me how I am doing, and joke about how all great things are German."
"In her clinical work with individuals, she brings a powerful balance of clinical wisdom and playful rapport building. With families she has a calm and nurturing style, and insight about navigating difficult family systems. We have had parents say "Birgit is warm and disarming. We feel at ease with her and know she genuinely cares" and "She is easy to talk to and we feel like she really understands our family. We wish we could have her work with us forever."
"She is so very humble in this world that is often too busy to take the time to recognize such a modest and giving personality. And yet she never misses an opportunity to take the time to recognize others."
Evoke at Cascades hopes Birgit feels recognized and celebrated after receiving the great honor of this award that she is so deserving of.
Evoke Therapy Programs at Cascades, in Bend, Oregon provides innovative mental health treatment solutions for struggling teens, young adults and their families. Their programs foster lasting change utilizing the power of nature and Wilderness Therapy. They also offer Personal Growth Intensive Workshops for individuals and families that are looking to create dynamic changes in their life or to simply find the balance they are seeking.
We are excited to announce the addition of Anamarie Rodabough to the Admissions Team at Kolob Canyon and Moonridge Academy. Anamarie is joining Shawnale Wilson in doing admissions for all three Southern Utah CERTS programs: Kolob Canyon, Moonridge Academy and Mountain Springs Prep. and eventually, Anamarie will be the Admissions Director for Kolob Canyon and Moonridge. Fortunately for Anamarie, she is working and being trained by the best!
Shawnale states, “Anamarie’s compassion, willingness and warmth is an instant fit for our girls and schools. I love working with her and bringing her into the magic.” Shawnale will continue to train and work with Anamarie for quite some time, so know that your referrals and families will be doubly cared for.
Anamarie is seasoned in working with special needs populations and is excited to join the world of adolescent residential treatment. Previously, she provided support and clinical services for individuals with intellectual disabilities. For the past 13 years, she has been the Executive Director of a private non-profit agency that provided guardianship services to individuals with incapacity. Anamarie has a Bachelor’s Degree from Brigham Young University. She is married and loves living in Southern Utah where she enjoys hiking and other outdoor activities, and being a grandmother to her adorable grandson.
Since coming on board, Anamarie is already camping, hiking and adventuring with our girls and teams. She is loving the experiential nature of everything we do!
Please contact either Shawnale Wilson or Anamarie Rodabough and let us know how we may assist you. Shawnale Wilson can be reached at 435.592.3220 or shawnaledwilson@gmail.com. Anamarie Rodabough may be reached at 435.383.3530 and anamarie@kolobcanyonrtc.com or anamarie@moonridgeacademy.com.
Heroic Journeys is Evoke’s 4 or 6 day Intensive program for families looking to create deeper connections with each other and to confront difficult family dynamics. Participants will come to understand themselves and their relationships better and they will come away with tools to communicate better in all their relationships.
Evoke’s Intensives are independent of Evoke's wilderness therapy programs, however, the Intensives can be coordinated while a teen or young adult is enrolled at Evoke, or when they are leaving Evoke, to help the family to develop communications skills, boundaries, support, and prepare them for the next transition.
This Intensive will be held at The Oasis, in the beautiful high desert among mustangs, elk, hawks, and other wildlife. It is nestled between rolling hills and boasts spectacular views. Evoke also hosts Intensives at a luxury cabin in Park City, Utah.
Read what a previous participant had to say about their experience:
"The Evoke Family Intensive Weekend was a life-changing event. For four days we (husband, wife and son) worked on our personal issues, delved into family of origin connections with behavior, learned communication skills and knocked down the walls we used to hide our deepest selves. The end result was better family communication and a depth of self-knowledge that brought us closer together. We left feeling exhausted and exhilarated. The three of us salute Brad for facilitating this remarkable weekend." - Intensive Participant
To learn more about the August 10-13 Heroic Journeys Family Intensive at the Oasis, please call one of our Admissions Counselors at 866.411.6600 or visit www.evoketherapy.com/intensives.
Evoke Therapy Programs at Entrada, in Santa Clara, Utah provides innovative mental health treatment solutions for struggling teens, young adults and their families. Their programs foster lasting change utilizing the power of nature and Wilderness Therapy. They also offer Personal Growth Intensive Workshops for individuals and families that are looking to create dynamic changes in their life or to simply find the balance they are seeking.
This summer, every Chrysalis student will be enrolled in “Seeing My Time,” an executive functioning (EF) curriculum by Marydee Skylar. We offered the class last summer and it proved to be very successful. The profile for teens and adults that benefit from this class is as follows: poor time management, procrastination connected to starting work or projects, failure to meet deadlines, failure to plan ahead, over-scheduling and poor paper management. You may have read that list and felt that you would benefit from this course. The truth is that anyone and everyone would only gain from this class.
EF skills are located in the prefrontal cortex of the brain and aid in impulse control and productivity. These skills include task initiation, regulating emotion, organization, time management, planning and prioritizing, goal-directed persistence, flexibility, sustained attention, response inhibition, working memory and metacognition. In teenagers, emotional escalation clouds underlying executive function, making it difficult to tease out the ‘what’s what.’ When emotional regulation improves, executive function deficits are more noticeable, and can subsequently improve with applied tools.
Let us highlight two keys of the curriculum. First, working memory is the part of our brain that keeps track of information, like a notebook. This is a critical piece to EF as most people can track seven pieces of information at a time, and with age, this capacity decreases. Second, metacognition is being able to think about your thinking, which brings focus to the task at hand and an increase of self-awareness to behavior and emotions.
With these things in mind, it is important to remember that an individual’s brain is not fully developed until the age of 25, so organic struggles with ADHD on top of a brain in development is a challenge for many teens, parents, and teachers. Some of the tools acquired in this course include discovering learning styles, note taking skills, planning and executing assignments, prioritizing, seeing time as concrete, and using organizational tools such as a planner, binders, folders, and sticky notes.
Students will come to understand if they are a “DVD” (visual) or a “CD” (auditory) learner. To accompany this is a new note taking technique that involves drawing symbols rather than writing words. The brain remembers pictures, as a picture is worth a thousand words, rather than keeping up with a lecture. Not only will they learn about their own brain development, but they learn the skills necessary to support growth and learning for a lifetime. Tools are beneficial when we know which to use and when. We look forward to watching them access their tool belt throughout the summer and school year because they will be more equipped than ever before!
During the summer months, Uinta Academy girls go on four horseback rides up Logan Canyon at the Beaver Mountain resort. These rides allow the girls to get out into nature and see the flora and fauna of the mountains. The girls get an opportunity to go on four different horseback rides to explore the wonders before them.
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.
An award winning neuroscientist from Harvard, Carl M. Anderson, PhD has joined our healing community. He will be our research director and will spearhead leading edge studies to improve the brain.
Carl will help launch the Healing Trauma Program, expanding on an emerging effort to help residential clients with mood regulation by strengthening the nervous system and brain functioning. The work is called the CooperRiis Neuro-Enhancement Program (CNEP), and it stems from one of the most significant scientific developments in the last several decades.
This breakthrough involves a treatment called “neurofeedback,” which is an interactive way to improve how the brain functions. Computers can transform brain activity into what appears to be music or video games, for instance. Certain brain activities will pause the music or make the game sputter, while other activities allow the music and games to continue. This "self-awareness" helps brains heal, similar to the way someone would see themselves in a mirror and immediately straighten their posture.
Since we started CNEP in 2014, we’ve used neuro-enhancement with 45 residents, helping them significantly improve in ways such as reasoning, executive functioning, complex attention and social acuity. Over several months, residents often reported that neurofeedback helped reduce their anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances and the effect of past traumas – which often spurs depression, substance abuse and psychosis.
Hiring Carl also marks a rare collaboration between mental health clinicians and neuroscientists. CooperRiis will now combine the best of relationship-centered care with the best of cutting-edge science. We’ll have the most advanced approach available for helping those with trauma heal and thrive.
We’re excited to have Dr. Anderson on our Team!
The CooperRiis Healing Community is a residential mental health facility founded in 2003 by parents of a child who faced mental health issues. Its campuses in Mill Spring and Asheville, N.C. have a resident-to-staff ratio that’s better than 1:1. They treat wellness, not illness. CooperRiis residents experience a holistic approach that includes daily service work, peer interaction, diet, exercise, self-esteem and empowerment. Data and anecdotes from residents show that CooperRiis helps them and their families get beyond helplessness and blame to a positive place of hope, support and transformation. Approximately 80 percent of residents who complete the program reach the level of independence they desire and are successfully reintegrated into the community, an achievement that has earned CooperRiis national recognition.
Fifteen years ago, Outback Therapeutic Expeditions began serving teens and families in the wilderness by helping them heal, grow and reconnect. The amazing wilderness setting combined with the strengths-based approach and clinical sophistication of Outback has been the catalyst of lasting change for thousands of students, families and employees. As Outback celebrates its 15th anniversary, we want to thank everyone who have made Outback such a wonderful refuge for growth. Over the last 15 years, parents have lent their trust and opened their hearts to a challenging process that has reshaped their lives. Students have pushed through difficulty and vulnerability to discover confidence and strength in ways that have established a foundation of health to build upon. Referring professionals have walked families through intense crisis and provided invaluable and life-altering guidance. Outback employees have poured their heart and energy into their role in the process of change. As we review the thousands of names and faces that have walked through the Outback doors and into the wilderness, we wanted to acknowledge the lasting impact you’ve had on us. Thank you for an amazing 15 years!
Outback Therapeutic Expeditions offers comprehensive assessments and treatment for teens through wilderness therapy. Outback offers help for troubled teens ages 13-17. Outback helps teens with various problems, such as depression, anxiety, engaging in dangerous behaviors, electronic and gaming addiction and more. Outback's treatment options place strong emphasis on healthy relationships, increased self-efficacy, and a healthy amount of autonomy through skill building.
Pacific Quest’s Clinical Director, Dr. Lorraine Freedle, was a keynote speaker at the recent National Sandplay Therapists of America (STA) Conference in Chicago. With over 200 doctors, clinicians and consultants in attendance, Dr. Freedle shared her passion and expertise for both Sandplay Therapy and the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics® (NMT) in her presentation, “Making Connections: The Neuropsychology of Sandplay Therapy.” Attendees represented Jungian sandplay professionals from all over the world, including the United States, Australia, Switzerland, South Africa, Italy, and Brazil.
The attendees were presented with a case study of Jimmy (pseudonym) that involved traumatic loss and profound healing through re-connection to self, others and the environment. Due to Jimmy’s implicit traumatic memories and emotional dysregulation, it was essential that the clinical interventions matched his neurodevelopmental stage. He thrived in a multi-sensory natural setting through horticultural therapy, meditation, and a wellness foundation to complement the therapeutic work being done.
Pacific Quest provides a safe place for young people to work through the obstacles that are preventing them from functioning at their full physical and emotional potential. Every aspect of the Pacific Quest treatment model is neurologically informed and designed to help settle the nervous system so that meaningful work can take place. The Sustainable Growth™ Model ensures that students have the corrective experiences needed to move through developmental blocks and that they develop mastery of the strength-based behaviors necessary for a successful transition.
Also while in attendance at the STA Conference, Dr. Freedle was honored with a research award. She was recognized for “Outstanding Contributions to Research in Sandplay Therapy” for original research titled:
- Freedle, L.R., Altschul, D.B., and Freedle, A.M. (2015). The Role of Sandplay Therapy in the Treatment of Adolescents and Young Adults with Co-occurring Substance Use Disorders and Trauma. Journal of Sandplay Therapy, XXIV (2), 127-145.
This is Dr. Freedle’s second STA award for her exceptional research on Sandplay Therapy.
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
On the 23rd and 24th of June, Elevations held a Family Seminar with the focus on parent, student and sibling relationships. Over 70 participants had a great chance to go and enjoy the natural beauty of Utah and participate in an overnight two-day Family Seminar, in the mountains above Ogden. Families were able to focus their energy on the joys of being a family while completing both naturally occurring and therapeutically orchestrated tasks. As a family, they prepared a Dutch Oven meal, went on a hike, and practiced their emotional regulation and communication skills while setting up their tents. Our students were able to talk about how therapy extends beyond the walls of Elevations and see the growth all members of the family are making in their journey towards a better future. Matt Seelos, LCSW Primary Therapist, says “whether it was playing in the water, a game of “Slammo”, sitting by the fire, listening to and playing guitar, or just lying in the tent talking with their child, it seemed like an irreplaceable experience for all that won't quickly be forgotten.”
Parents were given the opportunity to join their children in assigned community roles which encouraged them to step into new comfort levels and understanding of their child. “Around the campfire, parents and children were invited to share moments of vulnerability, which was both touching and inspiring” says Jennifer Maddock, LMFT. She also states “parents and students agreed that being out in nature helps create a place for growth and strength for themselves individually and as a family.”
Feedback from parents include:
“This was a perfect element to connect” -father
“Learning something new about myself and my child”. - mother
“Wonderful experience, take away all outside distractions and be together” –parents
“Working together and having jobs was an awesome bonding experience” – sibling
Parents and students were able to recognize the goodness of each other that has been disguised by years of problems.
Elevations RTC is a unique residential treatment center that works with both young men and women ages 13 - 18. Elevations offers guidance, support and relief to young men and women struggling with issues like trauma, depression, mood disorders, anxiety, behavioral problems, and substance use/abuse. Elevations RTC is located in Utah and provides specialized, clinically intensive programming for struggling teens. For more information, please contact Laura Burt or Tamra Foy at 1-866-952-7930.
Marci grew up in Georgia, and also lived in Idaho before settling in West Virginia. While working at Eckerd Youth Alternatives of the Blue Ridge, she knew that serving young people and their families was the work she was meant to do. In 2012, Marci joined the Q&A family as a mentor for Applewood Transitions, living at the Applewood Inn and Breakfast Nook as the "house mom". In 2014 she became a Certified Life Coach and began working with all of the clients in a different capacity, teaching life skills and working as the clients' advocate and coach as they reach their highest level of independence. Marci is known for "keeping it real". She has a natural ability to relate to our clients and see through their layers to what is real. She just has to give them a look and they know she is "on to them".
Marci also began volunteering with some of our other staff, to help at-risk youth in our local high school. The SPARK program provides coping skills and tools for students with issues at school or in their personal lives.
Having an entrepreneurial spirit is an integral part of what we do at Q&A. Marci is very creative and talented jewelry artist. She has her own business selling handmade jewelry online as well as at craft shows. She is a great role model to our clients and also inspires them to follow their passions in a way that may be profitable.
And as if she isn't busy enough, she is also finishing her degree in psychology and hopes to pursue a Masters Degree in Human Behavior.
Valley View School located in Brookfield, MA has opened its six-week mandatory summer program, running July 11 through August 20, 2016, to include "summer only" students. The summer program is ideal for students who may require a short period of structure and support while being fully engaged and having fun with peers and staff. Students are introduced to activities that they may not otherwise participate in at home. The VVS summer session is a great way for students to be a part of a school community and to get a feel for boarding school life.
Valley View firmly believes that continuity and structure within the overall program is paramount to the success of its students. The summer session provides many summer camp-type activities as well as an academic component that includes Math and Reading. The program is structured to be a fun and dynamic experience for students by including a wide variety of daily activities along with numerous field trips. The program is very hands-on and experiential and students are physically and mentally active throughout each day. The structure and support of the program continues throughout the summer to include individual therapy and group counseling sessions.
Summer Academics
Each student selects a summer class during the summer session. This class does not carry the formal role of a traditional academic class and the grade evaluation is based on participation and class projects. Field trips, hands-on activities, documentaries, interactive lessons, etc. are included in the daily curriculum. The goal of the class is for students to learn while having fun. Classes run Monday through Friday for the entire six-week program. Classes offered include History of Baseball, Nature/Ambient Photography, History of Film, Astronomy, "Curious" Historical Facts About New England, Arts & Crafts, Animal Investigation/Studies, Oceanography, Meteorology, Music & Art of a Generation, History of Rock N Roll, Painting.
Accelerated Reader Program
Each day during the summer session, students spend an hour reading. As students complete a book, they will use the Accelerated Reader (AR) program to demonstrate their level of comprehension. There are Junior High and High School AR points that the boys receive. Jr. High students must complete 6 AR points and High School students are required to complete 10 AR points by the end of the session. For the full-time VVS students, summer AR points are carried over and applied to the first Mid-term AR requirements.
Summer Activities
The daily program begins with structured group activities, which operate simutaneously and all students are required to participate. Activities are assigned on Monday morning and run for the duration of the week. Each group participates in one activity per week, rotating through each activity by the end of the session. Activities include Tennis, Art, Rocketry, Soccer, Golf, Fishing, Gardening, Current Events.
All students are required to participate in physical activity each day. Activity options include Hiking, Tennis, Pickup Incrediball, Dodge Ball, Golf Chipping/Putting, Lawn Games, Basketball, Disc Golf, Frisbee, Archery, Football, Softball, Running, Capture the Flag.
Students enjoy the late afternoon while engaging in selected outdoor activities, which may include Sailing, Fishing, Hiking, Tennis, Skateboarding, etc. Most evenings, activities take place off-campus and may include miniature golf, fishing, swimming, eating ice-cream, bowling, movies and visits to local bookstores. Students enjoy quiet time after a very active day by reading, playing board games, watching movies, playing pool, ping pong or just relaxing.
Summer Weekends
Weekends during the summer session are designed for longer adventures and fun. Activities may include beach trips, canoe camping, day hikes, backpacking, fishing and trips to Boston.
Valley View School is a small, therapeutic boarding school serving boys in grades 6-12 since 1970. The campus is situated on 215 acres of forests and rolling hills in the heart of New England just 75 miles outside of Boston. Valley View is a therapeutic community within a traditional boarding school setting that fosters the growth of its students through a well-developed, integrative program where supportive interventions and high expectations are balanced to create a structured and supportive learning environment.
Please contact Dr. Tony Gonzalez, Executive Director at 508-867-6505 and a.gonzalez@valleyviewschool.org for more information.
Daniel Fishburn, Clinical Director at SUWS of the Carolinas, recently joined mental health professionals from around the world in becoming a Certified PEERS Provider at UCLA’s Semel Institute for Neuroscience. The Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®) is a renowned, evidence-based program for friendship and social-skills training, but is also appropriate for preschoolers, adolescents, and young adults with ADHD, anxiety, and/or depression. The PEERS curriculum began with the work of Dr. Elizabeth Laugeson and Dr. Fred Frankel in 2005 and has expanded to several locations around the world.
SUWS has applied the PEERS model in the Approach program with great results. Approach serves adolescent boys ages 14-17 years of age who struggle with socio-emotional issues. Participating in the PEERS training allows Daniel to work side by side with experts in the field from different backgrounds to serve our clients. Many private practitioners, school counselors and academic researchers attend the annual trainings. Daniel looks forward to continuing our staff’s education in the application of this powerful, practical curriculum.
SUWS of the Carolinas is a wilderness treatment program for students 10-17 years of age who are working through addiction, depression, developmental disorders, and behavioral issues. Students work with a licensed clinician and experienced staff members in a supportive outdoor environment free from the stresses and distractions of everyday life. SUWS of the Carolinas operates within the Pisgah National Forest under permits issued by the United States Forest Service (USDA), and is subject to the USDA Civil Rights Non Discrimination Agreement (Form AD-475-C).
Have your eyes been closed to the issue of Sex Trafficking? Do you think this is only happening in large cities and countries outside the United States? Would you like to know what you can do to help? This is your opportunity to learn at the "Wake Up Call on Sex Trafficing Symposium," October 28th and 29th, 2016. The event will be located at the Greenbrier Resort, located in White Sulphur Springs, WV.
There are several featured speakers for this event including Tim Ballard, founder of Operation Underground Railroad (OUR) and a list of nationally recognized experts in the field, to open your eyes on this serious issue effecting all of us. Dr. Bent Slife is a clinical psychologist and Professor of Psychology at Brigham Young University. He is an accomplished author and co-author of over 200 articles and 8 books. Dr. Slife also continues his psychotherapy practice of over 30 years, where he specializes in marital and family therapies. Tina Frundt has been actively raising awareness of the commercial sexual exploitation of children since 2000. As a survivor of domestic sex trafficking, she has become a high profile national advocate on the issue. Angela Lindvall is a professional model, actress, environmentalist, and television host.
All of the proceeds of this event will goto Operation Underground Railroad (OUR)
To find out more about this event, please email wakeupcallonsextrafficking@gmail.com
Crossroads Academy was founded in 2007 by Sam Dahlin and Derek Bowles. Relational and experiential approaches are main components of the program. In 2014, Derek recognized a need for a Young Adult Transition Program, and it was only natural to have the same core philosophy and therapeutic approaches. When coming to visit the program, relationships and adventure sports will be positive aspects that prospective parents and participants immediately recognize.
Relational psychotherapists believe that the primary motivation of the psyche is to be in relationships with others. However, past interpersonal traumas (with a lowercase “t” or uppercase “T”) alter social expectations and create long lasting insecurities and fears. Relationalists emphasize a mixture of important therapeutic conversations and authentic spontaneity in order to create lively, genuine relationships (www.apa.org).
Experiential therapy is based on the direct involvement of therapists observing a specific activity. Each experience then highlights social interactions and behavioral patterns, which therapists either point out in the moment or intentionally explore in a therapy session (www.aee.org).
Pineview Reservoir, up the scenic Ogden canyon, brings beauty, water and an overall fun backsplash to build relationships and share experiences. Crossroads Young Adult Transition Program utilizes wake-boarding/surfing as a sport for participants to practice newly learned therapeutic tools. For example, many participants have personal goals to overcome social anxiety and obstacles to growth. This enables them to challenge fears of embarrassment and limiting self-beliefs about failure. Participants not only learn how to wake-board and wake-surf but also help teach their peers. This reciprocity is important for building self-efficacy and fostering a healthy sober community.
Next time you are in Ogden, please come join us for music, laughter, and witness this process for yourself!
Crossroads Academy serves adolescent boys 14-18 years old in three residential homes in Ogden, UT. As primarily a substance use program Crossroads Academy emphasizes adventure living and "The Seven Challenges". Crossroads Young Adult Transition Program treats young adult men, ages 18-26, with diagnoses most commonly involving substance use.
Susan Wittrock is Calo Teens’ and Calo Preteens’ first Program Experience Director – and likely the first position of its kind in our field. In this role, Mrs. Wittrock actively engages with families, students, program leaders, department managers, and frontline staff to plan and monitor strategies that improve the student and family experience. Ms. Wittrock also evaluates progress, synthesizes client feedback and identifies barriers to success. "We are fully committed to client engagement and this model does just that," said Chris Perkins, Calo Lake Ozark Chief Executive – who oversees both the Calo Teens and Calo Preteens programs. "Enhancing this position and its impact on our family’s experience is one of our top priorities."
Mrs. Wittrock has been with Calo for almost seven years – one of many that represent a strong nucleus of highly experienced and tenured teammates at the Lake Ozark campuses. Over the years Mrs. Wittrock has fulfilled multiple positions from Calo Teens Coach to Shift Lead. Susi understands what it's like to be a mother of a teenager in this day and age; she has two boys who recently finished high school. An adoptee herself, Susi can also relate firsthand to the experience of early trauma that the students at Calo are learning to heal. Born in Boston, MA and surrendered at birth, Susi required multiple major surgeries due to a birth defect of the digestive system, resulting in an extended hospital stay. Susi was then placed in foster care for two months before being adopted by her parents. This early trauma shaped Susi's outlook on life and provides her with deep compassion and empathy for the young people and parents who come to Calo to find healing and hope from the effects of early trauma, and the complications deriving from the experience of adoption. Susi explains, "I tell everyone that I never go to work. I simply leave one home and family in the morning to go to my other home and family across the lake". Mrs. Wittrock graduated from The Winchester-Thurston School and then attended Gordon College in Wenham, Massachusetts. She has been married to her husband, Gary, for nearly 24 years and has two sons - Jacob and Jonah.
About Calo Teens
Created with the need for specialty care in mind and with almost a decade of outcomes (over 400 families), Calo Teens is the first treatment center focused on adoptive families. Calo Teens implements a true relational-based treatment approach to create change from the inside out… heart first, and behavior second.
About Calo Preteens
A small and exclusive program offering an idyllic and natural therapeutic setting for adopted preteens to experience connection and acceptance. One of a kind treatment for adoptive families.
About Calo Programs
Calo (“kay-low”) Programs (www.caloprograms.com) is a behavioral and mental health provider specialized in healing the effects of complex developmental trauma. Calo is comprised of Calo Teens, Calo Preteens, both residential programs located in Lake Ozark, MO predominately serving adoptive families, New Vision Wilderness, trauma informed outdoor behavioral health programs in Wisconsin and Oregon (NVW”), Calo Young Adults, a transitional living program for young adults on Winchester VA and Embark by Calo a therapeutic workshop and family intensive assessment and treatment program for those reeling from issues of trauma, attachment and adoption.
Red Oak Recovery is thrilled to welcome new staff to our growing team! Larry Keller, CSAC, CAI, joined Red Oak Recovery as Program Director. Larry comes to us from Danville, Virginia. As an avid whitewater rafter, camper, and lifelong fan of spending time at the lake, he is thrilled to find a job that combines the great outdoors with recovery. Larry has completed multiple expeditions as a Master Therapeutic Wilderness Guide and is currently a certified Interventionist and Substance Abuse Counselor. You can tell he is passionate about this field by the articles he writes on various recovery websites and on Recovery Radio.
The Willows at Red Oak Recovery, the women's treatment program, is moving to a new location this summer. This will mean that there is room for growth in both numbers and service offerings to our clients and their families.
Please visit our new Red Oak Recovery website to learn more about our team. You can also reach out to Allison Hughes (Allisonh@redoakrecovery.com) if you have any questions or would like to visit.
The girls program at Heritage School located in Provo, UT provides unique opportunities for the students to develop confidence and overcome challenges. One of the ways the girls do this is through participation in the Heritage Summit (TM) program, a six-week rock climbing course that culiminates with a three-day canyoneering camping trip to southern Utah.
Every Friday for six weeks, the girls and Heritage recreation therapists work their way up to the canyoneering trip. They learn to climb and rappell in local canyons like American Fork and Rock Canyon that offer world-class climbing. After these adventures they process their experiences with their group.
One week the girls went rappelling at Battle Creek Falls in Pleasant Grove, UT where they had the opportunity to rappel next to a waterfall. All of the girls had fears about at least one aspect of the rappel but each of them were able to overcome their fears and complete the rappel at least once.
Each of the girls were challenged to pick one thing that they could focus on while rappelling to help decrease their fears. During processing they were challenged to relate their experience to life and pick one thing that keeps them in the boxes (Anatomy of Peace) and holds them back from having a heart at peace. They were challenged to let go of whatever it was that held them back. Recreation therapist Natalie Sagers reported that "The girls did amazing and were all very open to pushing themselves both during the rappel and in finding something to let go of."
A capstone activity, the canyoneering trip requires a series of rappels and really tests the girls skills and abilities. On several occassions students thought they wouldn't be able to make it as fear overcame them. Staff were proud to report that all girls succesfully completed the trip. These experiences have proven to be life-changing experiences that the girls won't soon forget.
Alpine Academy recently completed another highly successful Parent Workshop Weekend. Each quarter, Alpine hosts a workshop weekend for parents of current students. The May
workshop was attended by 90 parents who rated the overall weekend and experience as extremely relevant, helpful, and supportive.
Alpine Academy believes the treatment process is best served by a unified team of the student, her parents, and Alpine staff. This principle is backed up by a longitudinal research study
conducted with Alpine families over an eight-year period that showed the number one indicator of student success was parental involvement. Since then, Alpine has made a more concerted
effort to ensure this success by implementing strategies that incorporate the family into treatment throughout and following our work with their daughter. Hosting quarterly parent
workshop weekends is one of the many ways our families connect with and contribute to the ongoing work that is being done with and for each student.
These weekends kick off on Friday with a catered lunch and formal welcome, introductions, and an overview of what to expect. Parents are provided individual schedules based on the
track they are in. This track is dependent upon how long their daughter has been at Alpine. This allows parents to have scheduled appointments for family therapy, parent-teacher conferences,
and attend a training workshop specific to their track, thus facilitating their ability to meet and get to know parents on the same track and thereby developing meaningful and supportive
relationships.
Saturday is filled with breakout sessions facilitated by our team of clinicians who kick-off the morning with a group experiential activity for parents and their daughters. This activity is
followed by parents having the opportunity to choose from seven or eight comprehensive and clinically intense workshops. Parents can select two workshops to attend. Families on the tail-
end of their time, anticipating their daughter returning home in the next two to three months, are scheduled time with Alpine Academy's aftercare coordinator to that as a family they can work on
their individual plan for “life after Alpine.
Sunday is spent on Alpine's 36-acre campus, relaxing and sharing in the events of the individual homes their daughter lives in, or off-campus practicing all the skills they are learning and enjoying time together.
Alpine Academy strives to not only meet, but to exceed expectations, and is honored to have such a significant role in working with each student and every family that becomes part of our
Alpine family. Our team appreciates the work of everyone involved in making these weekends so productive and positive, and in the commitment of our parents and families on behalf of their
daughters.
Minnesota Life College (MLC) began in 1996, a unique program in the Twin Cities has been helping young people with learning differences (LD) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) learn independent living skills, gain vocational experience and make social and community connections that allow them to live happy, healthy, self-sufficient lives outside of a group home or their parents’ basement. A life-long program, MLC begins for many young people while still in high school with their participation in the three-week Summer Internship Program, designed to get them into a workplace to practice soft skills and off of a screen to make real world friends and connections. This summer in July, 18 students from across the US will travel to the Minneapolis area to spend three weeks working and playing together, and getting their first taste of what independent living could be like.
For young people who have graduated high school and are ready to take the next step, Minnesota Life College offers the Undergraduate Program. This three year program is designed to build skills in the six competency areas that MLC's two decades of research and data collection have shown are most likely to lead them to successful independence: activities of daily living, medication management, work readiness, community connections, personal supports and overall health and wellness. In the past 20 years, 116 students have graduated from the Undergraduate Program, all of whom have been living independently since their graduation. Says a current student, “at MLC, it was the first time I felt like teachers recognized what I was good at, and helped me build on that. Each day I learn something that is actually useful, whether it is how to plan a healthy menu, avoid a credit card scam, take the bus to a doctor’s appointment, or make friends. My sister doesn’t have autism but she asks me for help sometimes with cooking because I know it better than she does!” MLC's Undergraduate Program has an average employment rate of 90% of graduating seniors, far better than the national average for young people on the spectrum.
Upon graduation, most of MLC undergrad’s enter into the Community Living Program (CLP), a life-long supportive program that helps individuals with ASD and LD maintain their independent lives and jobs through social activities, small group education sessions, health and wellness training, monthly check-ins with Minnesota Life College staff, and vocational support, as needed. The Community Living Program also offers support for parents and siblings, as they begin to make lifetime assistance plans for their child, to ensure their health, well-being, and financial stability throughout life. A long-time CLP member describes the experience thusly: “In CLP, I live with my wife [another CLP member]; I do my own cooking, cleaning and laundry, all the stuff in learned in undergrad. I go to work each day without a job coach, and I love my job—I have been there 8 years! When she and I get home from work, we invite our friends over for dinner, and then go out to the movies, a concert, to our 5K club, or see what is happening at the CLP Annex. I am independent, but I never feel alone.”
Happy, healthy, working, independent, and connected--isn't this what many parents want for their children?
Minnesota Life College has a few openings for the Fall 2016 Undergraduate Program, and is also accepting applications for the 2017 Summer Internship Program and the Fall 2017 Undergraduate Program. To learn more, please contact Director of Enrollment and Outreach Nina Jonson or 612.876.9431.