Summit Prep School In Kalispell, MT was recently chosen the Best Private School in Montana according to Niche, an independent research company, which recently presented their 2016 selections. The list was recently featured in Business Insider magazine. The selection criteria are based on test scores, college selections and student comments. To view the entire list click here.
businessinsider.com/niche-best-private-high-school-in-every-state-2016-3
Prepare To Bloom, LLC welcomes Sarah McGuiness to our team!
Sarah McGuiness has a Master’s degrees in both Developmental Psychology and Professional Counseling. She has worked and consulted for a wide variety of addiction and mental health service providers focusing on everything from clinical services to business development and creating a network of supportive industry leaders around the country.
Her talents cover a broad spectrum of administrative, leadership and clinical areas, and her real gift is working with individual and families in crisis. She has learned over the past 20 years that working directly with families is where she feels the most helpful and necessary, so joining the team at Prepare to Bloom was the clear next step in her career.
Sarah lives in the Colorado Rockies with her husband Mark, and two amazing children, Nicole and Thomas who have just entered their teen years which is adding to her already significant level of empathy.
The Prepare To Bloom team is very excited to have Sarah joining us.
Aspiro’s Vantage Point program is the industry's leader in Wilderness Adventure Therapy for Level 1 Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, along with other social, learning, and neurodevelopmental challenges.
The Aspiro Group enthusiastically welcomes Brandon Andrus, LCSW to the Vantage Point clinical team. Brandon will serve as a primary therapist and will be working alongside other Vantage Point team members such as Jamie Kaczmarek and Dr. Carl Smoot.
Brandon has over 13 years of practice experience. Brandon’s experience began in 2002 spaned a wide range from adjudicated teens focusing on outdoor recreation, Program Director and Therapist at a therapudic boarding school.
If you have any questions or would like to learn more about Vantage Point, please feel free to contact our team at (801) 349-2740 or info@aspiroadventure.com.
Cabin Mountain Living Center is long term program for young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or other neurocogitive disorders and part of Q&A Family of Programs. Cabin Mountain was recently featured in the InterMountain Newspaper based in Elkins, WV. With April being Autism Awareness Month the article highlights the ASD population we serve as well as the amazing new Old Mill Campus where our clients now reside. See the attached article for more information!
Growing up in a small town in rural Utah, Janna spent most of her time outside, enjoying nature, and traveling with her family whenever possible. At a young age, she developed a passion for serving her community by following her father, a family practice doctor, around on his house calls. Janna enjoys hiking, backpacking, snowboarding, water skiing, and almost any other outdoor adventure available. She explained:
“I love to be outside. It is the perfect therapy for me. Using my body and being outside is healing for my soul.”
Now, at Pure Life by Aspiro, Janna is excited to have the opportunity to combine her passion for travel, adventure, and the outdoors, with her expertise in helping young adults grow. About Wilderness Adventure Therapy, Janna said:
“I feel like there is a lot of power in doing hard things and challenging ourselves. There is something that happens inside of us while doing these hard things, out in nature, that is life changing.”
Janna has 13 years of experience as a therapist, working in many different settings including in-patient, residential, day patient, intensive out patient, group and family therapy. She earned a Masters in Social Work from the University of Utah in 2003 and got her LCSW in 2006. Upon graduation, Janna began work at the University of Utah Neuropsychiatric Institute (UNI) where she ran groups for clients and families struggling with substance abuse and addiction. Later, she joined the Center for Change where she worked with clients with body image issues and eating disorders coupled with addiction.
Janna favors a strengths-based family systems approach to therapy. She believes that families always do their best, and in her work she draws on those good intentions to be the impetus for change. Over the years, she has developed expertise in working with young adults with depression, anxiety, trauma issues, eating disorders, substance abuse and dependence, body image and identity issues, and self-harm.
Join us in welcoming Janna to the Pure Life Aspiro team!
Trails Carolina, a leading wilderness therapy, gives insight into preventing alcohol use in teens in recognition of Alcohol Awareness Month.
Trails Carolina, a leading wilderness therapy program for teens ages 10-17, offers advice for parents of teens struggling with alcohol use. As a wilderness therapy program staffed by Master’s level therapists with years of experience treating teens struggling with substance use issues, Trails Carolina lends their expertise to parents seeking help for teens at risk of experimenting with alcohol.
According to the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 35.1 percent of 15 year-olds reported having at least one drink in their lives. In that same survey, 5.4 million people ages 12-20 reportedly engage in binge drinking.
Trails Carolina Wilderness Therapy program offers the following advice in order to prevent alcohol use in teens:
- Talking to teens about the risks of drinking and leaving an open door for conversation.
- Getting acquainted with a child’s friends and being aware of teen’s whereabouts when they are with friends.
- Sharing expectations and reasonable consequences for breaking rules.
- Reducing easy accessibility to alcohol within the home.
- Setting good examples of health and appropriate boundaries.
Parents should also watch out for specific signs of alcohol use in teens. These signs may include: academic decline; sudden change in friends; unusually passive or argumentative behaviors; marked behavioral changes; sudden, inexplicable need for money; increased interpersonal struggles; loss of interest in previously-enjoyed activities; and alcohol use in spite of consequences.
“It’s important for parents to establish an open channel of communication with their child,” says Todd Green, MSW LCSW, Primary Therapist at Trails Carolina. “Being judgmental of their actions will only make them shut down communication. If these honest, open conversations aren’t enough, it may be time to contact a professional for help.”
Getting professional help for your child’s substance use issue can prevent such risks as brain damage and serious injury.
"Wilderness therapy provides an incredibly potent setting for substance using adolescents,” comments Ashley Brown, MSW, LCSW, LCAS, Primary Therapist at Trails Carolina. “It's here, often for the first time, that students face their painful stories, relationships, and challenges, while being sober. And it's in wilderness and sobriety, where they so often find the more powerful rites of passage and the more memorable moments of laughter and vulnerability."
Trails Carolina offers a combination of Seven Challenge Principles and Phase Work to help teens struggling with alcohol use issues.
For more information about Trails Carolina Wilderness Therapy Program, please call 800-975-7303 today.
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 visit http://trailscarolina.com/ or call 800-975-7303.
College Excel located in Bend, OR has a summer term. It is always the most popular and 'activity filled' term of the year. You can now view our summer schedule, http://www.collegeexcel.com/#!summer-program/ams4m . The term begins June 13th, 2016.
Our summer term is an option as a stand-alone program or a great option for high school student looking to get some real life college experience before embarking on their own independent college journey. Over the course of the summer students can receive up to 11 tranferable college credits. This includes the help of our team of coaches to support you and your goals. The term is not all classes, there are lots of exciting Central Oregon summer activities including white water rafting, mountain biking, backyard BBQ's, hiking and more.
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. Participants must graduate from high school or have a GED.
In April, a Summit Prep Alum, who will be graduating this Spring in biomedical sciences, was awarded the Outstanding Undergraduate Scholar Award at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT).
This was the 40th year that RIT has presented this award. Each of the students honored with this award achieved the distinction of maintaining a minimum grade-point average of 3.85 out of a possible 4.0, having completed at least 83 credit hours of study (which is more than 2/3 of the credit hours required for a baccalaureate degree. In addition, selection of students was based on other factors complementing academic achievement, such as creative work, service on student committees, civic activities, employment and independent research.
As a part of this award, each student was allowed to name a teacher he felt had a positive influence on him, and invite that teacher as his guest to the award ceremony and banquet. Summit Prep’s math teacher, Eric Nelson was selected to attend. RIT flew Eric out to New York where is attended the Awards Banquet.
Here is what Alex had to say about Eric:
“I have chosen to nominate Eric Nelson because he has served as an outstanding mentor and role model for me. I had him as a teacher for two terms of physics, a course which I previously had no knowledge in. He helped to break down the concepts in ways that were easy to understand. And I was able to apply the information I gleaned from the class to RIT’s College Physics sequence and my studies for the MCAT. On top of this, he supervised me through a calculus independent study. This meant helping me construct an organized schedule to complete all the assignments and tests in a timely manner so that I would be prepared for the AP Exam in May. With his help I completed the course, scored a 5 on the exam, and used the knowledge to perform strongly in the Project Based Calculus sequence at RIT. On top of this, Eric is a very positive role model. He serves in the National Guard in Montana and is able to balance both his teaching and military career and remain diligent and organized when it comes to both. He passed on tips for organization to me, such as maintaining a planner for school assignments. And he helped me learn how to break projects down into small parts and pace myself so I would not get overwhelmed. Skills like these have served me greatly in my academic career at RIT, which is why I would like to see him recognized, and thus nominated him.”
Nelson shared with the staff that he had a wonderful time witnessing a former student graduated and felt quite honored to be asked to attend. Congratulations goes out to both of these men.
For more information Summit Prep a therapudic boarding school located in Kalispell, MT, please call 407-758-8113.
Leading residential treatment center, Elevations RTC, located in Syracuse, UT, introduces two new members of academic staff. Since opening in 2014, Elevations RTC has been committed to providing top notch academics to students.
Ernest Terrazas is one of two new teachers at Elevations RTC. Terrazas began teaching English at Elevations in early 2016. Raised in Utah, Terrazas earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Secondary Education and Foreign Language from Weber State University. He is currently licensed to teach Language Arts and enjoys teaching the subject as it pertains to real life situations and everyday activities.
“Ernest has easily transitioned into working with the team as well as with the students,” says Jen Capellen, Dean of Students at Elevations RTC. “We’re so excited to have him on board as a member of our growing academic team.”
When Terrazas is not teaching at Elevations, he enjoys spending time with his family, grilling, reading and writing short stories. He’s also an avid baseball and football fan.
Jonny Tanner, the new art teacher at Elevations RTC, holds an Art Education Degree from Brigham Young University, Idaho. “I am so ecstatic to be teaching art at Elevations RTC. Creation is one of the key purposes for the soul,” says Tanner. “Whatever way students create – whether it be writing, painting, gardening, dancing, cooking, singing, acting, inventing – it can improve their overall well-being.”
In his free time, Tanner works in his painting studio. His favorite mediums of art are mixed media painting and printmaking. When he’s not creating art, he loves to surf, ski, and skateboard.
“Jonny’s motto is ‘smile- pass it on’,” comments Capellen. “That perfectly depicts the kind of person and teacher Jonny is. He’s going to be a valuable member of our team at Elevations RTC.”
Elevations RTC is accredited by AdvancED/Northwest Accreditation Commission and is accredited as a Non-Public School with the California Department of Education. Elevations classrooms have a 9:1 student/teacher ratio. On- site SAT test administration and college/career planning services are other highlights of Elevations’ academic program.
One of the most unique aspects of Elevations RTC is a fully accredited college prep high school and unmatched academic integration. Elevations supports a subject-specific, normal high school experience with a whole-class instruction model that is very different from other adolescent treatment programs with similar levels of clinical care.
Elevations RTC is a unique residential treatment center that works with both young men and women ages 13 - 17. Elevations offers guidance, support and relief to young men and women struggling with issues like trauma, depression, mood disorders, behavioral problems, and substance abuse. Elevations RTC is located in Utah and provides specialized, clinically intensive programs to troubled teens. For more information, please contact Laura Burt or Tamra Foy at 1-866-952-7930.
Cara Dunn, Field Instructor at Evoke Therapy Programs at Entrada, has been recognized with the Excellence in Service Award presented by the National Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP) at their Southwest Regional Conference held in Saint George, Utah.
Cara has shown dedication, enthusiasm and passion for her work over the last 6 years that she has worked as a Field Instructor at Evoke, and we are so appreciative for the work that she does. Cara is so deserving of this recognition and is a leader and example to all of us at Evoke. Click here to read some quotes from Cara's peers.
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.
ViewPoint Center, a leading teen mental health assessment center located in Syracuse, UT, proudly puts a spotlight on the work and experience of Jennifer Young PMHNP-BC and Chris Paegle PMHCNS-BC. As full-time, board certified psychiatric nurse practiioners, Jennifer and Chris are are available to assess and evalute clients on a daily or weekly basis. The level of their availability allows for accurate, clearly defined diagnosed and recommendations for future treatment.
Jennifer Young, PMHNP-BC, is a board certified as Clinical Nurse Specialist in child/Adolesent Psychiatric and Mental Health. She has worked with children and adolescents in psychiatric settings including residential treatment programs, inpatient and outpatient since 1996. Jennifer graduated forn the University of Utah with a dual Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and Nursing in 1998. She completed her graduate studies at the University of Utah in Mental Health Nursing and received a Master's degree in 2000.
Chris Paegle, PMHCNS-BC, has practiced as a Psychaitric Nurse Practitioner since 2004 after graduating with a Master's degree from the University of Utah. She began working in community mental health, psychiatrically assessing and treating children, adolescents and audlt in outpatient and day treatment setting. In 2011, she begain working at Primary Chidren's Medical Center, providing psychiatric stabilization in an acute, inpatient setting. An interest in understanding the process of change compelled Chris to shift gears in January 2013, when she began working at Elevations RTC. In June 2014 an opportunity surfaced for her to combine what has appealed to her most from both inpatient and residential setting, by taking a posittion at ViewPoint Center.
"Both Jennifer and Chris have helped accurtely assess, diagnose, and find the best treatment for hundreds of teens during their years of experience in the psychiatric field," says Clinical Director, Jennifer Wilde, L.C.S.W, "We are so lucky to have them as a members of our team."
It is my pleasure to announce that Dr. A.M. Gonzalez has joined Valley View School as my successor. Dr. Gonzalez has the education, extensive training and experience as a clinical psychologist and chief administrator. He has worked with youth, adults and families through private practice, medical centers, educational institutions and behavioral settings.
I am confident that Dr. Gonzalez is forward thinking and brings tremendous depth to Valley View. He has the vision and drive to enhance programs to meet the needs of our students and their families. Dr. Gonzalez has embraced the Valley View community and will demonstrate his dedication and planning by addressing the challenges of today and transitioning Valley View School to the future.
As the founder of Valley View School, I look back and am humbled by the positive outcomes experienced through the milieu for the past 45 years. Looking forward, I can visualize the wonderful future that lies ahead under the leadership of Dr. Gonzalez.
Please help us welcome Dr. Gonzalez to Valley View School. He may be reached directly at 508-867-6505 and a.gonzalez@valleyviewschool.org.
Philip G. Spiva, Ph.D.
Founder, Valley View School
EDGE Learning & Wellness (IL) is excited to announce the launch of our new website! We have learned a lot about ourselves over the last 5 years and received a wonderful feedback about our previous site. We invite you to take a look at www.edgelearningcommunity.com and share your experience on our new site. We hope you find it clean, concise and a bold statement of who EDGE is and the types of emerging adults that we help.
EDGE Learning and Wellness Collegiate Community located in Chicago, IL offers therapeutically supported residential and non-residential options for post-treatment young adults. The participants, ages 18 -24, are striving to excel academically, while creating a life of balance, joy, and wellness.
Tim Mullins, MA, LCPC has joined the Pacific Quest (HI) Clinical Team and brings over ten years of experience in the outdoor therapeutic industry. He offers a wealth of personal and professional experience and has the unique ability to balance clinical insight with his sense of humor, a perfect match for working with young people.
Becoming a therapist has been the natural outcome of a lifelong interest in the inner workings of the mind and central to Tim’s professional interest is his recovery life. With 19 years of sobriety, Tim has had a remarkable journey from a seemingly hopeless frame of mind to a life directed towards health, study, and service. Dr. Lorraine Freedle, Clinical Director, comments, "Tim is rock solid. He blends years of experience in wilderness therapy and addictions recovery with a holistic and transpersonal perspective that deepens the work in a unique and powerful way.”
Working at Pacific Quest aligns with Tim’s integral values. As a yoga practitioner and instructor, he came to understand how people can become attuned to their inner landscape through working in a natural environment. As an organic gardener, connecting with the land and the environment is a spiritual endeavor that feeds the body and the mind. Tim believes that it is a disconnection from the natural world that is at the core of many modern problems. “Getting back to the garden means reconnecting to the source of our physical and psychological sustenance,” adds Tim.
Tim is a licensed clinical professional counselor and considers himself an integrative practitioner. He has a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from Prescott College, and is currently pursuing his doctoral degree in psychology at California Southern University, with a focus on the integration of science and the perennial philosophies into an interdisciplinary psychology.
Tim’s interests are wide ranging and eclectic. He is an avid chess player and an Argentine Tango dancer. Tim enjoys hiking, biking, backpacking, and scuba diving. He also designs and (occasionally) builds residential and commercial structures with a particular interest in the psychology of constructed spaces that are attuned to their respective environments.
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
“Anxious”, “Exhausted”, “Feeling ineffective” – These are words used by many therapists who have served clients suffering from Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Marsha Linehan, the founder of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), contends this is a typical and unfortunate result of attempting to manage a client with BPD using traditional methods. Interestingly, according to Dr. Linehan, traditional therapies, especially Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies, may actually exacerbate the client’s issues because the client experiences the techniques as invalidating. DBT, conversely, seeks to establish a validating environment.
What is Invalidation?
Invalidation is easily explained. A well-meaning therapist may confront and suggest reasonable and helpful behavioral changes and associated strategies. The client, however, experiences this as harsh criticism, because clients with this disorder tend to lack appropriate defenses. They experience themselves as unfinished, shameful, rotten, etc. Given this, BPD clients see suggestions as the therapist pointing out flaws, which is incredibly painful for them - Invalidating.
An effective DBT always focuses on validation strategy (Linehan says 85% of DBT is validation). Validation builds strong rapport, which allows the therapist to suggest behavioral change in a way the client can accept.
Finding Balance
Effective therapists must balance validation and acceptance with behavioral change. In DBT the therapist must practice mindfulness, acceptance, and effectiveness. A therapist, using this technique, validates the client’s behavior regardless of how self-defeating or destructive the behaviors may be. Validation does not equate to condoning behaviors. Rather, the therapist may say, “This self-injuring behavior makes sense given your history, anxiety, etc. It is what you always have done. I know you have experienced this as soothing in the past. At some level you think this works for you.” Never do they say, “This is OK.”
Behavior Change Strategies
When the validating environment is established with acceptance and unconditional regard, the therapist can begin to help the client create behavior-change strategies. The therapist will draw from the skills the client is learning in the DBT skills classes.
The client will learn more effective skills to replace the behaviors that are disrupting their life and keeping them from attaining a life worth living. Moreover, DBT skills development helps alleviate therapy-interfering behavior.
The client learns four categories of skills: Core Mindfulness; Distress Tolerance; Interpersonal Effectiveness; and Emotion Regulation. Within each of these categories are multiple specific skills. An example of a Core Mindfulness skill is the Wise Mind skill. This skill teaches the client to attend ultimately simultaneously to their emotional and logical mind. As a client is making a life decision or reacting to a situation they access the messages from both parts of their mind. Synthesizing the opposing messages allows the client to make a decision from their wise mind.
For many skills Dr. Linehan has developed clever acronyms to help clients (and therapists) remember them. For instance, an Interpersonal Effectiveness skill, aimed at helping navigate relationships, is the G.I.V.E. skill. G-be Gentle in your approach, I – act Interested in the other person, V- Validate the other’s feelings, and E- use and Easy manner.
Notably, DBT requires that therapists be practicing these skills in their own lives and practices.
Remaining Effective as a Therapist
The components of DBT are designed not only to help the client, but to help the therapist remain effective and mindful. DBT buffers against the feelings expressed by therapists in the opening sentence. The components include Individual Therapy, Skills Training, and Consultation Team. The Consultation Team is designed to help the therapist stay true to the model, practice effective therapy, experience support, and remain mindful. Thus, providing a network on non-judgmental teammates to help the therapist feel invigorated and effective.
In summation DBT is proven to be more effective at treating BPD than treatment as usual. Moreover, it helps practitioners remain mindful and effective.
DBT in New Roads’ Outpatient:
New Roads’ therapists are all intensively trained in DBT. The effective and evidence-based therapy described above is offered to clients on an outpatient basis with or without supported housing. In this program, clients attend skills groups, therapy groups, and individual therapy. Telephone consultation is available to them. Further, clients in this program can access on-site psychiatric care.
New Roads Behavioral Health’s family of treatment programs are based upon a holistic, community-focused treatment approach, with a foundation in research and results. New Roads has residential treatment, transitional living, and outpatient options for their clients. There are three distinct and completely separate programs within the residential and transitional living; Pathways to Healing (PATH), Women’s Road to Healing (Worth), and New Roads to Healing (NoRTH). PATH is a dual-diagnosis treatment program for young men between the ages of 18-28 struggling with substance abuse and mental health concerns. WoRTH is a program designed specifically for young women that focuses on both substance abuse and mental health disorders (including borderline personality disorder) with a strong emphasis on Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). NoRTH is designed to assist clients with severe mental health disorders in achieving independence by teaching them how to successfully live a life with their diagnoses.
For more information, visit www.newroadstreatment.org
True North Wilderness Program is excited to welcome Sarah Lawrence, LCMHC, to the Clinical Team. She officially joined the team on April 25th and will carry on the True North tradition of providing outstanding clinical care for adolescent girls.
Sarah is thrilled to return to her East Coast roots after spending many years in the Mountain West. She brings with her many years experience working with adolescents and families in wilderness as well as residential settings. Growing up in northern New Jersey, Sarah knew from a young age that the outdoors provided a valuable place for introspection, often choosing time in the woods and spending her summers on a farm in upstate New York. Heading out to a ranch in Wyoming during high school transformed Sarah’s view of wild places, engraining in her a deep sense of the power of nature as well as the value of strong relationships.
Sarah earned a Bachelor’s Degree from Hamilton College, where she knew she wanted to work with young people, studying science and using the outdoors as a classroom. She spent her college summers working at camps and programs for youth and adolescents, and found that building relationships and mentoring youth in natural settings provided her with immense fulfillment. Sarah’s travels during college included semesters in Nepal and New Zealand, where she continued to practice her love for learning about people and hearing their stories.
After college she returned to the West, living in Montana and Wyoming for 13 years, where she spent time teaching at the Teton Science School in Jackson Hole. It was during this experience that she recognized her calling as a therapist, finding that she deeply enjoyed forming strong relationships and helping adolescents navigate this challenging phase of life. She moved to Montana to work at Three Rivers Montana, a wilderness therapy program, and went on to receive her Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling from Montana State University in 2008.
Shortly after graduation, Sarah moved to Eureka, Montana, joining the clinical team as a therapist at the Chrysalis School for adolescent girls. She later returned to Bozeman where she spent time in both community mental health and private practice, focusing on helping adolescents, young adults, and families. Her recent move to Vermont stemmed from a desire to return to her roots and move closer to her own family. She is deeply excited to return to working with adolescents in a wilderness setting.
When Sarah is not working in the field, she spends much of her time trail running around Vermont, playing outside with her husband, young daughter, and imported Montana cattle dog, or cooking delicious meals.
With a gracious offer from a SUWS alumni family, SUWS, Fulshear Treatment to Treansition, and Sky's the Limit Fund organized a Salon in Houston Texas on April 4th 2016.
What exactly is a Salon? A Salon is a gathering of people under the roof of an inspiring host with the purpose of emphasizing spirited discussion—refreshments are usually served.
The purpose of this particular event was to raise awareness about treatment options that are available to families, and raise money for the Sky's the Limit Fund who works diligently to make private pay treatment more accessible for families in need. The event was a success and resulted in at least one familiy recieving a scholarship for wilderness treatment. SUWS would like to thank our hosts, FulshearTransition, Sky's the Limit Fund, and participants for the fellowship and fun.
Alpine Academy Director Michele Boguslofski presented Teaching-Family Model to Canadian Association of Community Services as an evidence-based model for trauma-informed care. Canada is looking for a model to adopt for their government funded contracts.
Boguslofski represented Teaching-Family Model Association at the conference hosted by the Canadian Government, which was located in Edmonton. The title of the conference was “From Theory to Practise: Residential Care for Children and Youth.” The conference was designed for various treatment models to present research and evidence-based practices. The models represented had to on how they use trauma-informed care in practice help children and families.
Boguslofski began working with this model in 1997. Her expertise explaining the philosophy, practice of care, and treatment that prioritizes therapeutic relationships with caregivers as the primary conduit of effective treatment while in a supportive family-style settings. The Teaching-Family Model has been peer-reviewed in research and has a clinical practice it is recognized as a treatment model that is cost-efficient, replicable, individualized, and highly effective for all participants. Alpine Academy is the only fully-accredited residential treatment program in Utah by the Teaching-Family Assocation.
To read more about the Teaching-Family Model and how Alpine Academy implements the model, click here.
We are pleased to announce that Matt Smith has joined the leadership team at Gateway Academy and will serve as our new Academic Director. Matt comes to Gateway with extensive experience as a leader in educational settings, including three years as Academic Director at the Oakley School from 2010-2013. Matt's other leadership and educational experiences include: the development of a bridge year program for high school graduates that combines academic studies with outdoor experiences, serving as the Partnership Director of College Readiness and Completion for United Way of Salt Lake. running outdoor academic programs, and classroom teaching in the natural sciences and the humanities.
Matt believes in forming and sustaining a strong relationship with each student. He does this through honest conversations with students about their academic work as well as holding a deep belief that all students can succeed. He builds relationships with colleagues and students through meaningful interactions that build trust and respect, and invite others into the world of curiosity and learning. A native of New York City, Matt moved to Utah from California in 2010 with his wife and two young children. He enjoys spending time outside with his family and friends playing in the mountains of Utah and supporting his children in their athletic pursuits of soccer and swimming.
As we welcome Matt, we will be saying goodbye to our colleague Sydel Greco- Morris at the end of this school year. Please join us in thanking Sydel for her hard work and exceptional dedication to our students and their families! Matt joins a talented and dedicated teaching team that Sydel helped build, and together, they will continue to provide outstanding academic direction, services and growth to our students and their families.
Gateway Academy (UT) is dedicated to the healthy development and healing of adolescent boys and their families. We provide a safe and nurturing environment through five integrated programs: Therapy, Academics, Community, Outdoor Education and Fitness. With integrity and respect, we help students feel empowered and valued, build healthy relationships, make thoughtful decisions, develop life skills, become life-long learners, and achieve their personal best.
April 2016 parent weekend was an absolute success!
Each year Living Well Transitions (CO) offers two workshop weekends to parents of enrolled young adult clients. Goals for these workshops are that parents connect with other parents of young adults in the program, gain a deeper knowledge of the therapeutic process their child is engaged in, and learn parenting skills that can be immediately applied to their current familial dynamics. Parents engage in a mixture of education and interactive practice during the workshop.
During this most recent workshop, parents learned about Karpman’s “drama triangle” in family dynamics (victim, persecutor and rescuer). They also had a chance to learn about and practice with Emerald’s “empowerment dynamic” which flips the drama triangle roles to that of creator, coach and challenger. Parents learned about Olson’s Circumplex model of family systems and how the elements of family cohesion, flexibility and communication are essential in the pursuit of healthy familial relationships. Parents took part in interactive exercises surrounding this model and learned skills that may benefit their relationships with their young adult son or daughter moving forward.
Overall, the workshop provides a mixture of learning and skill application with enough downtime to spend time with their child and experience a snapshot of their life in Boulder, CO. Following the weekend parents reported finding the workshop helpful in getting to connect with other parents who are having similar experiences and learning more about ways to skillfully coach and challenge their young adult children.
Please click here for more information about Living Well Transitions and the range of services.
April was a busy and exciting month for Life Designs (WA). The residents flew to California to attend the All California Young People in Alcoholics Anonymous (ACYPAA) conference in Orange County, CA. ACYPAA is an exciting event each year for Life Designs as it helps to get our young people excited about recovery. The most influential aspect is seeing other young people having fun and thriving in recovery. This is so important to the work that we do, and we make a great effort to take our residents each year. They had a great time and enjoyed the conference!
Caitlin Prunty of Life Designs traveled the Regional Wilderness Therapy Symposium in Asheville, NC in April. While Caitlin was there, she had the pleasure of visiting our fellow NATSAP and All Kinds of Therapy partner programs - Red Oak Recovery, SUWS of the Carolinas, and Four Circles Recovery Center. Experiencing and meeting in person these treatment programs in person was educational. After the conference, Caitlin visited Cumberland Heights in Nashville, TN to learn more about their work and their young adult program. A special thanks to all these amazing programs and the time that they gave to touring the programs.
There has been a great deal of growth at Youth Care located in Draper, UT. A fourth treatment home recently broke ground, which is estimated to be completed in mid-August. There is also a new onsite gym being built. We have also finished renovating existing homes to expand the available living spaces and additional beds. These renovations and expansions allow Youth Care to treat a greater number of adolescents in a comfortable environment that is truly conducive to healing.
Youth Care has been in operation for 25 years and has never stopped evolving and developing. These recent facilities updates are just some of the many changes that are being made. Youth Care is a Joint Commission accrediated (JCAHO) residential treatment center with high standards in all aspects of the program.
Youth Care located in Draper, UT is a leading provider of mental health and addiction treatment for adolescents between the ages of 11 and 17. With a steadfast dedication to offering intensive therapy in a home-like environment, Youth Care gives young people the personalized interactions, decidated support and comprehensive treatmenet that they need to thrive.
On April 14th 2016, Jack Kline MS, LPCS, LCAS, CEO of Red Oak Recovery, signed the papers that secured the organization’s newest property. Since a new location calls for a new name, the expanded will be called, “The Willows at Red Oak Recovery”. Similar to the men’s campus, the new women’s campus is located close to Asheville and near to nature. The property will allow for the women's program to continue the in depth trauma work and clinical care that Red Oak is known for. The beautiful 38 acre property features a horse barn, 2 ponds, a serene setting, and a beautiful multi-family home.
Red Oak Recovery is located in the pristine Blue Ridge Mountains, just north of Asheville, NC, and is the result of extensive experience and research for developing highly effective programming to create a foundation of long-term recovery for young adults. The program uniquely blends quality clinical care, adventure therapy, experiential therapy, 12-step work and social skills development to create positive, and lasting change. For more information, visit redoakrecovery.com.