All Kinds of News for January 10, 2018

For the last four years, a group of people have been rising early on a chilly Saturday morning in January to run together. But it’s not just any old fun run— they’re gathering for Brandon’s Run for Autism, a 5K organized by Brandon, a graduate of New Directions for Young Adults (NDFYA) who wanted to share his passion for road running with his community.

Brandon’s Run was initially a way for Brandon to develop his own self-discipline and other skills that could assist him as he searched for a job. So many young people find it challenging to find the motivation and engagement necessary to be successful in the workforce; Brandon’s love of running was used as a motivator to encourage him to expand his organizational skills. With help from NDFYA and his friends at the Greater Fort Lauderdale Road Runners Club (GFLRRC), a new 5K benefiting autism was born.

Join in the Fun

The 5th Annual Brandon’s Run for Autism will be held from 7am-10am in Quiet Waters Park on January 20, 2018. Brandon’s love of running and philanthropy is undiminished after four years of organizing the 5K in his name. In fact, this year’s Brandon’s Run for Autism is bigger and better than ever! It’s Brandon’s goal to offer as many young people as possible the career readiness, social skills training, job training  and community involvement they need to succeed. There are a variety of ways to be involved in the 5K this year. We’re looking for runners, walkers, sponsors and donations for our raffle. To purchase a ticket to participate in the run, click here.

If you’re interested in becoming a sponsor, you can click here to sign up. There are four levels of paid sponsorship (Platinum— $5000, Gold— $2500, Silver— $1000, and Bronze— $500) or in-kind sponsorship opportunities, including water sponsor, food table sponsor and raffle item sponsor.

Questions? Contact the International Society for Autism Executive Director Erica Rubin at (305) 305-0540 for additional information.

Benefits of Brandon’s Run

In addition to giving Brandon the confidence and the experience that led to paying jobs, Brandon’s Run for Autism benefits other young adults with autism. The money raised by the 5K will provide group services, vocational coaching, weekly stipends, and internships for ten students. Additionally, students at NDFYA have the opportunity to volunteer their time and talents to help organize the run and keep everything moving smoothly on the actual day of the run. This experience offers them the same benefits that Brandon has enjoyed for the last four years.

Every year, Brandon’s Run for Autism grows larger with more participants and with sponsors. In addition to increasing the amount of money raised for the young people chosen to benefit from the services that the 5K will sponsor, the wider audience also means that more people will get a first-hand experience with autism. Brandon and his friends show the community the true face of autism — specifically, that autism spectrum disorder doesn’t stop them from fulfilling their dreams and the dreams of others.

About New Directions

New Directions is a state of the art multidisciplinary clinical program for typical young adults and young adults with special needs. Our program integrates expertise in cognitive behavioral therapy, developmental theory, and neuropsychology, into an evidenced-based treatment approach. Our goal is to help all young adults achieve the goal of independent living. The crux of the New Directions program is the Individualized Service Plan (ISP). The initial plan is developed using input from the student, family, transcripts, standardized test scores, psycho-educational reports, and results from assessments administered by New Directions. Long and short-term goals will be developed in three areas; education & vocational, life management, and psychosocial. ISP’s are re-evaluated regularly, so as to assess progress in each area and to make any necessary adjustments.

Kaizen Academy, located in Spanish Fork, UT, announces the hiring of Kris Kilpatrick, MBA as their new Executive Director. "We're excited for the breadth of experience Kris brings to Kaizen, and the additional talents he adds to the team," said Clark Hammond, Ph.D, Director of Outreach and Special Projects at Kaizen Academy. "Kaizen has continued to grow and improve since day 1. Kaizen is thrilled to have Kris play a role in our continued strategic growth." The management team at Kaizen has remained the same, Lynn Loftin, Corbin Linde, both on the Board of Directors, Josh Miller LCMHC, Clinical Director and Clark Hammond.

Learn more below about Executive Director Kris Kilpatrick with his interview with Clark Hammond:

CH: Tell us about your background in the mental health/residential treatment world.

KK: I started working in this industry back in the year 2000, and haven't left. Even at the beginning as a front-line staff in a girls' treatment center, I knew I wanted to be around - and make an impact in - an environment that existed solely to help others. Over the 17-year period, I got to experience the residential treatment world from nearly every position. From being a direct-care staff, moving up to supervisor, then residential director, program director, and then to executive director.

CH: What are your three most significant strengths you bring to Kaizen that will make a positive impact?

KK: I would say that the first strength is that I deeply care for this industry, and profoundly believe that we are literally saving lives. I'm passionate about helping our clients and their families through these dark times in their life. Secondly, I bring an ability to provide the clarity and concrete steps required to help teams identify and reach their objectives. Kaizen has some ambitious goals, and I look forward to helping to lead this team to accomplishing them. Finally, loyalty and commitment are 2 of my core values. These help me do what it takes to be successful, and I look forward to achieving our goal of remaining the leader of this industry when it comes to helping boys with sexual behavior issues.

CH: What was most intriguing to you about the opportunity to lead Kaizen Academy?

KK: There were a couple of things, actually. First, I love the program philosophy. I believe in truly relationship-based approaches, and I was impressed that at Kaizen, these are not just marketing buzz-words. They have invested a ton in helping the staff (from top to bottom) understand what that should look like, feel like - how to really implement it. Secondly, I also was impressed that Kaizen is not only concerned with positive outcomes for their clients, but they have a bigger agenda. They are involved in promoting sexual health and safety throughout our entire society. We see allegations of rampant sexual misconduct nearly every day. In a world that is fraught with sexual harassment and abuse, I want to be a part of changing that. So, I'm honored to be leading a team that works with these tough issues one boy at a time, and I also see us continuing to promote the message of healthy relationships and sexual safety far and wide.

CH: Help us get to know you on a more personal level. For example, what are your favorite hobbies? What kinds of movies do you most enjoy? And what would be your version of an ideal vacation?

KK: As far as my hobbies, I'm really into sports. I love watching them, playing them, coaching them. I even referee some of the community basketball leagues - so you kind of have to love it to put yourself through that! As a kid growing up in Maryland, I was really into basketball, baseball and golf. I also love all kinds of movies, but I have to say that my favorites are those true stories that are so inspiring! Anytime I can learn from people who have overcome tremendous obstacles - whether placed there through personal disability, social injustice or crazy-hard goals - you can't help but be inspired and want to be better. As far as what my ideal vacation would be, it would be one of these two things: either the beach or the mountains. I love any kind of getaway that includes a warm beach with clear water, but I also really enjoy camping and fishing in the great outdoors.

CH: Kris, thank you for sharing a bit about yourself with me. And, welcome to the team! We're thrilled to have you be a part of the great work we're doing at Kaizen!

About Kaizen Academy

Kaizen Academy, located in Spanish Fork, UT is a residential treatment center that assists teenaged boys who are struggling with sexual behavior problems and compulsive pornography issues. Our clinical and residential program is founded on the concepts of attachment theory and trauma-informed strategies to assist these young men reclaim hope and find healing through a truly relationship-based approach.

Mason, OH – Dec. 18, 2017 – Lindner Center of HOPE, a nonprofit comprehensive mental health center serving people from around the world, today received commitments totaling $75 million to enhance treatment for people with mental health disorders and reduce the stigma associated with mental illness.

Cincinnati business leaders and philanthropists Linda and Harry Fath have pledged a $50 million challenge gift, while Frances and Craig Lindner have made a $25 million commitment in response to this challenge. The gifts, to be given over their lifetimes, are the largest ever received by the Center, and two of the largest in North America made by individuals in the area of behavioral health. These endowments will fund clinical, research, capital and education Initiatives.

The gifts underscore the Center and the Cincinnati region as national leaders in mental health care. The need is critical as mental health disorders affect more people nationally than cancer, heart disease, and diabetes combined. However, research and access to treatment are severely underfunded in comparison.

“My family believes in the power of the Lindner Center of HOPE’s diagnostic and treatment programs to help people who have lost hope,” Mr. Fath said. “It is time to break the silence associated with mental health and recognize much more must be done to understand, treat, and care for people with mental illnesses."

“We would like to challenge the community to match our gifts,” Mr. Fath continued. “Our hope is that over time, we will raise well in excess of the $75 million announced today. This would truly put the Center in a position to accomplish the original dream of establishing the nation’s leading comprehensive facility for mental health care.”

The Faths have devoted their time, talent, and resources to causes benefiting Greater Cincinnati and the world. Mr. Fath, a lawyer and entrepreneur, is owner of Fath Properties, a real estate management firm.

“Frances and I were so moved by the incredible generosity of Linda and Harry Fath that we have decided to contribute an additional $25 million to the endowment fund,” said Mr. Lindner, who founded the Lindner Center of HOPE along with his wife, Frances. “Our hope is that others will join us in the effort to help more people on the road to mental wellness through the Lindner Center of HOPE.”

Mr. Lindner, co-CEO and co-president of the American Financial Group Inc., is the board chair of the Lindner Center of HOPE. In the decade since its founding, the Center has served nearly 30,000 patients from around the world and earned “Top Performer on Key Quality Measures®” recognition from The Joint Commission.

The Lindner Center of HOPE will honor the Faths’ extraordinary generosity by naming:

• The Chief Research Officer, Director of the Research Institute position: The Linda and Harry Fath Professor of Psychiatry
• Both of its inpatient units as:
• The Linda and Harry Fath Young Adult Inpatient Unit
• The Linda and Harry Fath Adult Inpatient Unit
• The endowment fund as:
• The Linda and Harry Fath Endowment

 Commitments to Support Clinical, Capital and Public Education Programs

“One in five American adults experiences a mental illness. It is the leading public health issue in our community and our nation,” said Paul E. Keck, Jr., MD, president and CEO of the Lindner Center of HOPE. “The Faths’ and Lindners’ generosity will kick-start our ability to enhance our staff, develop new treatment programs, and expand our research efforts to break new ground in mental health treatment.”

The funding will support the development and expansion of new clinical programs to provide treatment for conditions including depression, schizophrenia, bipolar, substance use and eating disorders. It will help fund research, professional education and capital improvements at the Center.

A portion of the gifts will be earmarked to provide patient financial assistance and public outreach to reduce stigma. According to Dr. Keck, significant challenges still exist to fight the stigma associated with mental illness, including in the level of reimbursement provided by the federal government and private insurance carriers.

A National Center of Excellence 

The Lindner Center of HOPE is a charter member of the National Network of Depression Centers. Its Research Institute is a lead contributor in groundbreaking programs, such as the Mayo Clinic’s Individualized Medicine Biobank for Bipolar Disorder, which is studying the connection between gene types and medicines that treat disease.

About Lindner Center of HOPE

Lindner Center of HOPE in Mason, Ohio is a comprehensive mental health center providing excellent, patient-centered, scientifically-advanced care for individuals suffering with mental illness. A state-of-the-science mental health center and charter member of the National Network of Depression Centers, the Center provides psychiatric hospitalization and partial hospitalization for individuals age 12-years-old and older, outpatient services for all ages, diagnostic and short-term residential services for adults and adolescents, outpatient services for substance abuse through HOPE Center North location and co-occurring disorders for adults and research. The Center is enhanced by its partnership with UC Health, as its clinicians are ranked among the best providers locally, nationally and internationally. Together Lindner Center of HOPE and UC Health offer a true system of mental health care in the Greater Cincinnati area and across the country. The Center is also affiliated with the University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Medicine.

In June of 2018, Greenbrier Academy for Girls will be offering a 3 day Intensive Village Retreat to Mothers of GBA students. This experience will not only provide greater support for an entire family system, but will provide an opportunity to support our parents at a greater capacity. Mothers will attend the village located on campus, atop the scenic mountain behind our main facilities.

The design behind the Village Retreat is to facilitate a rediscovery and redefinition of a participant's life mission, as well as increase their desire and capacity for virtue. Mothers will have the opportunity to go through therapeutic exercises, similar to our students, as they engage their whole selves in transformational healing. Limiting beliefs will be identified and transformed. The result is the healthy ability to give and receive love without unhealthy barriers, a critical component to building healthy connections and healing mother-daughter relationships.

Participating in a community context, removed from distractions of everyday life, mothers will be given the opportunity to reconnect with self in new and healthier ways.

Most GBA graduates attribute the Village as their most positive, impactful experience. Greenbrier is confident that extending the Village curriculum and Retreat experience to parents will create commonality between parents and students, as well as bridge a gap between experiences had and the language used, to describe that unique healing transformation we often witness as a result of the Village Retreat. Healing student includes healing families. This opportunity is the next step in Greenbrier Academy's family support systems. Greenbrier is proud to offer this next level of support.

”Who am I, what do I care about, and why?" "What is the value of being a mother?" "What is the value of leaving a legacy?" These are just some of life's deepest questions that village participants get to discuss and re-define as they go through the village curriculum

"Without the village my life would definitely be different. I wouldn't have a connection with myself the way I do now. The village brought opening to my heart and mind and a willingness to learn and grow more within myself and with others." -GBA Alumni

About Greenbrier Academy

Greenbrier Academy is an all-girls' therapeutic boarding school. The mission at Greenbrier Academy is to mentor and empower adolescent girls and their families to create quality, healing intrapersonal and interpersonal relationships through inspired critical thinking, advanced therapeutics, college prep academics, and stimulating adventures.

Many students at Telos struggle with anxiety and are easily overstimulated. To help them manage the pressures of daily living the Telos youth program opened an on campus mindfulness center in mid 2017.

The mindfulness center is a room specially designed to help students sooth and de-stimulate. The room has a color scheme designed to clam, thick carpet, partitions for privacy, water features, and a variety of chairs proven to help agitated children and youth gain better control of their emotional experience.

In the mindfulness center students can meditate, listen to music, do yoga, and learn stress tolerance techniques to be applied outside the center. Regarding the center, Barry Fell (Executive Director) said, "This resource is invaluable in helping our students reach a point emotionally where they are ready for additional skill building." In the past 7 months students have made 1,541 trips to the mindfulness center.

Telos expects over 5,000 mindfulness center interventions in 2018.

Blue Ridge Therapeutic Wilderness is grateful to experience continued growth and with this growth and evolution, they recently brought on two amazing people to their admissions team:  Jon Young and Dana Williams.  They are both new Associate Directors of Admissions. This Admissions team is going to prioritize and deliver the highest quality customer service and take incredible care of families through the intake process.

For the last twelve years, Jon Young has worked with young adults in a transitional living setting in Winchester, VA. He has worked various roles in therapeutic programming including direct care and admissions and marketing. Jon truly enjoys getting to know prospective families, listening to their stories, and guiding them through a process of discovery that allows them to make the very best decision about the next step in their treatment journey. Jon shares, “After many years working with educational consultants, wilderness therapists, and students coming out of the field, and seeing just how incredibly positive and transformative that experience is, I can’t begin to describe my excitement at having the opportunity to help families connect with one of the very best therapeutic wilderness options available.”

Dana Williams has worked in the Family Choice Behavioral Healthcare Industry for the last ten years, beginning her career in a wilderness therapy program doing admissions and most recently working with an educational consulting firm where she managed intakes and provided parent coordinator and support. Dana states, “I have great respect and empathy for the courage it takes to reach out and ask for help, and then the leap of faith parents take when they make the decision to enroll their child into a therapeutic program. It's such a privilege to be able to provide parents with support while they are going through such a challenging time.” 

Danielle Hava, Blue Ridge’s Director of Business Development will manage and oversee the Admissions Department and will continue leading the team in cultivating referral relations and business development. Dave Brannan, who has worked at Blue Ridge for over six years, will continue in his role as Admissions Counselor.

Dan McDougal, Executive Director/Founder, said, “Although Blue Ridge as a program has been operating for over fifteen years, this last year and a half we had the unique opportunity to put into motion a renewed unified vision and mission and continue serving families and set them up on their path to healing. The revitalized energy and success helped to bring together some of the most respected and talented individuals in the field. The team at Blue Ridge Therapeutic Wilderness loves this work. We're a collaborative team who continues to develop varying aspects of our program so we can exceed our standards and provide the best treatment and service. We prioritize providing the highest level of customer service to our families and educational consultants and are constantly striving to do the absolute best work in supporting and healing families, and that starts on the front end with admissions.”

The weather forecast in the Northeast complicates the choice for a parent or educational consultant to refer a young person to a wilderness therapy program. Yet there are tremendous benefits and opportunities that a student and family can gain from these experiences, and it is important to try to work through the fear that can be associated with cold weather. Summit Achievement has been operating continuously in New England for over 21 years and has honed the skills necessary to manage this climate safely.

To make the experience one in which a young person will be challenged but ultimately find success, Summit takes several steps to address the winter elements. First, Summit is the original hybrid wilderness therapy program with a mountaineering emphasis. Clients spend three nights each week in the wilderness and four nights on its beautiful campus, attending classes in the school, living in heated log cabins equipped with bathrooms and showers, participating in individual and family therapy while eating healthy meals prepared by a professional chef.

Summit trains staff to make safe, conservative judgments when it comes to managing the environment. Students are outfitted in the most up-to-date wilderness equipment (suppliers include Marmot and Outdoor Research) designed specifically for the conditions the student will find themselves in. Staff will teach students the best way to use their gear to stay comfortable in the woods. Along with this equipment, Summit’s expeditions are planned on a weekly basis allowing the program to get accurate weather forecasts for the coming trip and plan the itinerary accordingly.  One priority of winter camping to actively manage is frostbite.  Summit does this through a handful of redundant systems like proper education on how to prevent it, using equipment designed for the environment, making hot chocolate or tea, and staff checking each student's fingers and toes several times a day to make sure that their extremities are warm and dry.  When the weather is at its worst, Summit has three wood-stove heated shelters strategically placed around our main campus in Stow, Maine.  The shelters provide protection from the elements and the wood-burning stoves help everyone keep warm and dry. 

The wilderness during the winter months is often some of the most beautiful and serene settings you can find.  Just being out in the wilderness at this time of year feels like a significant accomplishment and precipitates gains in self-confidence and helps put other risks and challenges into perspective, helping to mitigate low self-esteem, depression and anxiety.  

Summit Achievement 

Summit Achievement founded in 1996, is, and always has been, guided by positive reinforcement and the power of choice. Our outcome-focused treatment program employs effective therapeutic and educational principals. Through the process of engaging therapy, classroom academics and exciting wilderness expeditions, students experience the therapeutic benefits of outdoor adventure-based activities while learning to manage the demands of a more traditional environment. As an intentionally small, owner-operated wilderness therapy program, we serve adolescent boys and girls, ages 13-20, from around the world.

Following the lead of Oregon’s top therapeutic programs that created the Central Oregon Program Alliance (COPA), a group of programs have joined together to create the Southern Utah Program Alliance, or “SUPA.”

Both COPA and SUPA were created to elevate and celebrate therapeutic program practices through collaboration, education and mutual support. Member programs meet regularly to share information, ideas and best practices. They also collaborate to organize multi-program tours for education consultants and other referring professionals.

Evoke Therapy Programs is a founding member of both groups and embraces the special spirit of collaboration and support for fellow programs. The reality is that growing numbers of youth, young adults and families are in need of therapeutic resources, and since there isn’t a one-size-fits-all for treatment, working together is critical to successfully help each individual. Meetings include networking and information swapping so that members are aware of the special populations programs serve.

COPA has been in existence for years; SUPA met for the first time in September with 15 attendees from area treatment programs.

If you are interested in joining SUPA, contact Kristen Hayes, Director of Marketing & Outreach for Evoke Therapy Programs, at kristen@evoketherapy.com. If you would like to set up a multi-program tour in either Central Oregon or Southern Utah, you can contact Evoke’s Admissions Counselors at 866.411.6600.

ViewPoint Center help teens struggling with a variety of behavioral and emotional challenges including substance use and experimentation. Substance use during adolescence can lead to a wide range of negative consequences down the line, and for some teens it has been linked to mental health challenges.  Addressing substance use challenges with an integrated approach, ViewPoint Center focuses on the mental health issues teens face, in conjunction with targeted treatment planning based on the individual needs of each patient:

• Medical detox (if stabilization is needed)
• Motivational Interviewing (MI)
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
• Psychoeducation about substance use and consequences

“People should never use substances when their mind is still developing,” says Jennifer Young APRN, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner at ViewPoint Center. “There is no way to know if using substances will cause a teen to take off on a path they can’t be reined back from.”

How are substance use and mental health challenges linked?

According to a number of studies, adolescents who use substances are 50 percent more likely to have a mental health disorder than the rest of the population.  Adolescent substance use impairs brain function, exacerbates symptoms of mental health disorders, and can cause destructive behaviors. Other consequences of substance use seen amongst ViewPoint patients include:

• Increased hospitalization
• Medication noncompliance
• Decreased social functioning
• Relationship issues within families

Solutions Parenting Support team of former wilderness therapy program therapists continue to provide additional support to parents who have children in wilderness treatment programs.   Solutions Parenting Support walks alongside parents during the wilderness treatment process to help manage the parent's own struggles and uncertainties as they truly support their child’s therapeutic process.  The Solutions Parenting Support team collaborates with the wilderness therapist and provides weekly support to parents. They assist parents who have a child in wilderness treatment capitalize on the time they have with the wilderness therapist by removing obstacles that arise when parents do not have the extended time and space to address their own challenges as they navigate their child’s treatment process. 

.Parents who have a child in a wilderness therapy program and who elect to work with  Solutions Parenting Support will be provided but not limited to the following:

• A weekly scheduled 1 hour phone/video call with parents 
• As needed non-crisis support via email, texting or additional scheduled calls 
• Support with letter writing and/or processing the letters from their child 
• Provides preparation for upcoming calls with their child and program therapist; aids the program and parents in navigating any unforeseen or difficult issues that their child may be experiencing in the program
• Assists parents with understanding and working effectively with wilderness therapy program milestones and strategies
• Assess and address problem areas and strengths within the family system and parents
• Enhances the co-parenting team, whether split or intact
• Teaches the importance of learning to parent from afar, rather than feeling like they cannot develop new habits until the child is living with them 

• Helps parents increase their self-awareness and identifying patterns that are impacting their success as a parent, while developing more effective communication skills
• Assists parents in identifying their own role in repairing and strengthening the parent child relationship

Solutions Parenting Support’s goal is to invite parents to see the importance of the personal work needed and to invite wilderness therapists to encourage this needed process to help parents get everything they can for the whole family throughout their child’s entire time in wilderness treatment.   Through years of experience and ability to hold an objective position, Solutions Parenting Support creates an experience that allows for increased awareness, sustainable growth and effective decision making while helping parents utilize the entire team of professionals who are supporting their child.  

About Solutions Parenting Support

Solutions Parenting Support, LLC is a nationally recognized parent support and transitional program assisting families during and after wilderness therapy treatment and/or residential treatment programming.  With business offices are in Steamboat Springs, CO and Tucson, AZ the team is supporting parents and families in the United States and globe.   The team of parent coaches and transitional specialists are family system focused, licensed professional therapists and/or licensed social workers with a combined 40+ years of experience working in wilderness therapy programs, varying levels of residential treatment programming and transitional support. 

Eva Carlston Academy is an all girls Residential Treatment Center, nestled up to the Wasatch Mountain Range in Salt Lake City, Utah; January provides a unique opportunity for Eva Carlston’s teenage clients to participate in the Sundance Film Festival, one of the world’s premiere independent film festivals for the 7th year in a row. During this 10 day film festival with screenings in both Park City and Salt Lake City, UT, the students will participate in the Student Screening Series that the festival offers. The 2018 Sundance documentary film, Won’t You Be My Neighbor, which examines Fred Roger’s legacy during his lifetime of providing children’s programming that taught tolerance and acceptance through his classic Public Television program Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. Fred Rogers was considered a radical of his time by saying things like “I like you just the way you are” and devoted his life to meeting the specific needs of children. This unique opportunity enables these young women to gain exposure to films that touch on more relevant and emotional subjects and push the boundaries from more fantastical, pop blockbuster movies.

Student Screen Series at Sundance rigorously screens the content to ensure it is appropriate for the age  group, while simultaneously introducing young people to the art of global independent film. Students not only get exposure to some of the best contemporary independent films, but also get to engage with directors, actors, and filmmakers as part of the programming.  There are a myriad of art-influenced experiences including monthly visits to local galleries and museums, volunteering at the Living Traditions and Utah Arts Festivals and Eva Carlston holds season ticket to the Utah Symphony and the Pioneer Theatre Company. "Eva Carlston believes that art is an inherently therapeutic tool for expression, creation, and a positive outlet for emotions, " said Maggie Willis, BFA,  Art Director. 

Salt Lake is a prime hub for art and culture in the intermountain west. Eva Carlston participates in a myriad of art-influenced experiences including monthly visits to local galleries and museums, volunteering at the Living Traditions and Utah Arts Festivals and are season ticket holders to the Utah Symphony as well as the Pioneer Theatre Company to name a few. Eva Carlston believes that art is an inherently therapeutic tool for expression, creation, and a positive outlet for emotions. 

About Eva Carlston Academy

Eva Carlston Academy (UT) is a licensed residential treatment center located near the urban center of Salt Lake City. The program serves young women between the ages of 12 and 18 in a clinically intense, family-style program which focuses upon creating opportunities for students to explore the arts while working toward continued growth and healing.

At Solstice West, students are encouraged to develop or re-engage in healthy hobbies that they can take with them back home, on to college, and throughout life. Solstice students have a wide variety of different skill sets, hobbies, talents, and so on. This past November, a theater club was started and is overseen by Jeff Lavallee, one of the primary therapists at Solstice. His son, an aspiring actor who has been in several plays throughout his high school years, comes in to help coach the students alongside Jeff. Jeff has a love for theater and enjoys sharing that with our students.

Currently, the theater club has 10 students working towards a grand performance that will take place at an upcoming Parent Seminar. The performance will be a combination of monologues the girls are picking out and working on, and a few improv games. One of the most favorited activities from students in the club is an improv game called 'Taxi Cab.' The idea of Taxi Cab is “personality swapping improvisation” where each “passenger” has a distinct personality chosen before the game starts. There is a chosen taxi driver who adopts the personalities of each passenger throughout the game. This is a favorite of many students as it never fails to end in many laughs!

In this club, there are a mix of girls who have had prior experience and training in theater, as well as girls who have had very few, if any, theater experiences. It has been powerful to see some girls get out of their comfort zone and participate in theater club despite feeling some anxiety or nerves, as well as seeing girls rekindle their love for theater and performing. The theater club has been a great addition to Solstice, creating a stronger sense of community and friendship while having fun and engaging in something they love. It’s common to hear how proud of themselves and each other the girls are.

About Solstice RTC West

Solstice West RTC was founded in 2008 in Layton, UT. We serve females and transgender students aged 14-18 as a licensed residential treatment center focusing on complex diagnoses while using our clinicians' deep understanding of Trauma Based Therapy. As a clinically focused treatment provider, our clients receive individual, group and family therapy in conjunction with a variety of treatment modalities like Adventure Therapy and Equine Therapy program.  All the different treatment modalities offered assist clients in learning new skills kinesthetically and get to their core problems quicker.

SUWS of the Carolinas offers a parallel process between parent and child crucial for students to transition their skills from one environment to the next. Parents in the SUWS programs have access to multiple tools and resources to bridge the gaps so families can use the same communication skills taught in the program. One of the most effective tools available is a two day parent intensive led by CEO Shawn Farrell, M.Ed.  These workshops are bi-weekly in every season but the summer, when they are weekly.

Shawn's experience of over 25 years in outdoor therapeutic programming is an invaluable asset for families in the SUWS program. The curriculum is based on the Love and Logic methodology, and is held at the Wolf Creek campus in Old Fort, NC. Parents are recommended to attend the seminar half way through their child's process at SUWS. This allows each parent to build their base of knowledge in the methodology through the Love and Logic program, weekly calls with their therapist, attendance of group discussions, online webinar resources, and their own independent study. The parent workshop's goal is to build understanding and tools for parents to shift from a rules enforcement/consequence-based parenting approach to one focused on the relationship with their child. 

To understand the relationship between parent and child, Shawn asks each parent to examine the styles of parenting they learned from their upbringing. What styles did the keep from their childhood? Where did they make intentional changes and why? The program begins with a parenting assessment and a study of different parenting styles. Once each parent is attuned to their "go to" parenting style, each parent learns some mindfulness tools and techniques centered around emotional expression. Learning key benchmark communication skills taught to the kids in the program is an important facet of their parent seminar. Of course, an emphasis on active listening and non verbal ques is a mainstay of the parent program. Next communication styles and non confrontational boundary-holding methods are explored. All these topics are covered on day 1 of the seminar, and parents often relish the opportunity to take a lunch break and meet their child's therapist face to face during day 1.

Day 2 of the seminar covers emotional intellegence, shifting family roles, and refines the implementation of love and logic prractices in the home.

Shawn enjoys the opportunity to do the hands-on work with each family in the SUWS program.  He draws upon his experience as an educator to bring the lessons of the Love and Logic curriculum, and the "magic" of the field to life during each workshop. Each family continues to build upon their skills before seeing their child at graduation. Weekly phonecalls and group discussions continue until the moment a graduation date is set. Prior to reunifying with their children, parents attend a Trail's End meeting to recap some of the parent workshop material, and get practical tools for a succssful graduation experience. Graduation consists of an overnight camping experience, and allows each child to showcase their skills in an environment indicative of what they experienced in the field. 

About SUWS of The Carolinas

SUWS of the Carolinas is a licensed, CARF International-accredited mental health facility, committed to helping families rediscover their strengths and fostering growth for young people. Operating in the Pisgah National Forest under permit from the National Forest Service, SUWS delivers wilderness based therapeutic interventions for 10-17 year old boys and girls with compassion and excellence. 

Working with parents of young adults in transitional living programs presents some unique challenges along with tremendous opportunities. When these parents enroll their young adult child in a transitional living program, they are focused on how they want their adult child to learn the skills needed to live independently. They are ready for the little bird to leave the nest. However, as programming progresses and their adult child begins to experience some autonomy, the parents begin to struggle. While they want their emerging adult child to find independence, they also struggle with the process of letting go. And there is the classic catch 22 - the adult child cannot experience successful independence while the parents hold the reins, but the parents can’t relinquish control long enough to allow the adult child to become independent.

There is a logical explanation for this challenge. Parents of adult children in transition have spent most of their children’s lives advocating for them to receive the services they needed in order to find success, and sometimes just survival, in school, sports, family, play groups, etc. Most young adults in transition come from wilderness programming, therapeutic boarding school, treatment center, or some other residential setting. While they are participating in these programs, the parents are actively involved in family therapy calls and parent workshops that involve their children and a heavy focus on creating a more cohesive family unit. This is very important for the family, giving them the opportunity to process through past traumas and struggles and find some common ground for moving forward. However, as the adult children enter transitional living programs, their expectations for how they will interact with the program and with their adult children are usually not quite accurate.

At Q&A Associates, parents are invited to attend Parent Retreats twice a year which are focused on empowering parents to live their own lives. This is a scary proposition for parents, and with good reason. However, it is imperative for the parents to enter the unknown territory of letting go. Therefore, Parent Retreats do not include the families' children. The Retreats are focused completely on providing parents with the skills, resources and confidence necessary for them to find their own paths forward while also allowing their offspring to do the same. Many times, this requires the parents to do nothing.

Doing nothing is probably the most difficult thing parents are asked to do. They are so accustomed to always doing more, going the extra mile to make sure their children are well taken care of that doing nothing feels completely contradictory to their instincts. It’s important to have patience with them, but also to hold firm boundaries and maintain consistent communication and support. As parents begin to experience the beauty of doing nothing, they can also realize the freedom of being empowered to live their own lives. That freedom comes at the price of doing nothing.

While parents are busy doing nothing, the young adults are working hard at practicing independence. When given the opportunity, they will make decisions for themselves - good ones and bad ones - and they will deal with the natural consequences of those decisions and that is how character and resilience are developed. That character and resilience will take the young adults to independence and give the parents their own lives.

About Q&A Family of Programs

Q&A Family of Programs works with young adults ages 18 and up, providing opportunities for each of them to develop independent, functional, and happy lives with a high level of quality. Our clients have struggled to reach independence for a variety of reasons such as the inability to develop and/or implement the life skills needed to be successful, or struggling to obtain consistent employment. Our goal is to help these individuals find meaning and an authentic purpose for their lives and a practical path to achieve their goals.

The 2018 Autism Symposium will be held in Asheville, NC, at the Omni Grove Park Inn from April 2nd-3rd. Registration is open click here.  The Autism Symposium was created in order to bring more awareness to the increasing need for services for those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and to facilitate conversations on the most pertinent topics regarding these students and their families. With this symposium, the hope is to highlight top-notch treatment provders and their approaches while allowing for focus and discussion about serving the populations.

The Autism Symposium features cutting-edge workshops by leading experts in the field of autism, an informative panel discussion, and collaboration with like-minded colleagues within the industry. 

SPONSORSHIPS
There are a limited number of additional sponsorships opportunies available for treatment programs or professional groups that are interested in collaboration on this professional development event.  There are three different levels:

• The Silver sponsorship ($1,000) includes your logo in the symposium program, 1 free registration, and a display table.
• The Gold sponsorship ($2500) includes all the aforementioned items as well as a half page ad in the program, vocal recognition during the symposium, and 2 free registrations.
• The Platinum sponsorship ($5000) includes a full page ad, your logo and mention on Autism Symposium website, 2 invites to the founder’s dinner with educational consultants, a premium display table, verbal recognition during the symposium and 4 free registrations.

CALL FOR PAPERS
If colleagues are interested in presenting at the 2018 Autism Symposium Conference, the deadline for application/call for papers is January 30th. Submit your application here: www.theautismsymposium.com/call-for-papers

About Symposium Organizers and Sponsers
The Autism Symposium is sponsored by Vantage Point, Aspiro (UT), Brightstone Transitions (GA), Daniels Academy (UT),  The Black Mountain Academy (NC) and SUWS of the Carolinas (NC).

The Rites of Passage (ROP) experience plays a key role in the transformative process for students at Pacific Quest.  It not only provides an understanding of how to navigate transitions but can help students see their personal gifts more clearly and learn how these gifts can contribute to strengthening their families and communities.  Rites of Passage are woven into the curriculum throughout each student’s experience, and culminate in the “Huli Ka’e” experience - Hawaiian for "Search the Edge".

Primary Therapist Danielle Zandbergen comments, “I began my journey at Pacific Quest as a program guide. I worked many weeks in the rite of passage portion of the program, Huli Ka’e, where our students step into a 'threshold' experience and begin to 'end their old story and begin stepping into the new story.' I’ve always viewed this phase similar to a metamorphosis or transformation that we often see in nature.”

Transitions can be challenging and are often filled with confusion, questioning, sacrifice and a sense of loss. In every culture since humans first inhabited the earth, Rites of Passage (the intentional marking of transition from one phase of life to another) have been a core component of community life. Rites of passage serve as a road map on the path to change.

Students at Pacific Quest have an individualized ROP experience which follows a consistent format found in Rites of Passage from around the world:

• Severance – letting go of the old that no longer serves
• Threshold – engaging in a period of reflection, new learning, and new experiences
• Incorporation – bringing back what one has learned into their life moving forward.

Danielle adds, “One of our goals as a program is to facilitate and provide this experience to our adolescents and young adults. One of my goals as a therapist, guide, role model and caregiver, is to help our students find meaning in their life and recognize that what they are worth is only as much as they value themselves and their experiences in life.”

About Pacific Quest

Pacific Questis an outdoor therapeutic program, located on the Big Island of Hawaii, 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

Talking about going to, or being in, a therapeutic transition program can be a challenge for emerging adults.  Learning how to balance between saying enough and too much about the next phase of treatment is a complicated task. Onward Transitions, a transition program in Portland, Maine works with young adult applicants and members (clients) to learn how to have appropriate and meaningful strategies for having this conversation with their friends, acquaintances and extended family members.

Clinical Outreach Director Darrell Fraize recommends that emerging adults think about their stories in two different categories: the abridged and the unabridged. "The abridged story is a more nuts and bolts, functional and quick way of explaining what you're doing in ways that most people can relate to," says Fraize. "The unabridged is saved for more intimate, time-tested and/or therapeutic common ground relationships," he adds.

Duirng the admissions process, Fraize reports that many applicants struggle with how to talk with acquaintances and casual friends about moving to a new place. Typical challenges include anticipatory anxiety and misappropriated shame. "Often times we are talking with folks who are in a therapeutic setting, so they have a peer group who gets it. There in the safety of that group they can employ the unabridged template if you will, to say things like: 'I'm going there to continue to get my life back together' or 'I just can't go back to school or home or where I was living before.' Furthermore they are operating in a protected space when acknowledging things like 'I know I need continued support'". Onward Transitions will at the same time help the emerging adult phrase these same type of statements for people who might have a harder time understanding or receiving this type of information. "In these situations," Fraize adds "when applicants are beginning to reacquaint themselves with the world outside of treatment we encourage emerging adults to phrase things more like 'I'm looking for a new start and I've always wanted to live here' or 'There's just so much going on here in this city or neck of the woods that I had to check it out.' It may seem hokey, but we hear from folks that it works."

Once they have arrived at the program, emerging adults begin to tweak their abridged and unabridged stories to provide more specificity. "If you're out in town and meeting people you can use some of the same strategies from the admissions process, but adding bits of color can help emerging adults form some initial social connections. Things like 'I'm going to school and studying this thing or that' or 'I was looking to get out on my own and work for a while and I found this job doing this thing' seem to work well for folks once they're meeting people outside the program and around town."

Fraize adds that one of the challenges that emerging adults have at this point is discerning between who gets to hear the unabridged story once they've settled into their new place. "Someone might begin to feel comfortable too soon in a new relationship and want to share some personal history. we recommend they don't lie, but that they take a protected and protracted approach and say things like 'You know, I'm just learning how to do the adulting thing'. And that over time, they might add some unabridged elements like 'I've got some anxiety that I've been working on' or 'I can be a really black and white thinker sometimes.' These statements act as feelers that the emerging adult can then come back to the therapist, staff or group and discuss and get some perspective on before forging ahead. Many of our members are in long-standing relationships and have disclosed to people outside the program that they are getting some support from 'a program' or 'a therapist, a coach, a nutritionist' or something they are comfortable with.

Onward Transitions has heard from former members that they have had success with both abridged and unabridged variants of their stories post-discharge. "Typically they will be in abridged situations where they can brag a little bit about how they learned to be more independent, while going to school or working or volunteering. Then they can segue into adding more details like 'While I was living in Portland I learned to bake a chicken, get my oil changed, sign up for health insurance and get a PCP, balance my time AND my budget (well a little better anyway), make some new friends and got closer to my family,'" Fraize recalls. "The unabriddged stories have tended to not be much different other than offering to people that they got support from a program while they were figuring things out. The most beautiful part here is that they own their successes, and really see themselves as change agents in their lives."

About Onward Transitions

Onward Transitions is a comprehensive, non-residential living service that supports emerging adults ages 18-29 living independently in the neighborhood of their choice in Portland, Maine. Our members choose and live in their own apartment from day one. They do not ever live with us. Members' challenges include anxiety, depression, executive functioning and meeting the requirements of moving towards independence.

Trails Momentum, a wilderness therapy program for young adults ages 18-25, has opened an art studio on campus where students will take part in art therapy sessions. (Trails Momentum’s sister program, Trails Carolina Wilderness Therapy, which helps teens ages 10-17 will also be using the art studio on a regular basis.)

During their time at the program, Trails Momentum will take part in one weekly group art therapy session, as well as individual sessions, when appropriate to their current treatment goals. Trails Carolina students will attend art therapy group sessions at the art studio once a week.

Art therapy is more than just making nice pictures,” comments Tai Kulenic, MPS, LPC, ATR-BC, Primary Therapist at Trails Carolina and Trails Momentum. “In fact, art therapy is more often a process of making ugly or messy pictures that depict a feeling state, not a final product that is neat and pretty.  Students are invited to use their imagination and creativity to explore current challenges.”

The studio space will offer students various medium outlets, such as painting, collage, weaving, sculpture and sand tray therapy, as a way to explore their feelings and self-concept.  

“Art therapy is strengths-based -- the creative process is all about making, changing, building, and doing,” says Kulenic. “It naturally and automatically taps into a students' strengths and show them what they are capable of doing.  This treatment modality works really well with adolescents and young adults because they tend to be more resistant to traditional talk therapy.”

Recently, Momentum students created a CD cover that included songs they thought would depict the soundtrack to their lives. This proved to be a powerful session that had all the students singing, drumming and sharing stories of how music had impacted their lives and linked them to their family and friends.  

I really feel strongly that adolescence is a time when students need to be seen and heard the most and to discover who they are before they twist themselves into shapes to please others,” says Kulenic. “Creating art helps a person establish and understand who they are as an individual.  Let's face it, self-exploration can be a hindrance trying to communicate via normal language and expression, but art therapy gives a student license to really explore and define new things about themselves.”

About  Trails Momentum and Trails Carolina

Trails Momentum is a co-ed adventure-based wilderness program that offers a transformative, whole student centered growth experience in the mountains of Western North Carolina for young adults ages 18-25.  Trails Momentum uses adventure programming, clinical services, education, service-learning, and community living to guide students on their path to health and happiness.

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.

While most outdoor activities slow down during the winter months, the Aviation Program at the Chamberlain International School does not. Students who are selected to participate in the program attend Alpha One Flight School in nearby Plymouth and have plenty to do regardless of the weather. 

Whether it be snow or rain that grounds actual flight time, the students are able to recieve valuable classroom instruction. 
The classroom is set up with various training aids, a navigation planning table, a computer weather station, and an area for preflight and post-flight briefings. The instructor is able to adjust the program and tailor the instruction to each student's pilot-skills. Students are aslo able to practice in the FAA approved “Elite” simulator during inclement weather. When the skies are clear the student are up in the air and at the controls, piloting aircrafts. 

The FAA requires private pilots to have at least 40 hours of flight time, including 20 hours of flight training and 10 hours of solo flight. The average number of hours at which students earn their licenses is between 60 and 70. The Chamberlain School has had many students go on to earn their Private Pilots License and currently have two alumni attending school for their Commercial Pilots License. 

About Chamberlain International School

Located in Middleboro, Massachusetts, Chamberlain International School offers a therapeutic residential learning experience for students ranging in age from 11 to 22. Students at Chamberlain International School struggle with a variety of learning disabilities and mental health challenges. 

Elevations RTC, a co-ed residential treatment center for teens ages 13-18, provides students with opportunities to socialize and bond with peers in a variety of settings throughout their time at Elevations. One event that captures the positive social atmosphere on campus is a monthly event called the Super Supper Social.

Hosted by Elevation’s leadership team, the Super Supper Social is a semi-formal dinner held each month. Every Super Supper Social has a specific theme that can range from the 4th of July to a movie from the ‘80’s. During this event, students are encouraged to socialize and build interpersonal effectiveness skills which are integral to Dialectical Behavioral Therapy.

“Learning to get along with others while also asserting your own needs is essential to building healthy relationships,” says Jordan Killpack CMHC, Clinical Director of Elevations RTC. “It can often be difficult to balance your own needs and those of others.  At events like the Super Supper Social, students learn and practice interpersonal effectiveness skills which help them improve the ways in which they attend to relationships, balance priorities and demands, and help them build a sense of mastery and self-respect.”

In January, the Super Supper Social will be themed on the 1987 fantasy film, “The Princess Bride”. Students will dine on a three course meal, watch the movie, and take part in a jousting competition with cardboard shields and swords.

“The students really enjoy this time and they look forward to it each month,” comments Brandi Fox, Operations Director at Elevations RTC. “They like to get dressed up and they enjoy spending this time with their peers. It is something very unique to our program and can help students break out of their shell.”

About Elevations RTC

Elevations RTC is a residential treatment center that offers guidance, support and relief to adolescents struggling with issues like trauma, depression, anxiety, mood disorders, behavioral problems, identity issues, and substance use. Elevations RTC is located in Utah and provides specialized, clinically intensive programs to struggling teens. 

Students at Valley View School have volunteered thousands of hours over the years to community service activities and have made a difference at food pantries, animal shelters, after-school tutoring programs, and senior living facilities.  Dr. Thomas Nowak, Executive Director, comments, "We are very proud of our students for their service and receive numerous comments about their kindness, respect and work ethic in the community.   The Community Service Program at Valley View also continues to provide yard raking, clearing and trimming of brush, and snow shoveling for local elders who reach out when help is needed."

For the past six years, during Thanksgiving week, Valley View has extended its good graces to two local church efforts designed to provide Thanksgiving meals to families in need.  Both of these are volunteer-based initiatives, and VVS students have developed a reputation of providing key support to these endeavors by way of greeting families at the pantry and filling food boxes.  Staff and students help set up and deliver meals to local families in conjuction with a local church on Thanksgiving Day itself.

Dave Maher, Residential Counselor and long-time community volunteer, shares, "These efforts are extra special as they afford our students an opportunity to appreciate their own families and holidays further while helping to assure that others less fortunate may also benefit from such a wonderful holiday meal."

Community volunteering by adolescents and teens promotes development of their personal sense of citizenship and pride in themselves, improves communication skills and provides opportunities to experience diversity.  Students at Valley View School are provided with a multitude of opportunities to give back to the community and benefit greatly from their experiences in volunteering.

About Valley View

Valley View School, founded in 1970, is a private therapeutic boarding school serving boys in grades 6-12.  A nonprofit 501(c)(3) school, our campus is located in the central Massachusetts town of North Brookfield.  Our overall program consists of a comprehensive blend of Therapy, Academics, Athletics, Arts and Activities challenging our students emotionally, intellectually and physically.  The boys learn self-control, emotional regulation and social skills in order to create and cultivate relationships with peers and adults, while developing compassion, empathy and respect for others and to realize their true potential.

Sunrise Residential Treatment Center announces that it is partnering with Casa Hogar Alegre Orphanage located in the heart of Chiapas, Mexico this month. It is there that “Mama Liz” takes in children who were abandoned or living in abusive situations and provides them a safe, nurturing and happy environment. Sunrise students and staff will spend a week at the orphanage helping out and embracing the amazing work that takes place there every day. 

Noel Beaulieu, Sunrise's Senior Residential Director, will be chaperoning the students and is excited about the work she and the girls will be doing. "The orphanage reached out and let us know that the children didn’t really have any games or sports equipment and so we immediately asked families and employees to donate sports equipment or money to be used to purchase equipment and games. The families of the clients and employees have been incredibly generous and the girls are very much looking forward to being able to put the sports and equipment to great use with the children -- they will be teaching the children games they can play. One of my team-members even wrote a “lesson plan” book for the children so they remember how to play the various games." It is a beautiful moment when the girls at Sunrise who have created their own Life Worth Living (a DBT skill they learn in skills group) can help others create one for themselves.

Sunrise Residential Treatment Center specializes in connecting Sunrise students to not only their inner-selves and their values, but also to the community around them. Opportunities are consistently created for the girls to experience the "real world" and practice Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) skills they learn in therapy and in the residential milieu. As the girls progress through the program and find inner healing, they also find a desire to reach out to help others in need. 

About Sunrise RTC

Sunrise is a residential treatment center for adolescent girls ages 13-17 aimed at uncovering the academic, social, and emotional potential of girls who have been held back by emotional or behavioral struggles. Sunrise combines the warmth of a home, the safety and clinical expertise of a residential treatment program, and the community access of a transition program.

New Haven RTC received the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval Accreditation for the 20th year in a row. The Joint Commission is the nation's oldest and largest healthcare accrediting body, setting the highest standards for healthcare quality in the industry. This recognition from the Joint Commission for Behavioral Healthcare confirms New Haven RTC’s ongoing commitment to provide the best treatment along with outstanding care and safety for its students struggling with mental health, trauma, attachment and recovery issues.

During their extensive three-day visit, the Joint Commission evaluated the programming and processes that New Haven has put into place.  Each department from an administrative level to front line staff, is assessed. Megan Slater, Nursing Director at New Haven RTC and long-time employee shared, “The beauty of being Joint Commission Accredited is that it requires top performance from every person on every level.” Megan recently celebrated her 20th year with New Haven and noted that what she really appreciates from the Joint Commission is that, “Their bar has always been high, but in recent years, there has been a shift from, ‘what are you doing wrong?’ to ‘what can we do to make your program the best it can be?"

New Haven appreciates its partnership with the Joint Commission and is pleased to continue to meet their rigorous performance guidelines for ensuring quality and safety in all aspects of its program, including:

• Family Work - New Haven understands that extensive family involvement during treatment is essential for long-term success and recovery. Parents move through the Healing Phases along with their daughters and both parents and daughter have a voice in the treatment team. Parents join their students every other month for on-campus Parent Weekend visits.

• Clinical and Medical Agility - New Haven has been successful in treating complex students and families for decades. We utilize our Adaptive Family Systems Model to address transitional periods for each of our families, and the roles and narratives that each family member brings to the system. Additionally, New Haven is set up to care for students with many medical conditions outside of mental health.

• Academically Acute - New Haven's schools are designed to teach all levels of students, offering several academic tracks. Whether the student is a high achiever or requires a supported classroom environment, New Haven is able to appropriately challenge each student. New Haven has high success in credit recovery and 95% of our students move onto higher education after completing high school.

• Trusted and Proven - New Haven's revolutionary approach to relational healing began more than 20 years ago. This framework became the industry standard, and has been replicated in other programs since. Being on the cutting edge of research and outcomes data, New Haven's measures are utilized throughout the treatment process, then also document the ongoing success of families long-term.  Their investment in people and program translates across departments as New Haven works to innovate, train and collaborate with others to create an unprecedented standard of care.

About New Haven RTC

Accredited through the Joint Commission since 1997 and licensed through the State of Utah, New Haven Residential Treatment Center has been an industry leader in treatment for young women since its inception in 1995. We serve adolescent females, ages 12-17. New Haven is clinically intensive with an emphasis on family involvement, healthy relationships, academics, love and service. New Haven is a fully licensed professional Residential Treatment Center, located in rural Utah, just south of Salt Lake City.

Corner Canyon Recovery’s Clinical Director, Cheryl Barton, LCMHC, has worked in the field of Addiction Treatment in Utah since 2009 yet, one might say, she’s prepared for this work her entire life.  In her own family, she experienced the devastation of addiction, watching her brother spiral out of control during his teens.  She watched as the invisible thread of codependency wove its way throughout her family.  When her parents left to serve their church mission, they passed the reigns over to her and her sister and, at that time, Cheryl began to see more clearly the dysfunction that his addiction had left in its wake.  She states, “My sweet brother was in his addiction from the age of 14 and died at the age of 39 from this disease”.

Cheryl is passionate about her work with our clients and their families.  Her personal experience in her own family and the subsequent therapeutic work she had to do in her own life, as an adult, led her to the field of therapy.   In talking about the therapist that helped her see she could contribute to the field of therapy, Cheryl remarks, “Because she told me I could, that gave me the power to see how my influence might effect others for the better.  She helped me to identify my strengths and see that every experience I have gives me strength to share with clients and their families”.

Cheryl's mother always said, “Make your mess your message”, and Cheryl’s experience serves as strength and hope for the families at Corner Canyon Recovery.  The Family Program offers an initial assessment and family sessions, either by phone or in person, culminating in a Family Healing Program held monthly, where families are invited to come to Corner Canyon Recovery and learn about the neurobiology of addiction, assertive communication skills and reconnecting from a position of recovery.   Corner Canyon Recovery's goal is to aid the client and family in creating a blueprint for improved relationships and assistance with recovery for all members. 

About Corner Canyon Recovery

Corner Canyon Recovery opened November 2017. A 16 bed, trauma informed, adult, co-ed with gender specific programming, dual-diagnosis, holistic Residential Treatment Center in a large attractive home in Draper, UT.

College Excel announces that over the Fall 2017 term, the student body earned a combined GPA of 3.36 and 40% percent of students earned a 4.00 for the Fall term.  This occurred because College Excel works hard to help a student develop the tools and habits needed to be academically successful.  There are many ways in which College Excel can teach and develop these skills including academic tracking, coaching, tutoring, and organizational strategies.  As a result of College Excel’s sophisticated and comprehensive approach, the students often see very tangible results in the form of high GPA's. 

Going to college for the first time or after an unsuccessful attempt can be challenging and discouraging.  The team at College Excel knows all too well what is required for that student to get back on track with their success.  Much of this revolves around their sense of community, confidence in managing their independent living responsibilities, and capacity to stay mentally and physically active.  Of course another important component of a student’s success is their attention to academic responsibilities.

Since  many of the students at College Excel have experienced an unsuccessful attempt at higher education prior to enrolling, the ability to mend their transcripts is very important.  College Excel students are able to create a much improved transcript and transfer that success into their next academic endeavor.  That level of confidence takes time and effort and the results are well-deserved.  The list of Colleges and Universities to which the students have transferred includes large research institutions, ivy league schools, small liberal arts colleges and trade programs.  

About College Excel

Founded in 2003, College Excel is the nation’s leading residential college support program located in beautiful Bend, Oregon. At College Excel, post-secondary adults (18+) with diverse learning needs requiring extra support are provided the structure they need to move forward, both academically and personally. Using a proprietary, blended coaching model rooted in Harvard research-based neurocoaching and behavioral coaching techniques, College Excel students receive daily support from a team of credentialed and experienced Academic and Student Life Coaches while earning transferable college credits.

As the students are returning back from the holiday vacation, the staff and admiistration cannot help but notice the smiles on the boys who have either created relationships or been allowed to visit girlfriends over their home visits.  They are so love struck. So many emotions are being experienced, it is almost more than a high school boy can handle!

They are learning and experiencing firsthand both the joy and agony of long distance relationships. Everyone dreads their first romantic heartache and though Novitas cannot protect them from the anguish that everyone first experiences as a teenager, we can play a big role in helping them through the experience in a healthy way.

The teenager may not realize it at the time but by surviving their first broken heart they will see that they have resilience to weather the storm of so many of life’s challenges. It is an important stage in their lives and a great opportunity for growth. They will be able to understand that although the pain is intense at first, over time it will get better and they can take pride in the recognition of their strength and ability to endure some of life’s challenges of the heart. 

Girls and boys experience different reactions while going through a breakup but please don’t gender stereotype their expected emotions. They all cope differently and may appear angry and irritable. Some boys may cry, the teenager may or may not want to discuss their feelings and could even mask their pain to family and friends. They may also just want to be left alone. All these coping mechanisms are "normal".

Don’t minimize the experience. The pain is real and hard for youth who may never have experienced hurt like this before. Validate his or her feelings and be empathic in this difficult time in their life. However helpless the adults feel, they cannot ‘fix’ the problem. You can open the door for conversation by sharing your own experiences but try not to be lecturing.  We need to allow them time to grieve but with an understanding heart.

Feeling heartbroken after a break up is normal, but if you sense anything out of the ordinary like prolonged signs of grief or depression, you may want to call in a professional. These clues might include your son or daughter not participating in their normal activities or being down for a long period of time. A healing heart does take a while but it is good to be watchful for signs that they are not able to handle this without help.

All adults first broken heart came from a relationship.  Everyone can be thankful for the first test of our strength that proved to us that no storm is too strong to get through, of course, that does not mean the storm’s whirling sand doesn’t still sting.

About Novitas Academy

Located in Emmett, Idaho on 30 acres of majestic river front property, Novitas Academy is a unique therapeutic boarding school for boys ages 14-18 and grades 9-12 accredited by AdvancED.  Novitas is a relationship-based program that strives to help our students build their self-esteem and self-confidence through discovering and nurturing their strengths, passions, and dreams.

With the close of the 2017 year, Turn-About Ranch made note of the many staff who contributed to their 29 years of successfully helping families from all over the world.  “We’ve been blessed with many dedicated staff, both past and present, that have made Turn-About Ranch what it is today,” said Turn-About’s Executive Director, Michelle Lindsay.  With 29 years behind them and a low turn-over rate with employees, Turn-About Ranch has their sights on at least 30 more.  Admissions Director Shane Young explained, “An independent study gave Turn-About Ranch an 83% success rating a few years ago.  Everyone at Turn-About Ranch is dedicated to improving the long-term success of each student that joins us.  We all want to have a positive impact that lasts a lifetime.  We do this through establishing core values, teaching lifeskills, and digging deep through a variety of therapeutic interventions. It is the staff's genuine desire that makes all this possible.  I am grateful to be surrounded by them.”

Lindsay quoted several alumni parents and students as she thanked employees of Turn-About Ranch for their dedication to the success of each student, no matter their background.  Paula B wrote, “The program and the caring relationships the students had with the staff and horses were a Godsend for our family!”  Jeff C. wrote, “We can’t say enough positive things about our son’s experience.  Turn-About Ranch put him back on the right path…”  Amanda M. said, “The parenting classes and the caring staff, as well as the small town feeling made us feel more at ease… The growth we saw was amazing.  We are forever grateful…” 

Parents and students from around the world regularly compliment and cite caring staff members as being reasons they initially chose the program as well as why they felt their child made the progress that they did at Turn-About Ranch.  A proud father emailed, “It was evident when we met the staff up at Roundy that they cared for the kids and the kids cared for them. We can't give enough thanks to Wayne and the TAR staff for changing the course of Colt’s life and future.”  Mallorey P. emailed, “Wayne had a huge impact on me.  …I will never forget Wayne and I will never forget TAR.”  Kelly A. stated, “I will forever be grateful to your staff and the impact they had on my daughter. They should know she took their life lessons to heart and has grown into an amazing young woman who owns it!”  Lily A., had this to say, “I felt I needed to reach out and give thanks. I just want staff to know how much of an impact they had on my experience at Turn-About. Every time I felt down on myself and wanted to give up staff reminded me what I'm capable of and how special I am. I don't know if I would have gotten through it otherwise. Today I'm almost 4 years clean and starting my second semester of college. Everyone at Turn-About Ranch helped to make it possible. I couldn't have done it without you, and I am forever grateful to all of you.” Kendyl H. emailed Lindsay with this about Tom, “I spent the three most important holidays at the Ranch and it really had taken a toll on me. I have to say Christmas really was the worst because I missed my family terribly! Tom always was there for all the kids and could easily tell when we were upset, or when we were missing home. Me and a couple other girls were very upset about Christmas… Little did we all know that he was going to do something that would make us all smile and be one of the best memories I had at TAR! …That is a memory I still tell people to this day because he made the holidays so much better. Tom was so amazing. He would give you a hard time just to make you smile and look at the best part of the situation you were in.  …I will be forever grateful for him and what he did for me.”

The well-established history of Turn-About Ranch offers thousands of success stories and compliments that highlight the efforts of the caring staff members.  In closing the Christmas party, Lindsay and CEO Myron Carter acknowledged specific attributes and contributions of the many long-term employees of Turn-About Ranch.  In closing, Lindsay praised the caring staff, “It is each of you that makes Turn-About Ranch the amazing program that it is.  Thank you!”

About Turn About Ranch

Turn-About Ranch is a wilderness therapy and residential treatment program located in the heart of Southern Utah’s canyon country. Students experience life on a real working ranch while undergoing treatment to improve their life back home. Surrounded by multiple national parks and the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Turn-About Ranch is the ideal location for youth of today to have the space they need to find healing and purpose.

Red Oak Recovery and The Willows understands that making the decision to reach out for help is not always easy, for clients or their families.  Red Oak's experienced Admissions Team provides private and confidential consultations to help those in need begin their journey on the road to sustained recovery.  Most importantly, they are there to be a sounding board for those that may have been struggling for a very long time but were too afraid to ask for help.

The three person team is comprised of dedicated individuals who help find the most appropriate treatment program for family's loved one.  With their attention to detail, individualized service, and attentive responses, they are committed to providing exemplary service to those that may not know where to turn for answers. 

“Deciding on the right treatment program is a monumental task.  Our admissions team will help carry that weight in your search.  Our guiding principles are rooted in trust and service.  This begins at our initial conversation and will not end until we have found the best-fit program for your loved one,” explains Torry Bolter, Admissions Specialist.  “Our commitment to an experience that is professional and consistent sets the tone for what your loved one will experience at Red Oak Recovery and The Willows.  To best serve, one must understand; to best understand, one must listen.  We look forward to being of service!"

About Red Oak Recovery

Red Oak Recovery  and The Willows at Red Oak are 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 Willows is dedicated to woman-only programming uniquely blends quality clinical care, adventure and experiential therapy. Both types of programming include 12 Step work and social skills development to create positive and lasting change. 

Alpine Academy is proud to announce the election of Christian Egan to the Board of Directors for the National Association of Therapeutic Schools And Programs (NATSAP). The NATSAP Board is comprised of individuals from member programs who are elected into their positions and volunteer their time and abilities to the betterment of NATSAP and its members.

Since its founding in 1999, NATSAP has become a renowned association dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families by providing guidance and support to its members. NATSAP has over 175 member programs, plus dozens of individual and affiliate members, in more than 30 states around the country, as well as some international programs. NATSAP establishes guidelines for ethics and best practices, holds members to certain standards of care, conducts extensive research into the effectiveness of member programs, and provides government representation to increase understanding of and provide a voice in legislation that directly impacts programs and treatment in the mental health field.

Christian began working for Alpine Academy in 2006. With more than 11 years in his role as Admissions Director, Christian has shown extreme dedication and concern to the hundreds of families that have turned to Alpine for help and the many professionals that have referred those families. Christian’s significant impact has directly influenced Alpine’s growth and establishment as one of the premier residential treatment centers in the country. Alpine Academy is grateful to be able to share Christian with NATSAP and is confident his experience and wisdom will continue to be a force for good.

About Alpine Academy

Alpine Academy is a licensed residential treatment center for girls ages 12-18 located in Utah.  Students struggle with emotional disturbances that are severe enough to prevent them from going to school successfully. Alpine is a fully accredited school with dual-endorsed teachers at the front of every classroom. Therapy is built into the school day. It is a nationally certified Teaching Family Model treatment program.  The students live in homes with married couples, Family Teachers.

This past holiday season, EDGE Learning and Wellness students donated handmade ornaments to A Safe Place, a domestic violence shelter.  EDGE Collaborator and Art Instructor Vickie Marasco guided students as they painted images of snow-covered cottages, flowers, candy canes and Santa Claus onto ornaments. Students chose these designs themselves after deciding they would best help mothers and children at A Safe Place get in the holiday spirit.

;When our students found out they could donate their ornaments, they put in extra time and attention to detail,” said EDGE Life Coach Carissa Johnsen. “They truly wanted to make sure their gifts would be as special as possible.“

After the experience, EDGE students recognized that giving to others is an essential part of the holiday season. Beyond that, though, they realized how important it is to prioritize the act of giving all year round. Whether it's helping a friend with homework or volunteering at a local organization, everyone can incorporate giving into their daily lives.

"It was a thoughtful thing for us to do - one I wouldn't have come up with on my own,” said one EDGE student. “I really liked doing it, and I’m glad we could donate the ornaments."

A Safe Place, located in Zion, Illinois, is about 50 miles from EDGE. The shelter provides free housing and counseling services to domestic violence survivors. EDGE was grateful for the opportunity to give back to a local organization that provides such crucial community support.

About EDGE Learning and Wellness Collegiate Community

EDGE Learning and Wellness Collegiate Community is an accredited transitional living program located in Chicago, IL. EDGE 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.

Vive Family Support Program serves clients in various age ranges that are facing a variety of issues and struggles related to their age, diagnosis, family situation, etc. The collegiate young adult client has been a growing Vive population in the past several years. The Vive Mentor and Vive Parent Coach become an important cog in the wheel to roll these young adults down the road of independence and success.

In recent discussions between referring professionals, Vive Regional Directors and Vive leadership, it became apparent that the need for this type of support for college students is only expanding due to increased college enrollment numbers, increase in the pressure for academic success, and the rise of college bound students struggling with anxiety, depression, and/or learning differences. Some colleges have done a great job in providing services and support on campus to help with this transition and the challenges it brings, but others are way behind in meeting these needs.

Vive can provide that support on the ground and in the moment for students who are attending college in any of the locations served. In speaking with Denver Regional Director Kera Miller, she stated that the several college students she has worked with have common struggles such as accountability, time management, social pressures and academic stress. She continued to reflect that most of these students had lots of support in getting to college from their high school and families, but once they show up on campus it was up to them to sink or swim. That is a lot for the average freshman in college, let alone someone that may have been in treatment and has other challenges to manage. This is where a program like Vive can come in and assist and support the students and their families, as the young adult navigates the waters. Vive will walk alongside the client and help them build a tool box relevant to their needs. The mentor will help them fiind any other supports they need, from tutoring and other LD supports to therapists to yoga instructors to support groups. Vive mentors live in the community and have a wealth of knowledge to help the student connect and build community. Kera mentioned a particular client that was really struggling to make friends on campus until Kera helped her find an activity she was interested in; once she joined that club, things began to improve all around for her. Balance is the key, Kera stated. Supporting and encouraging these clients to find balance between exploring thier individuality, building community, academics and their family is key to their success moving forward.

Vive Parent Coaches will also play a big role in supporting the parents of the college client in learning how to balance between letting go and being there when needed. The parent coach recognizes this is also a difficult transition for the parents and will work with them to gain the skills to support their young adult in most healthy and effective way.

About Vive Family Support Program

Vive Family Support Program is a relational and experiential therapeutic support service for pre-teens, adolescents, young adults and their families. With our unique approach and roots in the community (we serve the following locations: Boston, New York, Washington DC, Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, and San Francisco), Vive works closely with families to offer insight, implement coping skills and rebuild trust within the family system. Our goal is to ensure lasting positive change.

TechieForLife (TFL) and the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP) are excited to announce the upcoming launch of NATSAP Connect, a new free app for educational consultants, schools and programs approved through the NATSAP. Students at TFL have been building this service for the last 8 months and are looking forward to seeing it launched at the upcoming NATSAP conference in Tampa, Florida. This is an internal/non-public app specifically developed so members can quickly and easily connect with each other.

NATSAP Connect is an app that gives users the ability to:

• Connect quickly on handheld devices with others in the industry
• Find the right person and avoid contacting through the program's published intake methods
• Instantly access information exclusively for educational consultants and NATSAP approved programs
• Locate schools and programs easier by utilizing clickable map links
• Update NATSAP information and have more effective searches through the app for those already on the NATSAP website

For those who choose to include more detailed contact information, educational consultants or others allowed access will be able to contact the right people in positions that are not generally published. It will also have all the data already on the NATSAP website as a searchable database. The new app will be a safe and effective media for all handheld devices to work better within this community of support.

TFL students will be participating in the launch and available to assist in getting started with the app at the upcoming 2018 Annual NATSAP Conference, January 31- February 2, in Tampa, Florida. This first launch will be followed by more tools and benefits still being built.

The vocational computer tech students at TechieForLife have put their "skills, expertise and hearts into this exciting project." said Jason Grygla, Executive Director at TFL. "They have worked hard to build this app from the ground up and learned so much in the process." TFL's students wanted to create this app in a way that would make it easier for consultants and treatment programs to communicate. They know this means that they are also helping other young people like themselves to get the resources and help they need, when they need it most.

About TechieForLife

TechieForLife (TFL) is a co-ed, young adult, residential and licensed vocational school located in St. George, Utah. Dubbed "Silicon Sands," beautiful Southern Utah is home to one of the fastest growing tech sectors in the U.S. Neuroatypical students who need a safe social and emotional environment gain important life skills, mentoring and a college track or marketable technology training; leading to internship/job placement through TFL's close private sector partnerships. TechieForLife gives students a place to belong and the supports to succeed.

PRN for Families is pleased and honored to have been selected to present at the upcoming annual conference of the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP), taking place in Tampa, Florida from January 31-February 2nd of this year. Charles Elias, LCSW MAC LAC CCPS II SAP, PRN’s Founder and Director, will be co-presenting at two separate workshops during the conference, which brings together representatives of therapeutic schools, residential treatment programs, wilderness programs, outdoor therapeutic programs, young adult programs and home-based residential programs working with troubled teens and troubled adolescents.

Along with Grace Colman Losada, Ed.D., the Vice President of Education for Fusion Education Group, Charles will be presenting a workshop session entitled, “The Whole Child Approach: Strategies for Shifting Parental Focus from Problems to Solutions.” This educational session is focused on how therapeutic programs can thoughtfully help parents and families shift their attention and resources from “fixing” their child’s identified “problems” to a more family-systems oriented approach in their thinking, parenting, and expectations for their child. Ms. Losada and Mr. Elias will discuss strategies for programs and clinicians to help keep the focus on building strength and resilience in the family system instead of just on the child, and best practices around how educators can work with families who have children that think differently, process differently or have emotional challenges.

Additionally, Charles will participate in a panel discussion entitled “Multi-Systemic Care in the Home and Community:  What You Need to Know to Successfully Extend the Continuum of Care.” Moderated by John Stewart of the Interchange family of programs, other panelists include Leah Madamba, MS, NCC, LPC, of Vive; Tim Thayne, Ph.D., LMFT, from Homeward Bound;  and Kris Brightbill, MA, LPC, NCC, from Turning Tides Transitions. In an engaging moderated panel discussion format, these four experienced clinicians, all of whom direct home-based wraparound support programs, will focus on the importance of extending support to clients and families in their homes and communities, and how to make this happen. The moderator will help draw out the challenges, successes, and useful strategies for accessing effective resources for families, as well as creative interventions for difficult or unique scenarios that require thinking outside of the box to support a family’s needs. Case studies will be also be used to illustrate how different perspectives and thoughtful home-based interventions can more fully support a client’s and family’s success following a treatment stay.

As part of PRN’s ongoing efforts to provide education about home-based wrap-around support and family preservation as a model of care, opportunities to present to an audience of esteemed colleagues and professionals is welcomed and appreciated. PRN for Families will be represented at the NATSAP conference by Mr. Elias; Mary Jo DeGrandi, MS, Director of Outreach and Marketing; Patricia Ruggles, LCPC, CADC, Family Consultant; and Kelsey Morell, MSW, Family Consultant.

About PRN For Families

PRN for Families and Tracks by PRN are home and community-based support programs that serve families who have children or young adults who are struggling, or who may be reuniting following an out-of-home placement. Since 2003, PRN for Families has offered intensive at-home intervention, crisis support, transition and reunification services that empower and support families so that they may live together successfully and safely. Tracks by PRN offers concierge-level services for young adults who may require additional support in order to find success in their efforts to live independently.

Seven Stars, a premier assessment and residential treatment center for teens ages 13-17 who struggle with neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and nonverbal learning disorder, has made exciting additions to their academic model in the past couple of months.

During the last few months, Seven Stars has shifted to an academic model which allows students the opportunity to earn more academic credits.  The way this has been done is to shift the weekly schedule so that it approximates a more traditional daily school schedule with students participating in academics five days per week.  This allows students to have more time in classroom academics and to earn more credit toward graduation.  

We are excited to offer a fully tailored curriculum that is based on each student's needs and academic progress,” comments Dr. Gordon Day, Executive Clinical Director and Founder of Seven Stars.  “And if our academic program is working well for students and families, they have the option to continue the academic program and keep working toward graduation once leaving Seven Stars.”

Seven Stars is working with an accredited private school, Dorius Academy, which specializes in providing academic materials and support to students in therapeutic settings.

In addition, two evenings a week, Seven Stars students take part in community activities that encourage life-skills building and the development of coping skills such as service projects within the community and taking part in activities at a local recreation center.

On the weekends, students continue to have dynamic and challenging outdoor adventure and recreational therapy activities off campus such as skiing, mountain climbing, and hiking.

About Seven Stars 

Seven Stars is a premier therapeutic program for teens ages 13-17 struggling with neurodevelopmental disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit Disorder, and Learning Disorders (verbal or nonverbal). Seven Stars’ treatment model takes a revolutionary shift from normal therapy methods. By combining acute care stabilization, with residential treatment and academics, true multidisciplinary assessment and treatment, outdoor experiential therapy and positive psychology, Seven Stars therapeutic program understands, assesses and builds the confidence and skills of students struggling with neurodevelopmental disorders.

The arts are an integral part of the Summit Prep Curriculum.  Summit provides students with many creative outlets for self-expression through classes and clubs. The Fine Arts program has always offered an array of classes from Beginning Drawing to Advanced Art Portfolio. It is so amazing to see the beautiful pieces of art that the students create. In addition to Fine Arts, Summit Prep’s Practical Arts program has grown and now provides several courses to encourage students to learn about home improvement, landscaping, construction.

As the arts offerings have expanded, so has the need for additional space. The dream of a new building is now becoming a reality. This opportunity is due to the support of Alumni families and friends. This spring, once the ground thaws, construction will begin. Projected completion is July 2018.

The expanded 2000 square foot space will be used for both the Fine and Practical Arts classes. The design will feature a large, garage type door offering students the opportunity to work on many of their projects in the beautiful Montana "outdoors".  The current art room will house our music and theatre arts programs. This expansion is such an exciting opportunity for Summit Prep students. A special thanks to all those who have helped make this a reality.

Summit Preparatory School

Summit Preparatory School is an accredited private, non-profit, co-ed therapeutic boarding school located on 520 acres near Kalispell, MT.  Summit integrates professional therapy and college prep academics within a nurturing and dynamic community that energizes and challenges adolescents to succeed and transform their lives. Grounded in the concepts of the Summit Model, the program focuses on promoting the development of healthy psychological and social skills. The campus is close to Glacier International Airport (FCA) and is less than an hour from Glacier National Park.

With the beginning of the new year, please join Dragonfly Transitions in welcoming new additions to the family. In November, Program Director Kenny Benson’s daughter Lyra was born, and in early January Primary Therapist Peter Erickson’s son Sitka Thomas was born. The team at Dragonfly congratulates Kenny, Peter and their families and wishes them all the best with the new babies (and sleepless nights)!

On a related note, many Dragonfly staff have therapy dogs on campus that the students connect with throughout the day and for support during therapy sessions. Adding to the announcement of new Dragonfly babies, Mentor and MSW Candidate Chelsea Kibbe recently adopted a very cute fur-baby, aka puppy named Scout, that the students love! Dragonfly appreciates the warmth and curious nature that Scout brings to the team and to the students’ experience.

About Dragonfly Transitions

Dragonfly Transitions serves young adults 18 -30 in three locations in Southern Oregon – Klamath Falls, Ashland, and the Homestead (for men, just south of Klamath). Students learn life skills and work to transition into a healthy young adult life with independence, autonomy, integrity and sustainability. Dragonfly provides opportunities for real world experience in a stable, supportive environment where students can flourish.

Two members of the Outback Therapeutic Expeditions leadership team are scheduled to present at an upcoming annual therapeutic conference.   The conference, organized through the National Association for Therapeutic Programs and Schools (NATSAP), will occur in Wesley Chapel, Florida at the end of January 2018.  All three of Outback's presentations are set to occur on Wednesday, January 31, 2018.

Tracy Hopkins, MSW, Business Development Director, continues to create space for dialogue and engagement on topics such as diversity, inclusion and equity. She will begin the year of 2018 by offering conversations on building pathways for access and equity as it pertains to the field of private pay behavioral healthcare.  

Greg Burnham, MS, LMFT, Clinical Director, will be facilitating 2 separate presentations during the NATSAP conference.

• The first presentation is designed to invite the professional members of the therapeutic industry to critically assess, discuss, and analyze the efficacy of family therapy as it is currently provided in residential and wilderness treatment programs.
• The second presentation will invite and encourage an honest and open discussion on unintended effects of treatment within our profession. 

About Outback Therapeutic Expediations

Outback Therapeutic Expeditions is a licensed wilderness therapy program located in Utah that offers a highly integrated, comprehensive assessment and treatment for teens. Outback offers help for troubled teens ages 13-17 and provides clinical oversight by a Masters Level therapist, in each group, every day of the week.  Outback helps teens with various areas of difficulties such as depression, anxiety, family conflict, engaging in dangerous behaviors, mild ASD, 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.

Neurobehavioral Institute (NBI), an internationally recognized evidence-supported psychological center, announces the opening of their newest addition, NBI Ranch, aka the Ranch.  Located in the beautiful horse country town of Southwest Ranches, Florida, The Ranch is an eighteen (years) and over home-like environment for sufferers of OCD and Related-Anxiety Conditions. Patients live and receive support at the Ranch while attending intensive treatment at NBI’s main offices, centrally located just 10 minutes away near Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. 

Commenting on the opening of NBI Ranch, Clinical Director Dr. Katia Moritz said “I always believed that our clients needed more than what we were providing them when they go home. Having a place where we could support them in using skills in that moment would maximize their treatment and take them to that next level so they can learn, and grow, and engage life again.”

NBI Ranch offers opportunities for sufferers from around the world to receive the gold standard in treatment methods, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). In a full mind-body approach, residents of the Ranch work with a nutritional therapist in addition to participating in weekly equine therapy, yoga, organic gardening, and all the opportunities for life-enriching experiences South Florida has to offer. Patients receive individual and group therapy, as well as family interventions, from doctoral level psychologists. Treatment is available in English, Spanish and Portuguese. 

“A lot of thought and care went into creating NBI Ranch,” said Clinical Director Dr. Jonathan Hoffman. “We want people who work with us to really have the experience they’re being treated as people who are undergoing a difficult time, not just patients with labels and diagnoses.”

Services at Neurobehavioral Institute include Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), treatment and support groups, academic support, parent training, intensive treatment programs for severe and complex cases, and psychological testing. NBI’s mission is to bring the highest quality of evidence-supported psychological care to each and every patient to make a significant and lasting difference in their lives. NBI’s motto and greatest aspiration for the past 20 years is “Life Change at its Core.”

About Neurobehavioral Institute (NBI)

Neurobehavioral Institute (NBI) is a well-recognized South Florida based psychological center offering an array of evidence-based psychological services from a true clinical “team” — Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), psychological testing, groups, and more. NBI has an intensive treatment track for Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders and Anxiety Disorders, as well as for many other debilitating and complex conditions. Intensive Treatment is often combined with residency at NBI Ranch, which is NBI’s nearby eight-bed “living experience” for those over age 18 needing a higher level of support in order to make — and maintain — progress.