At Cascade Crest Transitions (CCT), Academic and Career Coaches play a unique and essential role in supporting young adults through real-life successes and struggles on their journeys toward independence. The Academic Coach is a principal member of each student’s treatment team, working alongside the primary Therapist and Case Manager to provide comprehensive, individualized support for CCT students. Their role as a coach and mentor is fundamental toward students clarifying and working toward their academic and vocational goals. This position has been an essential aspect of CCT’s offerings since the foundation of the program.
Every student at CCT is assigned to one of four Academic Coaches: Alice Shaprio (Academic Director), Craig Brauner, Eric Jacobs-Nicholls, and Carli Smythe. Each has come to CCT with their own unique interests, backgrounds, and styles of connecting with students. All are skillful educators who are passionate about empowering the young adults of the program.
"We are so blessed to have a team of incredibly dedicated, talented advisors for our students! Their individual passions and journeys toward this career path make them uniquely qualified to meet a wide range of student interests. And, as a team, we lean into each other’s strengths to offer every student the benefit of our commitment to their success, regardless of whose caseload they may be assigned." ~ Alice Shapiro, Academic Director
In addition to individual support, the Academic and Career Coaches teach group classes to all students at CCT, including Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and a variety of independent-living skills courses, such as Personal Money Management, Careers and Goal Setting & Time Management. These classes are opportunities for students to practice valuable life skills while receiving honest and supportive feedback in the process. As students grow in their independence, the Academic Coach continues to be a significant pillar of support during their participation at CCT.
About Cascade Crest Transitions
Founded in 2011, Cascade Crest Transitions has been an industry leader in aftercare/transitional programming for young adults. We working with young adults in a co-ed setting between the ages of 18-23. CCT offers continued therapeutic and academic support, sober setting, safe community, along with real-life experiences. Cascade Crest is located in beautiful Bend, Oregon.
Los Angeles, CA, March 18 – Ascend Healthcare, premier provider of residential treatment for teens suffering from mental health and substance use disorders, has hired Alicia Brown, music-industry veteran, mother, and empathy enthusiast to serve as Admissions Coordinator.
Alicia comes to Ascend from the entertainment industry, having spent 15 years as a talent management and industry-relations professional in both Los Angeles and Melbourne, Australia. She has always felt called to be the conduit between people and their goals. In 2013, she spread her wings into higher education, where she worked as both a teacher and a bridge-builder for young adults seeking a career path. Having studied psychology at the undergraduate level, she sensed a calling toward working in mental health, and she has found her dream-team job at Ascend. Alicia is also a certified holistic health coach, with a passion for health and wellness.
"Alicia is incredibly passionate about supporting families through the difficult process of entering residential treatment. She has held high-level positions at international universities and taught courses on critical thinking to college students struggling to identify a life path. Her commitment to each individual is truly unmatched and she leaves no stone unturned when getting to know a family’s needs and providing education about the Ascend approach. We feel beyond lucky to welcome her to our admissions team,” said FE Goldberg, Managing Director of Ascend’s residential program for adolescents.
About Ascend Healthcare
Ascend Healthcare is a 12-bed residential treatment center located in Encino, CA, a suburb of Los Angeles. Ascend offers a 45-90 day, insurance-based program of treatment for mental health and substance use disorders. The treatment center’s program is designed to treat the entire family system and help teach teens to emotionally self-regulate in a healthy manner, helping families evolve into safe and supportive units.
If you would like more information about this topic, please call Seamus at 617-869-6552 or email seamus@ascendhc.com.
Los Angeles, CA, March 23 – Ascend Healthcare, the premier provider of residential treatment for teens suffering from mental health and substance use disorders, has hired Nathalie May, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and dance-enthusiast, as a primary therapist.
Nathalie grew up in Paris, France and brings over 11 years of experience working with children, adolescents, adults, the elderly, and their families to the team at Ascend Healthcare. She has worked in several different levels of care and has extensive experience in treating children on the autism spectrum, providing crisis intervention, and treating behavioral issues, trauma, family issues, and addiction.
“Nathalie’s diverse cultural background and immense empathy help her easily relate to everyone. We’re very much looking forward to her strengthening our teens and helping them to take ownership of their behavior and emotional wellbeing,” said FE Goldberg, Managing Director of Ascend’s residential program for adolescents.
Clinical Director Jess Beck, LCSW added, “Nathalie is highly-trained in Structural Family Therapy and has an amazing capacity to improve family functioning, communication, and boundaries. She was an easy hiring decision because she has a great track record and an even more impressive attitude about working with families. She fits right in with the team, and she’s even bilingual.”
Ascend Healthcare is a 12-bed residential treatment center located in Encino, CA, a suburb of Los Angeles. Ascend offers a 45-90 day, an insurance-based program of treatment for mental health and substance use disorders. The treatment center’s program is designed to treat the entire family system and help teach teens to emotionally self-regulate in a healthy manner, helping families evolve into safe and supportive units.
If you would like more information about this topic, please call Seamus at 617-869-6552 or email seamus@ascendhc.com.
About Ascend Healthcare
Ascend Healthcare is a residential treatment center for adolescents located in Los Angeles, CA. The 45-90 day program treats teens for mental health and substance abuse. Ascend’s program is co-ed, diverse, and LGBT-affirmative, has high school on-site, and incorporates a strong family therapy component. The center works to empower teens to emotionally self-regulate in a healthy manner in order to return to living healthy, fulfilling lives in safe, healthy, and supportive environments.
Parallel Process, LLC, is now offering two new Digital Programs: "Transform Your Parenting: A Parallel Process Intensive" is now in a new digital format and Parallel Process is also now offering a new Group Parent Coaching Class.
Transform Your Parenting is an intensive course that leads parents through the Parallel Process Curriculum. This self-paced course can be accessed at your convenience, and is comprised of eleven modules: one video and ten audios, daily reflections, weekly written assignments and action items to apply new skills in their parenting. The course can be completed in a 30 day period, though each participant will have lifetime access and can do the course at their own schedule and convenience.
The course is designed for parents who may feel stuck in negative parenting patterns, be caught in frequent power-struggles, may feel over-involved and unsure how to back away, or simply not know how to respond to children who are defiant or shutdown. This class is intended for parents whose teens and young adults may have emotional or behavioral struggles and maybe receiving some type of treatment.
Parents will come away with a new clarity and a fresh perspective on how to have healthier boundaries with their child, how to promote their child's emotional maturation, and how to develop a new parent-child script. What parents are saying: "I never fully saw my enmeshment until I took this class, and I am a therapist" and "I really think this course may save our family – it's been that eye opening!"
In response to intense demand for one-on-one parent coaching with owner Krissy Pozatek, Parallel Process is also offering a new Group Parent Coaching Class. This program is ideally paired with the Transform Your Parenting intensive. Krissy will be teaching the Parallel Process concepts and answering parenting questions in biweekly online classes. Parents will have a safe place to ask their parenting questions that come up as they apply the Parallel Process concepts to their family challenges and situations.
For more information, please contact, Krissy Pozatek at krissy@parallel-process.com. Both of the online courses are available now at www.parallel-process.com.
Coeur d'Alene, ID: Northwest College Support is launching new programming in March 2020, designed specifically to help high school and college students around the country taking online courses as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. The Distance Program through Northwest College Support is currently accepting new students. The Distance Program also includes access to online group activities such as study tutorials, live watch parties, and guided meditations.
The founder of Northwest College Support, Dan Hanks M.Ed, LPC, Ed.S, counselor and school psychologist says, “Almost overnight, students around the country have found themselves taking exclusively online courses, living at home, or sheltering in place. For many students, such as those with ADHD, anxiety, or a specific learning difference, this sudden change and decrease in daily structure can be really detrimental.” The Distance Program is designed for high school or college students who already currently take online classes, or already enrolled in online courses for an upcoming term. The Distance Program is constructed to give these students support with organization, follow through, accountability, problem-solving, prioritization, self-advocacy, and other executive functioning skills.
Students participating in the Distance Program through Northwest College Support can choose from a monthly package that includes a video conference call with an Educational Coach at Northwest College Support either once, twice or three times per week. Each package also includes full access to other online activities and at-a-distance group support in the program. Therapeutic support and family coaching is also available on a case-by-case basis.
About Northwest College Support
For the past eight years, Northwest College Support has operated as a program for college students needing support with learning disabilities, life skills, and mental health. The Coeur d' Alene based company provides dorm-style living, life skills coaching, education coaching, counseling, and other wrap-around services to clients as they attend college in the Spokane- Coeur d Alene area.
Coeur d'Alene, ID: Northwest College Support is launching new programming in June 2020 designed specifically to help prepare college-bound students for college in the fall. The "Summer College Series" will run June-July (approximately 9 weeks). The program at Northwest College Support includes two college courses taught through North Idaho College, which are designed specifically to build the academic skills necessary at the collegiate level. Summer College Series will also include furnished housing, independent life skills tutorials, an internship, and groups led by Northwest College Support counselors to work on the social-emotional skills needed in college environments.
The founder of Northwest College Support, Dan Hanks M.Ed, LPC, Ed.S, a counselor and school psychologist says, “The mission of Northwest College Support is to get students to thrive in college. We saw a need of students going to college and struggling. It's known that about thirty percent of students drop out of college in their freshman year. We wanted to come up with a strategy of how those persons could, instead of struggling, really be successful.” The Summer College Series is designed for students who already are planning on attending colleges throughout the country for Fall 2020. Summer College Series is meant to give these students a "taste" of what college will be like, and identify and work through challenges within a supportive environment.
Students attending Summer College Series at Northwest College Support will be enrolled in two college courses through North Idaho College: “Designing Your College Experience” and their choice between Introduction to Psychology, Introduction to Sociology, Fundamentals of Oral Communication or World History. These courses are included in the cost of the summer program, and will be transferable as elective credits at most colleges and universities. Additionally, students will participate in a daily life skills group in which Northwest College Support's Life Coaches will address the independent emerging adult skills expected of college students. Students will also join in on a daily group led by the counseling team members at Northwest College Support, to help process the anxieties that students may have about starting college in the fall. This counselor-led group will also address the new social-emotional complexities that students will encounter in college environments, teach coping skills for stress, and provide general mental health education. Students enrolled in Summer College Series will get to pick from four different internship opportunities: Computer Information and Computer Science, Entrepreneurship and Marketing, Campaign Management and Community Organizing, and Art and Gallery Management. Each internship has been created to develop professional work place skills, leadership, and deepen the student's understanding of community.
About Northwest College Support
For the past eight years, Northwest College Support has operated as a program for college students needing support with learning disabilities, life skills, and mental health. The Coeur d Alene company provides dorm-style living, life skills coaching, education coaching, counseling, and other wrap-around services to clients as they attend college in the Spokane - Coeur d Alene area.
blueFire PulsaR, an adventure-based wilderness therapy program for young adults ages 18-28, is excited to announce a new addition to the clinical team. Jake Tucker, an Idaho native and Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, will be joining blueFire as a Primary Therapist.
Jake has worked with children, adolescents, young adults, and their families in some capacity for the last 15 years in a variety of settings. Jake began his career in secondary education, teaching U.S. history and psychology to high school students. During this time, he also worked at summer camps as a counselor and as a Resident Director for college students. After a few years of teaching, he went back to school for a Master’s in Marriage and Family Counseling, with an emphasis in trauma and complicated bereavement.
Jake practices EMDR and emphasizes mindfulness for clients who have experienced trauma or related issues. Additionally, he has pursued advanced training in attachment issues, Emotion-Focused Therapy for couples and families, the Community Resiliency Model from the Trauma Resource Institute, and The Anatomy of Peace with the Arbinger Institute.
Jake is also a registered supervisor with the state of Idaho and enjoys providing supervision for master’s level clinicians seeking clinical licensure as well as interns working on their LPC or LCPC degrees. In addition to time in private practice, and as a clinical supervisor at an addiction clinic, he has spent the bulk of his clinical career as a primary therapist at a therapeutic boarding school for adolescent boys. One of the highlights of this work for Jake was leading backpacking trips through the Idaho wilderness, and therapeutic trips overseas with students and their parents. He affirms that these trips, through the jungles of Peru and Patagonia, and the streets of Nepal and Israel, showed him the true healing power of the wilderness.
“I’m highly interested in personal growth and development both on the individual and family level, and I’m passionate about creatively finding ways to foster the insight required for change to happen,” describes Tucker. “Building quality relationships is important to me and the work I do with clients. My experiences have shown me that things happen in the wilderness that are nearly impossible to mimic anywhere else. I’ve always found the outdoors to be the most healing and peaceful place for me.”
About blueFire PulsR
blueFire PulsaR is a co-educational wilderness therapy program for young adults ages 18-28. Adventure therapy, equine therapy, academic opportunities, career counseling, and “family spark” help students open up and look at their life. This program is dedicated to helping students regain a better sense of the world around them while addressing their emotions by developing healthy coping skills and communication skills.
Call (844) 413-1999 or visit bluefirepulsar.com for more information.
OREM, UTAH - Last Fall Telos announced through All Kinds of Therapy that PrTMS was being offered to Telos students (see https://bit.ly/2WKgOAd). This technology is a game-changer for treating the brain and Telos students have seen impressive results. As a professional courtesy, effective immediately, Telos is opening the PrTMS doors to other programs to treat students/caseload.
This will save programs over a hundred thousand dollars investing in the technology and equipment and be able to offer their students all the benefits. There is a catch, COVID-19 has all our campuses on lock-down when that is lifted, this offer will still be valid and remain valid for 2020. The brilliant part is Telos is offering this service at the lowest discounted (parent) rate available. This offer applies to program caseload only and is intended as a professional collaboration between programs. For more information see telos.org/prtms and contact Telos for information and restrictions.
About Telos
Telos is located at the base of the Wasatch Mountains in beautiful Orem, Utah. Available are two campuses specifically designed for teens and co-ed young adults dealing with depression, anxiety, social problems, and learning differences. Caring staff use proven clinical therapies coupled with the power of healing relationships to promote deep, lasting change. The aim is to help students live principle-based lives characterized by insightful choices that promote clarity, healing, and direction. Telos is a unique, clinically-sophisticated, relationship-based treatment center for teens and young adults ages 13-26. For more information: info@telos.org or online at telos.org.
Legacy Outdoor Adventures and Juniper Canyon Recovery Center for Women have taken virtual steps to continue their commitment to industry leadership and community support. Under a set of strictly enforced protocols and procedures, the wilderness therapy programs are still accepting clients and still delivering the same experience for those in the program. Going into April, they are collectively at an all-time census high.
Like many organizations, there are ways in which Legacy and Juniper Canyon have had to adjust to life under the current restrictions on travel and gathering. This has impacted the work that they do on an industry level in terms of education, brand awareness and creating community. Rather than be discouraged at canceled events and conferences, the team is simply switching to virtual platforms in order to continue with their mission.
On Tuesday, March 31st, founder Derek Daley led a webinar with the team at Best Notes. He spoke about “establishing a culture of data gathering.” Research driven treatment is something that both Legacy Outdoor Adventures and Juniper Canyon pride themselves on delivering; it is part of what makes the organization premier wilderness therapy for adults and wilderness recovery programs.
Additionally, the team has remained committed to their #Cityscape Adventure Series. In lieu of in-person events across the country, they have instead begun uploading video content to their Youtube channel. While the hope is that many in our country can still get outside during this time, the reality is that many are spending much more time inside. In addition to other suggestions from the crew (such as sitting by a window as much as possible or starting pen-pal relationships with friends and family), Legacy and Juniper Canyon hope that the #Cityscape Adventure Video Series can help folks stay nature- and community-connected. National sponsors of the #Cityscape series have begun to jump in and add content as well; check out the YouTube channel and Facebook page for links to meditation videos, nature walks, and bike rides — there’s even an at-home bow drill lesson from Daniel Rogers.
Perhaps the most important thing that the team has been able to do in the last few weeks, however, is to provide virtual support for the community of Legacy and Juniper Canyon alumni across the country. By utilizing video chat technology, alumni from both programs have been able to call in for virtual “gratitude circles” and moments of reflection and connection. These are anxiety-provoking and scary times. Now more than ever, programs have an obligation to give clients - past and present- platforms to connect and support one another. One alum currently at a residential program in California put it best: “even though there are new faces on {this video chat}, I know that we all have a shared experience in Legacy. That’s comforting in the way that few things are right now.”
Legacy and Juniper Canyon will be back to hosting live and in-person events as soon as they can. Until then, while they do their part to responsibly socially distance and stay at home, it is important to continue to offer the leadership and community within their industry.
About Legacy Outdoor Adventures
Legacy Outdoor Adventures and Juniper Canyon Recovery Center for Women are on a mission to connect people to the healing power of nature and to educate on the current trends in outdoor behavioral healthcare. This is an endeavor that goes beyond traditional marketing and networking and truly works to incorporate all programs and individuals who also support this mission. With this in mind, it is truly an honor to for Legacy and Juniper Canyon to welcome the National Sponsors to the 2020 Cityscape Series. Let the adventures begin! Follow along: #RXoffthecouch. www.junipercanyonrecovery.com.
Martin, GA — The current national and global coronavirus situation has produced a unique situation for every program across the country. During this uncertain time, Shepherd’s Hill Academy is seeking to offer a glimmer of hope and light to the community.
Art and Sustainable Development Teacher Kelly Deal is working directly with the students at Shepherd’s Hill Academy to oversee a mask-making project for community healthcare workers. “Lexie, our school nurse who also works at the Stephens County Hospital, told me that the local hospitals were asking for masks. She invited me to a group on Facebook called COVID Covers - Sewing Face Masks in North Georgia. People all over the state are coming together to sew masks for our public servants. The group has organized — creating needs lists, resource lists, and lists of people willing to sew. There are now drop points to pick up and deposit masks all over the state!”
The team at Shepherd’s Hill Academy is working with a group that has patterns and instructions from sites specifically requesting the masks. They have to be made to spec and include space for HEPA filters. Masks also vary in sizes, designed specifically for men, women, and children.
The students, staff, and community at large have rallied around the students and their efforts. To date, 5 sewing machines, several deliveries of fabric, elastic, sewing supplies and a digital camera have all been donated to the project. Marketing Director Lane Taylor noted, “It’s amazing to see the community come together around this project! The amount of support and the number of individuals across the state eager to serve is a blessing. Seeing everyone come together, coordinate and accomplish this goal is such a positive light during this time.” Local news and media outlets, as well as Fox News Carolina, have all published articles about the teens' efforts.
The students are absolutely beaming as they discuss this project. “I am really excited to be apart of something so important. I can't believe we will be helping the nurses to help other people. This is so amazing!” noted one Shepherd’s Hill Academy student. Another student said, “My mom works in a hospital, I can't wait to give her a mask that I made. I hope it will keep her safe!”
Amid this crisis, Shepherd’s Hill Academy is excited to be able to make an impact within the community. The thoughts and prayers of the teachers, staff, and students are with those working tirelessly day and night to keep our community safe and healthy.
Shepherd’s Hill Academy is a 501(c)3 faith-based therapeutic boarding school in Martin, GA serving teens ages 12-17. SHA offers a rustic adventure setting, fully accredited academics, and a therapeutic component. Learn more by visiting shepherdshillacademy.org or contact us at 706-779-5766.
About Shepherd's Hill Academy
Shepherd’s Hill Academy is a faith-based residential therapeutic boarding school offering hope and healing to teens ages 12-17. Located at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, SHA is a haven of hope to teens dealing with mental health, behavioral, addiction, family, trauma and other issues in life.
As an alternative to traditional wilderness therapy programs, young adults at Trails Momentum participate in a variety of activities on campus, applying lessons from the outdoors into their everyday life. At Trails Momentum the Nutrition and Wellness Specialist, Charlotte Christensen, MS, teaches healthy living classes & culinary lessons to equip young adults ages 18-25 with the skills and tools to carry on nutritional living practices beyond graduation. Charlotte continues to strengthen the "Farm-to-Institution" model by partnering with local farms, and building a small farm on-site.
This spring, Charlotte and the students have put a lot of effort into the garden utilizing a permaculture technique called Hugelkultur (pronounced Hoo-gul-culture). Hugelkulture refers to a type of gardening that utilizes a mound structure to extend a gardening area, create better water retention and allegedly extend growing season. To assist with the gardening project, one of Momentum’s recent grads built 4x8 garden boxes for his legacy project. And students have been gearing up for spring planting by shaping the beds of the permaculture garden at base camp and, after saving egg cartons all winter, growing starter seedlings for spring planting. To expand the garden, the students cleared out another 16x16' space and built up a mound that will help prevent erosion.
This month, students will also be collecting nutrient-rich soil from the lake bed to incorporate with local organic horse manure compost and fill the beds.
“It has been really wonderful to utilize the resources that we have available on campus such as an old horse barn filled with wood, egg cartons, nourishing soil, leaves, pine needles, and fallen logs, etc. So far, the only thing we have had to purchase for this garden are seeds - which we will never have to do again because we plan to save seeds from our crops,” says Charlotte. “Getting the students involved in the garden is such a powerful part of their wilderness experience, as they learn to utilize resources around them for their own wellbeing."
Learn more about activities at Trails Momentum’s base camp by visiting https://trailsmomentum.com/campus/ or by calling (877) 296-8711.
Trails Momentum is an adventure-based outdoor program for young adults ages 18-25 who are struggling to launch themselves into adulthood. Students are guided on a journey of self-discovery where they develop self-concept and are empowered to make the transition into independence. Adventure programming, clinical services, family involvement, college coursework, and social skill development are seamlessly interwoven to maximize the transference of important life skills and address clinical and behavioral challenges.
Passages Alaska is an outdoor therapeutic wilderness for young adult males on Prince of Wales Island (Alaska). Sitting in the same range of the Pacific Northwest, each group of eight students will have the same weather as Seattle. The base on the island is a half-hour flight north of Ketchikan, AK and a two-hour flight from Seattle. When not out on two-week expeditions canoeing, whale watching, fishing and doing service work, the students will be living in a fishing lodge or a structure on Isle Paradiso, on the north end of the island.
The program was designed by founder Sean Tomkinson, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker/Therapist, who will be sharing his passion for Alaska while providing therapy. “I always dreamt of going to Alaska as a kid growing up and I've been here now for 11 years. Wilderness therapy and Southeast Alaska just seem like a natural combination, as being here is still a source of awe for me.“ The program was started four years ago for adolescents from the state and he has revamped the program for young adults. They will be learning about themselves, their strengths and weaknesses; and how to move toward a more positive direction in their lives. Alaska provides its own therapeutic value that allows for a change in perspective which is enhanced by the extremely experienced field guides who will accompany the students on their journey.
The 18-28-year-old males participating in Passages Alaska struggle with anxiety, which shows up as depression, isolation, having family difficulties, lack of motivation, school failure, lack of self-confidence. In the 8 weeks of the program, the participants will learn responsibility, self-reliance, how to communicate and build confidence that is transferable to the next stage of their life. This is an opportunity to be someplace very few people ever get to travel, with the safety of having transport route close by if needed. The state of Alaska has approved Passages Alaska’s plan for quarantine so the wilderness therapy program is open for business April 7th.
About Passages Alaska
Passages Alaska is a unique wilderness therapy program in Southeast Alaska for young adult males 18-28 that opened April of 2020 after having been open for four years for adolescents. Using the magic of Alaska and access to the coastal waters allows there to be a change of perspective for the participants. Hands-on therapeutic interventions include canoeing, whale watching, fishing, primitive skill building and service with extensive therapy and coaching for those with Anxiety, Depression, ADHA and Failure to Thrive. For more information about this innovative wilderness therapy program in Alaska, please visit the website www.passagesalaska.com or contact Sean Tomkinson at 907.821.8092 or 270.908.4166.
Solstice East recognizes the inherent benefits of instilling the teachings of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) into its residential treatment center programming for students ages 14-17 and has relaunched an evolved approach into its programming. The Western North Carolina-based RTC discovered that teaching DBT’s essential skills through the integration of experiential activities produces a greater impact on its milieu, and teenagers in general. Through their evolution, they have updated how they teach mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, emotion regulation, and distress tolerance by observing a student's response and subsequent progress first-hand. From observing their students over the years, Solstice East has observed the following four main lessons that have directly shaped the way DBT is taught in their program:
- Emotion regulation is at the core of an adolescent’s healing process - although mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, and distress tolerance are all essential. Students who experience a breakthrough in navigating and recognizing intense negative emotions are generally able to more effectively access other therapeutic modalities which can lead to greater and deeper healing.
- DBT skills are not as effective as a stand-alone treatment modality for adolescents; there must be a parallel treatment process in place to treat the root of a student’s emotion dysregulation. For most of their student population, the crux is chronic traumatic stress. The more significant and long-lasting relief from emotion dysregulation will come as a result of treating the trauma.
- Typically, an RTC student has been living and functioning in the emotional part of their brain (limbic system or lower) due to traumatic stress. Solstice East discovered through ongoing observations that teaching adolescents skills through the traditional modality does not necessarily integrate the skills effectively. Students might “know” and can verbally recite the skills, but they aren’t able to demonstrate and “live” the skills.
- Teenagers develop problem-solving, critical thinking, and decision-making skills faster and more effectively when taught experientially. By integrating information into a first-hand experience, students can retain and apply therapeutic concepts more productively into their daily lives.
Solstice East has found that the path to integrating these skills most effectively is through experiential therapies - primarily equine, adventure, and milieu therapy. They have opted to teach the skills of interpersonal effectiveness, emotion regulation, mindfulness, and distress tolerance through experiential modalities versus traditional DBT skills groups. The result has been quicker integration and translation of the skills into everyday life.
For example, Solstice East's equine therapy is an integral therapeutic modality utilized by their clinical team. During a session, the equine facilitator might task a student or group of students with having a horse choose to follow them into the pen without the use of a training halter. Typically, a student will try and fail. The facilitator will then teach an emotion regulation skill and have the student practice it, reflect on how they are feeling, and then try the approach again while they are functioning in a more regulated state.
A student that experiences the success of utilizing an emotion regulation skill then has that feeling imprinted on neurological, psychological, emotional, and physiological levels, and thus, a new neural pathway has been formed. With practice, the student will strengthen this alternative neural pathway and respond to future scenarios by channeling this new tract. The benefit of applying experiential therapies when teaching DBT skills to students has been apparent in our empirical results. For teenagers, learning through experience is the best way to learn how to live in the moment, cope with stress, regulate emotions, and improve relationships.
To learn more about therapeutic services offered at Solstice East, visit https://solsticeeast.com/therapy/ or call (855) 672-7058.
About Solstice East
Solstice East is a residential treatment center for young women ages 14-17 struggling with process addictions, substance use, and trauma. This program helps young women detach from unhealthy coping mechanisms by integrating healthy habits into their lives. Students learn to cope with emotions, communicate effectively, form healthy relationships, and build confidence. Their holistic approach acknowledges that addiction is only one piece of the puzzle to be addressed in order to help girls succeed in multiple areas of their lives.
Red Oak Recovery is excited to welcome Erin Marcus, LCSW, LCAS to the team as a Senior Clinical Outreach and Admissions team member. Erin brings more than 30 years of working in the therapeutic industry and working with individuals and families who are struggling to overcome behavior, relationship, mental health, and addiction issues. She has a strong clinical background in the development of systems and programs that integrate whole person and family healing. Erin strongly believes that it is essential for healing to take place on a systemic level in order to create sustainable change for individuals and family systems.
In her most recent role, she led the admissions team of a provider of therapeutic outdoor behavioral health for struggling or underachieving adolescents and young adults. She also worked directly with professionals to assist families in a time of crisis. Prior to that, Erin was the Clinical Director of a leading treatment program for young adults with addiction and dual diagnosis issues. Her passion and breadth of experience make her a wonderful fit for the Red Oak Recovery team.
“We are delighted to have Erin join the team. Her clinical background, as well as her experience with Substance Use Disorders and other mental health issues with our population make her a great fit,” says Jack Kline, MS, LPCS, LCAS, CCS, CTT-2, MAC, President and Founder. “Erin has a strong passion to help people who are struggling with mental health issues find recovery and a new way of being in the world.
About Red Oak Recovery Programs
Red Oak Recovery® programs are located throughout Western North Carolina and include clinically-driven and gender separate trauma focused mental health and substance abuse treatment for young adult men (www.redoakrecovery.com), young adult women (www.thewillowsatredoak.com), and adolescent males (www.foothillsatredoak.com). Our developmentally specific treatment modalities take into account each client’s unique story, trauma history, gender challenges, substance abuse history, relapse triggers, and mental health issues. Our dually licensed master’s level clinicians integrate research-based practices with complementary modalities to help clients honor themselves, recognize their self-worth, and pursue positive, lasting change.
Equinox RTC is a residential treatment center for boys ages 14-18 that offers experiential-based family therapy, helping make its adventure programming stand out from other treatment options. Earlier in March, before travel restrictions were put in place, Recreation Therapy Director Natalie Stark led a small group of Equinox boys and their parents on a canoeing trip around the Ten Thousand Islands in Everglades National Park in Florida. After the success of the first parent-child trip, Natalie hopes to organize up to three family adventure trips a year.
Equinox RTC partnered up with Breakaway Expeditions, a company started by professionals in the outdoor therapy field, to facilitate adventure activities, group dynamics, personal reflection, and conflict resolution on a multi-day canoeing trip around the Ten Thousand Islands.
“It was powerful for families to experience the experiential side of our Relationship Based Trauma Informed Care (RBTIC) program first-hand, after hearing their child’s experiences on our weekly recreation outings,” describes Natalie. “Parents were grateful to reconnect with their child off-the-grid and outside of a traditional therapeutic setting. I believe this trip served as a launching point for these families to rebuild the foundation of their relationship that had been affected by their child’s mental health struggles.”
Each morning of the trip, students and their families would set intentions before packing up and paddling off to a different island. As they prepared to leave each island, they would create different artistic representations of the memories and emotional baggage they wanted to leave behind. At the end of the day, the group would gather around a bonfire and process how their intentions played out throughout the day.
“One of the biggest takeaways for the boys was that they had to take a look at how they communicate with others and how respectful communication was necessary both when navigating the canoes and spending time on these isolated islands,” Natalie explains. “They learned that although they may have these challenges and struggles in socializing with their peers and family members, they are also capable of communicating and working through conflict together.”
Equinox believes that adventure therapy is a powerful way of teaching individuals how to handle their anxiety and frustration in the moment. At Equinox RTC, students participate in weekly recreation outings and overnight camping trips throughout the year to practice these skills. These parent-child adventure trips are part of their intensive family programming, which includes family therapy and parent workshops designed to help families rebuild their relationships.
About Equinox RTC
Equinox RTC is a leading residential treatment center for boys ages 14-18. Equinox is unique in its focus on Trauma, Loss, and Attachment, providing clinically intensive treatment for boys struggling with anxiety, depression, OCD, ASD, learning disabilities, and other emotional and behavioral needs. Equinox offers a combination of clinically sophisticated support with a whole-person approach including adventure therapy, integrated Crossfit program, and a whole foods diet. Equinox provides a fully accredited school, with broad course selections taught by licensed teachers in a college-preparatory environment.
Solstice West, a residential treatment center for girls ages 14-18, is excited to announce that Jaime Palmer, MSW, LCSW, will be shifting into a new role as Clinical Director, overseeing the supervision of therapists and clinical programming. Jaime has been a vital part of the Solstice treatment team for years as a primary therapist and Assistant Clinical Director. Her years of experience and intimate knowledge of the program from multiple perspectives will make for a smooth transition as the leadership team grows.
Jaime has enjoyed working with adolescents and their families for over 15 years, including more than 6 years at Solstice RTC. She believes in a therapeutic, holistic approach that focuses on mind, body and spiritual healing. Jaime values and understands the importance of the therapeutic relationship.
Jaime has had extensive training and experience in treating trauma, self-harm, eating disorders and anxiety. Jaime received her Master’s in Social Work from the University of Southern California. She is EMDR trained and has completed the first year of Somatic Experiencing and TRM (Trauma Resiliency Model). She is also certified in trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT). Jaime has most recently completed level one Brainspotting training and is currently participating in first year NARM training (Neuro-Affective Relational Model).
“Clients often forget what is said in sessions, but they will always remember how you made them feel,” describes Jaime. “As clinical director, I am looking forward to finding creative ways to help teens be in the moment while living life to its fullest.”
Solstice RTC is a residential treatment center for teen girls that has helped hundreds of struggling teens on their journey to solving issues like trauma, depression, anxiety, and mood disorders. Solstice RTC, located in Layton, Utah, offers a specialized, clinically intensive program based on the specific needs of young women. At Solstice RTC, young women discover their full potential. For additional information on Solstice RTC, please visit https://solsticertc.com/ or call 801-444-0794.
Please join Auldern Academy in welcoming Executive Director, Cindy Kouhout. Cindy joined Auldern Academy in February 2020, bringing over 25 years of executive leadership experience. Cindy has worked in the foster care system in New York State, worked with the elderly population as a Social Worker and Admissions/Marketing Director, as well as worked in the health care field in areas of compliance and policy development.
Cindy holds her Bachelor’s Degree from State University of NY in Sociology and Psychology, with a concentration in direct care. She also has her Master’s in Public Administration with a concentration in organizational change and executive leadership from Marist College. In her spare time, Cindy enjoys spending time with her husband and children as well as serving in her church and her community at large. Cindy also has coordinated and participated in local and international mission trips to Israel, the Dominican Republic, and Mozambique. Cindy has enjoyed getting to know the educational consultant and parent choice network of programs and is looking forward to meeting folks face to face in the near future.
Auldern Academy is part of the Sequel Youth & Family Network. As an organization, Sequel Youth & Family Services is closely monitoring developments around COVID-19 (coronavirus). Click here for more information and resources.
About Auldern Academy
Auldern Academy is a college preparatory, therapeutic boarding school for young women ages 14 to 18. We provide a positive platform that helps transform the lives of young women academically, emotionally, and socially.
Prepare to Bloom LLC announces it has partnered with Lisa Nichols to provide coaching for parents with adolescents or young adults who are struggling and need to find their way back to their own best path. As a parent of a former difficult teen herself, Lisa brings a deep understanding and insightful strategies to her role in helping parents navigate the often exhausting and scary emotions and decisions involved in supporting their child.
Lisa is the bestselling author of the parenting book Surviving Your Out-of-Control Teen: A Mom's Guide to Loving Your Child Through the Difficult Times While Keeping Your Sanity Intact. She is a certified EFT and Matrix Reimprinting practitioner, utilizing techniques that help relieve stress and support emotional health.
“I’m excited to have Lisa on board to support our parents, who are going through one of the most difficult times of their lives,” said Shayna Abraham, founder and consultant at Prepare to Bloom. “While we focus on finding the best options for their adolescents and young adults, Lisa will be helping parents move through their own responses to the situation with their child. This puts the parents into an empowered place for addressing their child’s needs and bringing calm back into their home.”
Prepare to Bloom is a treatment consulting firm in Walnut Creek, CA, and Park City, UT that has helped hundreds of families make good therapeutic and educational choices, enabling their adolescents and young adults to grow into their full selves. They specialize in placements, finding the most fitting therapeutic programs for families located within the United States and abroad. Prepare to Bloom stays connected with families throughout the assessment and therapeutic journey, and also helps families put customized structures and the right resources in place to change the family system in ways that serve each member after treatment.
About Prepare to Bloom
Prepare To Bloom is a San Francisco Bay Area-based therapeutic and educational consulting firm devoted to helping families make sound therapeutic and educational choices, assisting families and their children to find treatment options regionally or out of the home. Founded in the spring of 2011, by Shayna Abraham, MA, CEP, Prepare to Bloom consultants visit over 50 different treatment programs per year. The team works with families around the United States and around the globe.
Draper, Utah: Corner Canyon Recovery announced the implementation of updated medical policies and procedures due to the continuing and growing concern regarding the spread and transmission of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). Pursuant to the recommendations set forth by the CDC, WHO and the State of Utah, Corner Canyon has instituted several precautionary safety measures regarding clients, employees, and visitors. Corner Canyon Recovery is also implementing protocols that will affect family and other visits to Corner Canyon temporarily as well as client’s passes with family and loved ones from Corner Canyon. By working together, all will help mitigate the risk of exposure to illnesses, including COVID-19, and to the Corner Canyon Recovery community at large.
“So life has changed. 12 Step meetings are online, Exposure Therapy in the community isn't happening, outside speakers and music therapy and yoga teachers are all conducted virtually, and new clients take longer to come in because they have to have a negative C-19 test, time on quarantine until the results come back, and full histories of where they've been and who they've been with. No more stores or movies in the community, but they watch more therapeutic movies, TED talks and other educational and inspirational videos on the comfortable couches. They love it now that the sun is out and the pool is heated up to the low 90s, the backyard is the place to be” says Cheryl Kehl, CEO at Corner Canyon Recovery.
"Families cannot come to visit, unfortunately, but our amazing therapists are doing intensive family therapy with them virtually, including talking through anxieties related to not being with each other in these unusual circumstances. Extra phone time and virtual visits with families are being conducted so loved ones can stay in contact and continue to work on their relationships."
"There is more of a family feeling with clients, staff, and clinical because no one else is coming and going, the therapy work is still deep and supportive, and they "hang out" and play cards and games in downtime instead of the usual distractions. It's therapeutic in a different way, but a lot of therapy is still happening because our personnel are creative, positive, and focused on the clients doing their work."
"Things to note when referring clients, it will take longer than usual to admit them, both because of new safety protocols and because of the extra time involved in taking recent histories and setting up safe travel arrangements. There may be a need for extended quarantine depending on circumstances, each case will be different but our admissions and medical people can help you work through all of it."
Features and benefits of updated medical policies and procedures include:
- Safe, clean, sanitized environment
- Several precautionary safety measures regarding clients, employees, and visitors to Corner Canyon Recovery.
- Temporary suspension of all visits.
- Rigorous sanitizing methods to ensure that Health Department standards for food preparation and consumption are exceeded.
To see the full range of changes to Corner Canyon, please visit https://cornercanyonrecovery.com/coronavirus-covid-19-management/
About Corner Canyon Recovery
Corner Canyon Recovery is an inpatient mental health and addiction recovery center, providing evidence-based and compassion driven treatment for mixed gender adult clients in a comfortable, healthy environment with caring personnel. Corner Canyon Recovery is innovative and provides our adult clients with the most effective treatment options available for their individual concerns. Our inpatient program strives to improve and change lives in ways that other treatment programs can’t.
Seven Stars, a residential treatment program and assessment center for teens ages 13-18 with neurodevelopmental challenges, is excited to announce that Inez Withers has joined their team as an APRN.
In her first career, Inez worked as an experiential instructor. She will be bringing the experience she gained from that role to her position at Seven Stars. But Inez spent the majority of her working life in military nurse case management; at the end of 2020, she will be retiring as a colonel with 37 years of service. As a psychiatric nurse practitioner, Inez has the ability to prescribe medications and collaborate with physicians for the care of students.
“At Seven Stars, through observation and interaction with the students, I collaborate with the team to provide optimal care for students,” comments Inez. “I’m excited to join the team because I have a great interest in teens and adolescents with neurodevelopmental difficulties. I am passionate about working with this population of students.”
“We are very lucky to have Inez on our team,” says Dr. Gordon Day, Executive Director of Seven Stars. “Her decades of nursing experience will be extremely beneficial to the students we help.”
For more information about Seven Stars, please visit https://discoversevenstars.com/ or call 844-601-1167.
Seven Stars is a leading assessment program and residential treatment center for teens ages 13-17 who struggle with neurodevelopmental disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorder and ADHD. For more information about programming at Seven Stars, please visit http://www.discoversevenstars.com/ or call 844-601-1167.
Portland, ME: Foundation House, an extended-care mental health and substance abuse treatment program, has officially purchased the property formerly known as the Sparrow Hawk Mountain Ranch located in Bethel, Maine.
Currently a staple of Foundation House’s programmatic landscape, the formerly leased property will now undergo significant development, to begin offering primary treatment as a complementary contribution to its historic, industry-leading extended care program. Beginning this year, Foundation House will commence a multi-year project to outfit the Ranch with the necessary infrastructure to sustain primary treatment for both men and women, and a separate project to develop spaces to accommodate family, trauma, professional and experiential workshops. Residents of Foundation House’s extended-care program will also continue to have access to the Ranch.
The Foxhole Ranch is located on 120 acres and shares a border with the White Mountain National Forest, granting the property direct access to over 750,000 acres of pristine forest. Programs running at the Ranch will utilize the newly developed infrastructure, as well as the immense backdrop of the National Forest. “The property truly is one-of-a-kind,” General Manager Will Hutchinson said, “We’ve had our eyes on this space for quite a while and are excited about its truly unbridled potential. It’s time for Foundation House to bring our dedication to excellence to the realm of primary treatment.” The expansion of the Foxhole Ranch will be reflective of the sustainability of recovery, with all proposed new construction qualifying as zero carbon emission. “In times like these, it has never been clearer that our collective impact on the planet can no longer go unaddressed,” Will continued. “It is our intention to develop the Foxhole Ranch with future generations in mind and with long-term sustainability as a chief priority.”
About Foundation House
Since its inception in 2002, Foundation House has been a pioneer in the fields of substance abuse and mental health treatment. A program dedicated to the long-term success of its residents, Foundation House frequently pushes the envelope of historical treatment methods, favoring an approach that empowers its residents and removes the impediments of institutionalization. For more information regarding Foundation House or the above press release, visit www.foundationhouse.com or call 207-791-2000.
Elevations RTC is thrilled to announce that Tamra Foy has been promoted to Director of Admissions for Elevations RTC and The Approach. Tamra has been with Elevations RTC since its opening and has been an integral part of the admissions team.
Tamra’s passion as a social worker for the past 27 years has been improving the lives of children and their families. Working in the areas of child protection, foster care, domestic violence, adoption, juvenile probation, and residential placement have all prepared her for her work at Elevations. Since 2014 Tamra has been an essential part of the Elevations Admissions Team. Tamra enjoys spending time with her husband, 3 boys & her dogs Zeus & Sophie, reading, camping and watching movies when she’s not working.
As Director of Admissions, Tamra will be the main point of contact for admissions for both Elevations and The Approach.
Laura Burt will remain a key part of the team as Director of Business Development for Elevations RTC, ViewPoint Center and The Approach. She will be focusing on building relationships, promoting the programs and engaging community involvement.
Laura has worked in the industry for over 23 years and joined Elevations RTC in 2014. She has since been a force of both compassion and understanding for the 1,000+ families with whom she has worked. Laura has worked as a Director of Admissions in this field for over a decade and currently is the Director of Business Development for Elevations RTC, ViewPoint Center and The Approach.
About Elevations RTC
Elevations RTC is a unique residential treatment center that works with all students ages 13 - 18. Elevations offers guidance, support and relief to students struggling with issues like trauma, depression, anxiety, mood disorders, behavioral problems, and substance use. Elevations RTC is located in Utah and provides specialized, clinically intensive programs to struggling teens. For more information, please call 1-855-290-9681. Learn more about Elevations RTC by visiting https://www.elevationsrtc.com.
With the COVID-19 crisis setting off quarantines around the country and putting families under greater emotional pressure than ever, Evoke Therapy Programs has introduced new online resources, much of it open to the public, free of charge.
Dr. Brad Reedy, owner and clinical director of Evoke, is hosting hour-long webinars several times a week, featuring guests like renowned therapist and author J.D. Gill. Called Evoke’s Support for Social Isolation and Anxiety Series, the webinars begin with relaxation exercises, followed by Q&A sessions with Reedy and guest. In these sessions, attendees submit, and Brad and guests answer, general requests for coping strategies or specific questions about problems or worries they are experiencing during this unprecedented time of isolation and quarantine.
For those who can’t attend the webinars live, they post by the next day on Evoke Therapy Programs’ YouTube channel, which prior to COVID-19 had been solely for the use of Evoke clients and alumni. Not only has Evoke made the series available to the public, but the company has also released a huge portion of its back-catalogue. The public webinar library now includes topics such as Understanding and Healing Co-Dependency, Creating Emotional Safety in Relationships, and 8 Tools for Transforming Your Relationships.
Evoke is also conducting Online Parent Support Groups in the guise of several Zoom calls a month. These offer a more intimate setting — they’re limited to 12 attendees — in which parents can get together “face-to-face,” share stories, and support each other through these difficult times.
As an additional public resource, Evoke is offering a free-downloadable file of the first chapter of Reedy’s new book The Audacity To Be You: Learning To Love Your Horrible, Rotten Self, available on its website. Reedy has reduced the price of his book during the COVID crisis for people who may have “found time” for self-improvement.
“We want people to learn about how to cope with stress; how to talk to their children about the events we are all experiencing; and how to practice the self-care needed during these times,” says Reedy. “Most of all, we don't want them to have to do this alone and want to offer the public something that gives them a sense that we are all connected.”
About Evoke Therapy Programs
Evoke Therapy Programs provides both outdoor-based therapeutic programs for adolescents, young adults and families and Intensive therapy programs for individuals, families, and couples. Evoke is accredited by the AEE/OBH and is a NATSAP Research Designated Program. Evoke’s outdoor programs are based in Bend, Oregon and in Saint George, Utah. Evoke’s Intensive Therapy programs are in northern Utah.
Newport Institute, a program of Newport Healthcare and partner of Newport Academy, has announced the opening of residential treatment centers near Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. The primary mental health treatment programs serve young adults ages 18-27 who struggle with trauma, anxiety, depression and suicidality, and who may also have co-occurring substance use or eating disorders.
“Today’s young adults face unique social challenges and pressures and, as a result, we’ve seen a rise in mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and trauma,” said Joe Procopio, CEO. “Sadly, there is a lack of treatment options specific to young adults’ needs, so many turn to self-coping in the form of self-destructive behaviors. Newport Institute provides clinically sophisticated therapeutic services with a gender-specific, tailored treatment program for each client to help them achieve sustainable mental wellness and autonomy.”
Statistics show a rise in the percentage of young adults who experience mental health disorders in this country over the past decade, with increases in serious psychological distress, major depression, suicidal thoughts and attempts. Sadly, 11 percent of young adults have had serious thoughts of suicide. An estimated 4.6 million young adults ages 18 to 25 experienced a major depressive episode during the past year in this country, but less than half received treatment. Struggling with mental health issues at this age may have significant implications for attaining an education and career or establishing a family.
Clients engage in individual, group, and family therapy at Newport Institute, while also focusing on academics through college courses and counseling, or career prospecting with assessments, resume writing, and job application assistance. The young adults also learn life skills to promote independence such as budgeting and goal-setting, along with relapse prevention for clients with substance use disorder history. In addition, Newport Institute offers its trademark holistic experiences including music therapy, art therapy, mindfulness and yoga therapy.
The three new residential programs are accepting new clients and work with all major insurances. Newport Institute also has Partial Hospitalization and Intensive Outpatient Programs (PHP/IOP) in Connecticut and Maryland. For more information, call 877-929-9550.
About Newport Institute
Newport Institute provides evidence-based healing centers for young adults struggling with primary mental health issues. We offer a family-systems approach, providing gender-specific, individualized, integrated programs that encompass clinical therapy, career and academic support, and experiential practices. Nationwide, we have residential treatment centers, Partial Hospitalization Programs, and Intensive Outpatient Programs. Newport nurtures the physical, psychological, social, educational, and spiritual needs of individuals, from a foundation of compassionate care, clinical expertise, and unconditional love. Our primary mission is to empower lives and restore families.
New Vision Wilderness Therapy, a wilderness program unique in its clinical approach, offering the latest in evidence-based practices for treating and healing trauma and attachment disorders, announces several new hires, at both Oregon and Georgia bases..
There are two new hires at New Vision Deschutes located in Bend, OR. AJ Frithiof, LCSW, has joined the clinical team at New Vision Deschutes, located in Bend, OR., in the role of primary therapist. She is a licensed clinical social worker and completed a Master of Social Work at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. She also received a bachelor's degree in Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences with an emphasis in outdoor education at Texas A&M University in College Station. AJ began her career as a wilderness therapy instructor and has experience working with different types of students in varying levels of wilderness therapy programs and experience in different residential treatment settings.
Mike Sullivan, LMHC, also joined the team at New Vision Deschutes, in the role of Alumni and Transition Director. Mike is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with 15 years of experience working with adolescents, young adults, and families. His fascination with the wild and natural environment led him to pursue a career in wilderness therapy. He was inspired by the years he put in as a field instructor at a wilderness therapy program in the desert of Idaho. Mike went on to earn his Masters in Psychology at Seattle University in 2009. With an eagerness to serve, Mike moved to the Big Island of Hawai’i to apply his clinical skills in a horticulture setting in an outdoor behavioral healthcare program. Mike channeled his self-discipline and hard work ethic into his clinical responsibilities and leadership as the Alumni and Family Services Director. Mike engaged alumni in events, implemented programming for families, trained staff and clinicians, and presented at conferences across the country.
Theresa Hasting, LPC-S, LMHC, LCPAA, SP has joined the team at New Vision Georgia, as Clinical Director. Before joining the New Vision team, Theresa worked in an outdoor behavior health program for five years, where she provided individual therapy to adolescent clients and their families. Theresa has expertise in developing training for staff and families on Trauma-Informed Care topics, Nurturing Parenting®, and Trust-Based Relational Intervention® (TBRI) principles. She also has experience as a clinician for adolescents and adults in psychiatric settings. Theresa has worked with youth and adults who have experienced physical and sexual abuse, attachment trauma, adjustment issues, depression, anxiety, emotional and behavioral dysregulation, substance abuse issues, psychosis, and interpersonal conflict. Theresa has presented at many state and national conferences. She is a member of the American Counseling Association (ACA) and Sandplay Therapists of America (STA).
For more information, about New Vision Wilderness or these key new hires, please contact Ryan Walton at ryan.walton@nvwild.com or visit us on the web at www.newvisionwilderness.com.
About New Vision Wilderness
New Vision Wilderness (NVW) programs are innovative wilderness therapy programs for clients who require immediate intervention and intensive mental health treatment. Our programs specialize in treating struggles associated with adoption, developmental trauma, anxiety, depression, and addiction. We serve preteens, teens, young adults, and their parents in three U.S. locations: the Northwoods of Wisconsin, the Cascade mountain range of Central Oregon and Georgia.
New Vision comes from a trauma-informed lens and a relationship-based model that permeates throughout our culture of leaders, clinicians, and employees. The wilderness is our catalyst for change and healing.
For 10 adventurous days in early September 2020, Naational Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) guides, College Excel Coaches, and a team of students guide kayaks, paddle rafts and oar rigs down the Green River in southern Utah. The College Excel students will run rapids after learning to anticipate how the water moves late in the bends and to leverage the currents within the river. This course is obviously about more than whitewater paddling. They will also focus on building the skills to be a leader. Every day will offer opportunities to be in a different leadership role. From there they will learn about decision making as they assess rapids, communication as they work on conflict resolution, and tolerance for adversity when the weather (and group dynamics) gets challenging.
This opportunity with NOLS is just one of the many ways that College Excel is looking towards the future. College Excel students, like everyone globally, are adjusting to the demands of a nation under isolation. Despite the intensity of responding to the current challenges, it is been important to not lose sight of future opportunities and adventures awaiting the students. College Excel has adjusted well and continues to serve a wonderful community of students.
This will be a trip to remember and a wonderful chance to earn additional college credits. With the anxiety associated with the current events, it’s nice to have an adventure like this to look forward to. Take a look at the College Excel website for more details.
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.
Trails Carolina, a wilderness therapy program for teens ages 10-17, is excited to announce that Taisir El-Souessi LCMHCS, LPC and Travis Wireback, LCSW have joined their clinical team this month. El-Souessi will be joining the team as a Family Therapist and Wireback will be a Primary Therapist running a second pre-teen boys group.
“For the past decade, I have been supporting complicated families through the healing process and I’m excited to bring my expertise to the Trails Carolina Family Programming team,” comments Taisir El- Souessi.
El-Souessi’s experience includes wilderness therapy with clients age 9-18 years, a therapeutic boarding school with middle school girls, elementary school-based outpatient, community-based treatment for court-referred adolescents, and inpatient/outpatient at a behavioral health/substance abuse treatment facility with adults and adolescents. Throughout all these placements, working with parents and other family members has been an integral part of treatment.
Travis Wireback has worked with families and teens in a variety of therapeutic settings over the past several years. He began his career working at a wilderness therapy program as a Master Wilderness Instructor. While pursuing a Master’s in Clinical Social Work from UNC-Chapel Hill, he interned with both the Chatham County school system as a primary therapist and at a prominent wilderness therapy program where he focused on designing interventions, providing psychoeducation to families, and therapeutically facilitating family reunions.
After earning his Master’s in Social Work, Travis worked as a Primary Therapist at a therapeutic boarding school where he provided multi-systemic therapy to adolescents and pre-adolescents whose families were in crisis.
“I strongly believe in the importance of learning through experience, building new skills and learning how to apply them in familiar environments, fostering growth in family relationships, and the importance of a strengths-focused approach,” says Wireback. “I am extremely passionate about supporting pre-adolescents and their families as they develop the skills to succeed as individuals, as a family, and in their community.”
Travis is working with pre-teens boys ages 10-13 challenged with mood dysregulation, social struggles, anxiety, depression, suicide avoidance, and ASD.
Trails Carolina is a wilderness therapy program based just outside of Asheville, North Carolina that offers a multi-dimensional wilderness therapy model to troubled adolescents, ages 10-17. Trails capitalizes upon the profound effects of a student’s wilderness experience and then combines that experience with strong clinical assessments and therapy. For additional information about Trails Carolina, please call 800-975-7303.
In an effort to keep students and staff as safe as possible during the COVID-19 outbreak, Foundations Asheville has relocated its community to a secluded 90-acre retreat in the heart of western North Carolina.
Students continue to receive individual and group therapy from their therapists, who are also staying on-site in shifts. Students are also continuing to meet their academic goals online with remote learning and the help of Natalie Bryenton, Foundations’ Director of Education and Career Readiness.
The program is taking full advantage of the property’s lake and hiking trails, which have allowed many of the students to tap back into their wilderness roots while continuing to hone in on their life skills, such as cooking, time management, and social integration. This new space has allowed the students an opportunity to continue to strengthen their connections to one another and the staff at Foundations, while maintaining a low risk of exposure from the larger community.
Foundations plans on operating from the retreat center as long as possible in order to prioritize the safety of staff and students.
About Foundations Asheville
Foundations Asheville is a young adult transition community located in the mountains of North Carolina. The program serves young adults ages 18-24 who are looking to acquire the tools to make the transition from adolescence to life as independent adulthood. Foundations helps young adults aspire to find meaning, direction, relationships, and self-reliance in their lives.
Onward Transitions Chief Clinician Darrell Fraize, M.Ed., LCPC, LADC spoke last week on a Zoom Conference Call coordinated by Embark Behavioral Health with over 200 professionals, on the steps for continuing services to clients by implementing Telemental Health Services (TMHS.) Fraize spoke on the model’s evidenced-based effectiveness for some clients and highlighted briefly that for others, TMHS may not be as helpful.
“Parents are faced with an even bigger dilemma right now when trying to help their children living with mental health challenges,” Fraize stated in a follow-up question and answer session. “We are beginning to see them fall into one of two ‘camps,’ if you will, that at their heart are about safety. Camp A is that for whatever valid reason, the parent believes that sending their child to residential treatment or a supported apartment program is the safest thing for them to do. Camp B is, again for whatever valid reason, the parent believes that keeping their child home is the safest thing for them to do. But even for those in Camp A, who are in residential treatment, the likelihood for utilizing TMHS is going to increase as programs insulate their campuses by keeping only essential staff on the premises.”
For families and clients looking to join Camp B, Fraize points to a number of recent studies that advocate for the early adoption of TMHS upon returning home from a program or college. “We know that the recommendations for those living with mental health challenges is that now is not the time to stop treatment¹. Additionally, keeping up routines and staying connected to supports - and specifically peer supports - is critical. Synchronous, online communities can provide a safe alternative for the face-to-face interactions clients are going to need²,” he continues. “And obviously getting ahead of a relapse back into old, negative behavioral patterns by staying engaged in treatment is optimal.³”
“At Onward, we are providing HIPAA-compliant individual, group and family therapy in our G-Suite, and our overall community attendance is up. What our members seem to really enjoy is the structured day that our 50+ hours of synchronous online coaching and social programming provides for them. Keeping young people engaged is critical, and we and other online programs are designed for Group B. Providing a forum for like-minded peers to congregate and drop into is a great tool. Whether it’s a young adult stepping down from a higher level of treatment, looking to continue in a therapeutic milieu, or a college student who has returned home seeking out a supportive network, TMHS can help.”
Fraize suggested that parents seeking residential treatment perform the role of collaborator and consultant while their children are out of their home. The program staff perform roles that control and direct the treatment of primary acute or chronic, moderate to severe mental health issues with controlled accountability in their physical environments. By contrast he sees parents investigating TMHS as “space-givers” and stand-by supporters with their at-home children. The staff in online programs guide primary or continuing care for individuals with mild to moderate mental health issues, and encourage accountability through structured programming and support. “The lack of social connection is mitigated in both camps; however Camp B still retains the ability to opt-in or out of sub-cohorts or the group altogether when they need a break, or to connect with any of their pre-existing social networks” he adds. “This way, Camp B supports maintaining the prosocial connections that young people have and would worry about losing.”
“Some parents are surprised by the amount of services beyond therapy that can be delivered online, like living space consults, wellness consults, educational coaching, vocational coaching, meal planning, and social forums from discussion groups, to virtual dinners, to hosted trivia events and jackbox games. They want their children home with them, or in their own apartment, and they don’t want them to get lonely or for their symptoms to get worse.” Fraize adds.
“Each camp is going to benefit a particular type of client, with some overlap,” Fraize adds. “For young people with acute symptoms and major mental illness, getting into residential treatment is likely the best option for mitigating their moderate to severe symptoms. For those who have more of a lingering, sub-acute or moderately chronic form of depression, anxiety or PTSD,4, 5 TMHS has been shown to be effective.” Fraize recommends families seek out TMHS including online intensive outpatient communities should they and their child choose to shelter-at-home while seeking mental health treatment.
References:
- https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/managing-stress-anxiety.html
- https://www.nami.org/getattachment/Press-Media/Press-Releases/2020/COVID-19-and-Mental-Illness-NAMI-Releases-Importan/COVID-19-Updated-Guide-1.pdf
- https://www.apa.org/news/apa/2020/03/covid-19-research-findings
- https://www.unmc.edu/bhecn/_documents/evidence-based-telemental-health-with-cover.pdf
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5723163
About Onward Transitions
Onward Transitions (OT) in Portland, ME is a small, independent, owner-operated program for bright, motivated, emerging adults in the final stages of learning to live on their own. OT supports actual sustainable independent living and autonomy from two city locations. Participants (members) ages 18-29 never live with us; they live in their own apartments, scattered throughout the city. Members' challenges include anxiety, depression and executive functioning.
Logan, Utah – Using virtual reality (VR) was previously (and often still is) a seldom appreciated and underutilized tool in the mental health industry. Recent advances in technology and research have proven this tool to be incredibly valuable when applied to a clinical setting. Logan River Academy, a Residential Treatment Center in Logan, Utah, has started using virtual reality in therapy and has seen very positive results.
VR has been shown to be especially useful in treating clients with phobias and social anxiety, as well as being a very useful meditation tool. “It’s neat to be able to use technology help kids overcome specific phobias and be able to meditate more fully,” says Sean Maynard, CMHC, one of LRA’s program directors. It provides a safe, relatively comfortable means of practicing exposure therapy and has significantly decreased the number of refusals to participate in exposure therapy. According to a study done by Stéphane Bouchard, “Among patients with social anxiety, those treated with VR therapy dropped an average of 33 points on an anxiety scale of 0 to 144. Anxiety among patients receiving traditional therapy dropped about 19 points.” It has also been shown to reduce the time and costs of treating many anxiety-related issues.
The potential uses for this technology in a clinical setting are nearly limitless. VR could be used for virtual tours of colleges and residential treatment centers. Virtual visits are a possibility for families that are unable to visit often. This could allow the family to play games together, watch a movie together, or just chat. VR could also provide a format of virtual therapy for those that do not wish to meet with a therapist in office or over video conference. Logan River Academy is excited to explore new ways in which they can utilize this tool in helping clients take control over their lives and overcome their personal roadblocks.
About Logan River Academy
Established in 2000, Logan River Academy has nearly 20 years of experience providing high-end therapeutic care for adolescents and young adults. Our goal is to help each student develop the necessary skills to live successful and fulfilling lives. We provide a sophisticated approach tailored to each students’ individual needs. Through the concerted efforts of the family, the treatment team, and an individualized treatment plan, we help our students down the path of developing lifelong healthy habits that will lead to their success and prosperity. For more information call (435) 755-8400 or visit our website at Loganriver.com.
EDGE Advance opened its doors last September (2019) to provide a therapeutic transitional living program for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), ADHD, and other learning disabilities. As with its sister program, EDGE Learning & Wellness Collegiate Community, one of EDGE Advance’s major components is providing social skill development and opportunities for social engagement. And then the world turned upside down, in the wake of the coronavirus disease. A commonly held belief about this population is that these individuals do not want to have friends, do not feel emotions and lack empathy, and thus would not be greatly impacted by the new social order of “social distancing” (autismspeaks.org). This notion could not be further from the truth. Rather, it is the lack of sophisticated social skills that oftentimes leads to rejection by peers, psychological distress and social isolation creating lifelong difficulties (researchautism.org).
At EDGE, being mindful of the students’ increased anxiety and their preference for a familiar structure, the team of professionals have been extremely creative in continuing to provide opportunities for social engagement as well as independent life skills, career and academic development, all while navigating the unknown territory of this current pandemic. Regularly scheduled activities such as book club, improv, cooking/nutrition, mental health round tables, financial literacy, mindfulness and physical activity have seamlessly moved to an online mode, where not only current and alumni EDGE students are welcome, but other neurodiverse individuals are welcome to join. The EDGE team has also identified, accessed and joined additional online communities for other activities that enrich the students’ lives.
EDGE students have taken to these changes surprisingly well. With an ever-shifting collegiate landscape, as well as decreased internships, volunteer and work opportunities, these creative activities provide not only meaning to the students’ day and lessen anxieties, but are also invaluable opportunities to practice the very life skills they came to EDGE for in the first place. While many of these changes may appear to be a response to the current circumstances, the EDGE Leadership team believes that many of the current program modifications will continue into the future - responding to the need for sustained social connection, beyond the physical space that we are all so used to, and many miss so dearly, right now.
EDGE Advance is a transitional program for neurodiverse (Autism Spectrum Disorders - ASD, learning disabled) young adults, located in Chicago, IL. Utilizing a clinically integrated coaching model, the goal of EDGE Advance is to create a path for emerging young adults to develop the habits and skills necessary to lead autonomous lives of purpose.
In the current Covid-19 reality, maintaining a level of normalcy for neuro-diverse young adults is important for their ongoing progress, mental wellness, and success. At Cabin Mountain Living Center, a member of the Q&A Family of Programs, Director Kelly Pennington and Assistant Director Donna Fridley have been creative in achieving this goal.
Daily activities such as grocery shopping, going to the post office, spending time in the library, and going out to socialize with neighbors are simply not available right now. To compensate for this lack of community-immersed programming, Pennington and Fridley have created detailed programming in-house to mimic, as much as possible, the usual activities that clients must miss. Because the clients look forward to weekly meal planning and grocery shopping and to maintain this weekly activity, designated staff go to the store and purchase all items for the clients. They then create a grocery store in the administrative offices. The clients take their shopping bags and grocery lists and shop for the week. They are able to practice budgeting by using their weekly allowances to make purchases. This also allows the clients to maintain some autonomy during this time when it feels as though they have lost most of their control.
Working with a neuro-diverse population can be a challenge, even without the threat of a pandemic. One of the most important factors in successful programming for this population is maintaining consistency. This is a huge challenge with social distancing in play. However, there are creative ways to allow clients to continue practicing the life skills they are building while residing at Cabin Mountain Living Center.
“While social distancing and quarantining are challenges for any residential program, this is also an opportunity to evaluate program structure and implement new protocols,” said Director Pennington; “We are taking advantage of the opportunity to learn more about our neuro-diverse population and what interventions are most successful.”
About Cabin Mountain Living Center
Cabin Mountain is operated as a communal environment on a 15 acre farm where clients care for goats, a pot-bellied pig, chickens, cats and dogs. They also care for a garden in the summer months and learn the importance of the foods they eat by working with a nutritionist regularly. The male and female clients share common spaces, but enjoy private sleeping areas as well as two resource areas featuring an educational area and a newly developed sensory room. For more information on Cabin Mountain, please contact Angie Shockley, CEO and Owner of Q&A Associates at 304-642-9070 or ashockley@qa-associates.com.
PROVO, UTAH, April 6, 2020 -- Sending students and staff home to self-quarantine has not stopped ScenicView Academy from engaging students both academically and socially. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, ScenicView Academy, a nonprofit transitional school for young adults on the autism spectrum, managed to convert their hands-on programming to online instruction within 48 hours.
Technology such as Loom and Google Hangouts has made it possible for instruction to continue, and students are still getting classes and one-on-one support. To help students stay connected to one another, and to ScenicView socially, students and staff participated in “Online Spirit Week” on Social Media. Each day, students, staff, and alumni posted photos of themselves participating in Pajama Day, Cosplay Day, School Spirit Day, and Reading Day where students posted photos of the book they are currently reading. This week ScenicView kicks off their “Online Film Festival,” a series of films and TV shows featuring autistic characters. All content is available online through streaming services so homebound students can watch at their own pace.
Executive Director Marty Matheson has been pleased with the hard work, positive energy, and flexibility demonstrated by his staff, as some have been asked to take on new or different duties during this time of uncertainty. “Staff is working so hard for the good of SVA and for the good of our students,” Matheson said. He then quoted one his favorite movies, Apollo 13, “This will be our finest hour.”
About ScenicView
ScenicView Academy, founded in 2001 in Provo, UT, is a nationally recognized nonprofit school for young adults with autism spectrum disorders, neurodiversities or learning disabilities. Through our residential programming, we empower our students to reach their potential and gain skills to live independently. Scholarships are available based on financial need. SVA is accredited by National Commission for the Accreditation of Special Education Services (NCASES).
Spanish Fork UT - New Haven Residential Treatment Center shares their recent research results about the effectiveness of their program on students’ long term self harming thoughts. For the last twenty years, New Haven has administered weekly student surveys, in order to measure students' anxiety, depression, relationships with parents, and suicidality in order to monitor the effectiveness of the treatment students are receiving and especially to see how successful students are after completing treatment. One of the most powerful results of this research shows that 94% of New Haven students over the last three years had ZERO self-harming thoughts at discharge. Even more amazing was that at 2 years post discharge 91% of students continued to have zero self-harming thoughts. To obtain this data, New Haven used the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9); the Family In-Patient Communication (FISC) is also used to measure patient and family outcomes throughout treatment and for two years post discharge.
New Haven’s Executive Director Jeana Thomsen, LCSW explains why this is such an important finding.
“After 25 years of operation, we are proving how important the interventions used at New Haven are in treating self harm, and we know through the research that the clients who come with a diagnosis of depression and anxiety depression (which is at the root of self harming thoughts and behavior) are receiving the help they need. Self-harm is a trend among teens that parents feel ill-equipped to deal with. As a team we believe that the high level of family engagement required at New Haven is what allows our students to have such fantastic outcomes two years after they leave New Haven. The fact that so many of our students are having so much control over their thoughts gives us a lot of confidence in the validity of the interventions used at New Haven and of the students' ability to be successful after they leave New Haven”.
When stress and anxiety levels rise, teens who have struggled with self-harming thoughts and behaviors can struggle to access healthy coping skills at home. New Haven’s residential treatment center provides added support through a high student to staff ratio, daily therapeutic groups teaching a variety of coping skills (including DBT and mindfulness groups), and weekly 90 minute individual and family therapy sessions. During the COVID-19 pandemic and unlike many schools across the country, New Haven students have continued to be able to maintain their daily schedule, including their normal academic schedule.
For more information about New Haven RTC visit www.newhavenrtc.com or call 888-317-3958.
About New Haven
New Haven continues to be a leader in female treatment and in providing specialized services to over 2000 female clients and their families in the past 25 years! The research initiatives done throughout the years illustrate the effectiveness of a relational based approach and continue to be apart of weekly interventions used on current students. New Haven looks forward to celebrating 25 years with students, families, alumni, past and current employees and friends.
Executive Director Brent Esplin, LMFT, and Associate Executive Director Noel Miller, BS are excited to announce the opening of Potomac at Hobble Creek (PHC), scheduled to open in late Spring in Hobble Creek Canyon above Springville, Utah.
Potomac at Hobble Creek will serve up to 16 adolescent girls in a beautiful mountain home setting. This short-term, primarily insurance-paid program is designed around DBT, the Seven Challenges, and a family systemic treatment approach. Research has proven that robust family involvement and at-home community support accelerate change and ensure lasting progress for clients. Clients will be enrolled on average 30 - 60 days.
Mr. Esplin and Ms. Miller bring over twenty-five years of clinical and administrative leadership to PHC and have recruited a powerful team that includes local psychiatric on-site support, a blend of academic services including online and live classroom work, a full array of experiential activities and ongoing family and community involvement.
Kimball DeLaMare, LCSW, Senior Vice President of Potomac Programs said, "PHC will be the first of several short-term residential programs which will complement the Potomac Programs' audacious goal to reduce teen suicide, depression and anxiety to all-time lows by 2028."
Potomac Programs, a division of Embark Behavior Health, is building local continuums of care including outpatient clinics and community-based in-home services alongside short-term residential programs like PHC. This growth will increase accessibility to premium behavioral healthcare while reducing out-of-pocket costs for families.
About Potomac Programs
Potomac Programs 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, Potomac Programs 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 for our clients and their families. Offering services in Boston, New York City, Washington, DC metro, Chicago, Atlanta, and San Francisco.
Benchmark Transitions, a licensed and certified residential treatment and structured clinical transitional living program in Southern California, continues to admit and provide essential mental health and substance use disorders treatment services, amid the Coronavirus outbreak.
"As an essential health care provider, Benchmark is committed to following the guidelines outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)," states founder and CEO Jayne Longnecker-Harper, M.Ed. "It's important that families know that, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a place for their young adult children to obtain treatment services." Benchmark, which was founded by Longnecker-Harper in 1993, recognizes that making the determination to obtain mental health services in the midst of this healthcare crisis is a challenge for many young adults and their families. By adhering to the CDC key considerations for healthcare facilities, Benchmark is integrating into their treatment services the following standards:
- Avoid close contact - Staff and clients maintain physical distancing at the residential facilities, the transitional living facility and transitional living homes. Benchmark clinicians can engage in tele-health and tele-medicine as needed to support clients throughout the program.
- Washing hands - Handwashing is one of the most effective ways to help prevent the spread of germs. Staff and clients wash hands and use hand santitizer frequently throughout the day.
- Cover mouth and nose - The CDC now recommends the use of a cloth face mask in areas where it may be difficult to maintain social and physical distancing. This adds an extra layer of support and protection against the spread of germs.
- Cover coughs and sneezes - Benchmark monitors staff and clients daily for symptoms and has strategic referral processes in place should someone demonstrate symptoms of COVID-19.
- Clean and disinfect - Benchmark's dedicated staff contributes to the regular cleaning and disinfecting of the facilities throughout the day on frequently touched surfaces.
By adhering to these standards, Benchmark Transitions can ensure that young adult clients are able to obtain the appropriate level of care for the treatment of their mental health and co-occurring substance use disorders. Benchmark's services include mental health stabilization, primary residential treatment, sub-acute detoxification, and clinical transitional living programs, including partial hospitalization program (PHP); intensive outpatient program (IOP) and extended care programming.
Benchmark is a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary approach to residential treatment and transitional living for young adult men and women, ages 18-28. Benchmark provides an evidence-based and compassionate approach to residential treatment for mental health and co-occurring substance use disorders, community-based supportive transitional living, education and career development and independent living life skills.