Meristem’s 8-month program changes to 12 month/annual program starting Fall 2022. The upcoming program dates for 2022-2023 are August 15, 2022 - July 28, 2023. There are holiday weeks built into the calendar and of course, any student can be on vacation with their family at any time.
Updating Meristem's program to an annual one was under consideration for over a year and based on parent requests, staff annual contracts, community college calendars, regional center purchase of services (POS) and our own students wanting to continue consecutively with their advancement. Meristem’s program of unique classes and offerings such as Culinary Arts, Iron Forge, Herbal Arts, Hospitality, Land Stewardship, Movement, Orienteering, Ceramics, Photography/Visual Communications, Recreation, Work Skills, Driver’s Education, and internships with community partners, will remain the same and continue to target students’ critical skills of focusing, organizing, empathy, regulating emotions, self-monitoring, confronting failure and reflecting upon the process. Each of these skills transfers directly to the student’s long-term goals of college, employment, and/or independent living.
Students from across the United States will continue to have the option to live in campus dorms during fall, spring, and summer semesters working with our Independent Living Skills Instructors to learn valuable skills like cooking and cleaning.
If interested in learning more, please consider taking a tour of the 13-acre campus located in Fair Oaks, California.
Meristem, a non-profit 501c3, founded in 2015 is a unique program dedicated to preparing young adults on the autism spectrum for a life of greater independence and fulfillment. Meristem's multi-year program serves students ages 18–28. Our residential students come from across the United States. Our day students commute from homes throughout the Sacramento region.
Join us for “Being an Attachment Therapist” training in Jupiter, Florida from June 15th to 18th, co-hosted by Voyage Recovery Center and Family First Adolescent Services.
Facilitated by the excellent trainers of Integrative Approach, this training is for clinicians, particularly those whose focus is residential and wilderness therapy programs, who wish to learn how to be an attachment therapist.
We are looking forward to welcoming you to Jupiter this June, and working shoulder-to-shoulder with you through this dynamic training!
Curriculum
Facilitated by Integrative Approach's trainers, Jim Thomas LMFT, International Trainer, and Amanda L. Thomas LMFT, this training will cover:
- Big picture: Attachment Theory and Research
- Strategy: Leveraging interpersonal neurobiology to increase treatment success
- Interventions: Engaging, supporting, and increasing attachment security in client systems
- Practice: R. E. A. L. (Rich, Emotional, Authentic Learning)
Being an Attachment Therapist - 3-day training has been approved by NBCC for NBCC credit 24 hrs. Integrative Approach is solely responsible for all aspects of the program. NBCC Approval No. ACEP - 7010
Lunch and dinner will be provided each day. Attendees will be our guests each evening for special activities and tours by Voyage Recovery and Family First Adolescent Services.
The training, hosted by Family First Adolescent Services and Voyage Recovery Center, will be held at Voyage Recovery Center in Jupiter, FL.
REGISTER HERE: https://www.integrativeapproachtx.com/upcoming-events
Red Oak Recovery® is pleased to announce that it celebrated eight years of success and growth last month. Red Oak Recovery®’s continued dedication to serving young adult men, ages 18-30, and their families reinforces the meaningful work the team does every day.
Since its inception, many changes have occurred at Red Oak Recovery®. From diversifying the populations served to expanding capacities and locations where services are offered, Red Oak Recovery® continues to be a company on point with their mission. As Red Oak Recovery® has grown alongside its ability to provide services to a broader range of clients, Red Oak Recovery® is proud to offer in-network insurance coverage with three major insurers (BlueCross BlueShield, Aetna, and First Health). The company is also fully accredited CARF (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities).
“Eight years have gone by in the blink of an eye,” says Jack Kline, MS, LCMHCS, LCAS, CCS, MAC, Founder and President. “Throughout this time, Red Oak Recovery® has remained true to its mission by providing state-of-the-art, research based clinical care delivered in a caring, respectful, compassionate way. As the acuity of our clients continues to become more complex, we have continued to evolve our clinical programming to match their needs. Any program is defined by the people who work there, and the team at Red Oak Recovery® puts their heart and soul into their work. It truly takes a village, and I am grateful to be a part of both this village and this journey.”
The clients at Red Oak Recovery® work with Master’s level, dually licensed (clinical addictions and mental health) clinicians, receiving a minimum of 30 clinical contact hours per week, while also engaging in therapeutic outdoor and adventure activities. Additionally, Red Oak Recovery® is unique in the addiction treatment industry as it has eight years of Independent Review Board (IRB) approved research and outcome data collected by the research group at Center for Research, Assessment, and Treatment Efficacy (CReATE). This unbiased information allows Red Oak Recovery® to critically evaluate and constantly fine tune what is being doing to meet their clients’ needs.
Red Oak Recovery® programs are located throughout Western North Carolina and include clinically-driven and gender separate trauma focused substance use and mental health treatment for young adult men ages 18-30 (www.redoakrecovery.com), young adult women ages 18-35 (www.thewillowsatredoak.com), and adolescent boys ages 14-17 (www.foothillsatredoak.com).
Glendale, CO (April 28, 2022) – May is Mental Health Awareness Month (MHAM), a period during which mental health–focused organizations continue their efforts to fight stigma, educate the public, and advocate for improved mental health supports for all. This year, Equinox Counseling & Wellness Center—Colorado’s premier intensive treatment center provide for youth, young adults, and their families experiencing complex psychiatric issues—is launching its own campaign: #HelpIsPossible.
Last May, the CEO of Children’s Hospital Colorado announced a state of emergency for youth mental health. The statistics in Coloroado are startling: The number and rate of suicide deaths among 15- to 19-year-olds continues to rise (Colorado Health Institute), and suicide remains a leading cause of death among Colorado kids between 10 and 24 years old (Partners for Children’s Mental Health). LIkewise, fifteen percent of youth nationwide are living with major depression (Mental Health America).
These numbers and the real-life stories behind them lead many parents to feel hopeless. But Equinox is here to tell them: There is hope, and there is help. With the right supports, your child and your family can get better.
This month, Equinox will be spreading this message through its social media handles, direct emails, and news media. As you work on your own MHAM coverage, Equinox' team of clinical experts is available to speak about:
• Youth and young adult mental health
• How mental health issues can manifest in teenagers and young adults (substance use, isolation, etc.)
• What evidence-based therapies are available to youth, young adults and families—and how to determine which is right for you
• Why family support is critical in youths’ and young adult’s mental health journeys.
Mental Health Awareness Month hashtags: #HelpIsPossible #ThereIsHope #YouAreNotAlone #MentalHealth #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth2022 #MentalHealthMonth #FamilyLevelHealing #EQDenver
About Equinox:
Family level healing is the foundation of Equinox Counseling & Wellness Center. Our unparalleled commitment to delivering clinically sophisticated programs has created a new step in the continuum of mental health care. We have taken the best components of residential treatment, wilderness therapy, and holistic milieu therapy services—providing youth, young adults, and families a safe, healing, compassionate treatment experience. Our multi-disciplinary team of clinicians, evaluators, and parent coaches help youth, young adults and families who are experiencing complex psychiatric, emotional, and behavioral health issues. These issues are often related to anxiety, depression, suicidality, OCD, and mood disorders in combination with Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADD/ADHD, and Executive Function Disorder. We are passionate about bringing youth and young adults home from higher levels of care.
Contact us at 303.861.1916 or visit us online at www.EquinoxCounseling.com
Cascade Crest Transitions is delighted to introduce Tracey Colacicco, MS, LPC, in her new position as Clinical Director. For the past five years, Tracey has been an integral part of the Cascade Crest Transitions team, as our Parent Specialist. Tracey brings extensive experience and skills to her new role and has 20 years of experience working with young adults, children, and families.
Commenting on Tracey’s transition to Clinical Director, Executive Director and owner Sean Fievet says, “I could not be more pleased to have Tracey aboard in this role. I’ve been a fan of her work for close to 20 years. I’ve been impressed with her ability to create and foster connection with our families as she has guided them through meaningful growth and change alongside their young adult. I am excited she will be bringing this passion and skill to her work with the clinical team and all the students and families of CCT.”
Not only does Tracey excel at building relationships with clients and coworkers, but she is also a leader in bringing training opportunities to helping professionals working with young people and families in our community. Of her choice to become Clinical Director Tracey says, "I couldn't be happier to support the amazing clinicians and staff here at Cascade Crest Transitions and bring my knowledge of working with young adults, families, and parents to complement the amazing work the staff here does. It's a sincere honor to be a part of such a hardworking and dedicated team of professionals”.
For more information on Tracey and CCT check out our webpage www.cascadecadecresttransitions.com
Founded in 2011 Cascade Crest Transitions is the industry leader in aftercare/transitional programing for young adults (18-23). Located in the beautiful, active and friendly town of Bend, Or. Our mission is to empower young adults toward healthy independence while providing continued therapeutic and academic support, a safe and welcoming community, a sober living environment, and real life skills and experiences. Our length of stay is 9-12 months.
Integrated Interventions is a premier transition program for young adults 17 and older in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and New Braunfels, Texas. Integrated Interventions is known for its unique approach to custom-fit treatment, and is now branching out to include a traditional residential level of care in conjunction with custom-designed independent living.
Integrated is recognized as one of the fastest-growing programs in the country due to their success and unique approach to “traditional” transition treatment. Integrated Interventions offers mentoring services, as well as independent and transitional housing based on the needs of the young adult, or "student" (as they are referred to in the Integrated program). Integrated utilizes custom-fit care for their student population, with each individual on their own path to recovery and independence.
Identifying a student population that would benefit from the additional coordinated support of a residential treatment model, Integrated Interventions sought to broaden their independent-living skills program to better accommodate individual students in need of this type of structure and care. In 2022, their traditional residential level of care model debuted in one of Integrated Intervention’s homes in New Braunfels, Texas. The house currently holds females 17 and older, with the plan to open an additional home for similar aged males in the coming year.
Integrated Interventions' approach to the residential level of care combines the best parts of a traditional residential treatment center and adds in the unique programming of Integrated Interventions. This blend of programming provides students with the group living environment and direct clinical support of a traditional Residential Treatment Center. It also allows for one-on-one mentoring, parallel Integrated programming, community integration and group therapy alongside a format where students are not punitively punished for setbacks. Rather, a student’s progress is based on a format grounded in natural progression and personal accomplishment.
“The Integrated model challenges the 'institutionalization' that can come with a traditional residential setting. While the students are provided structure, 24/7 access to staff, and guidance along the way, they are taught to perform basic functions and daily living tasks such as cooking meals, cleaning up around the home, and taking their own medications on time. Further, they are taught how to complete tasks around the property such as gardening and working with tools. These are skills that they will ultimately take with them into the community as they find employment and work towards transitioning to one of the independent living homes when they are ready.”- Onsite Program Therapist, Lauryn Maldonado, LMSW
The Integrated team works diligently to help students learn the life skills and achieve the educational goals required for sustainable independence. Integrated Interventions commitment to custom-fit programming continues to evolve to meet the needs of a diverse student population and their families. The goal of Integrated Interventions is to be the final step on a therapeutic placement journey that many students have been on for years.
About Integrated Interventions:
Originating in Coeur d’ Alene Idaho, under husband and wife, Terry and Angela Edelmann, Integrated Interventions was established in 2013 and has grown steadily over the years, expanding to New Braunfels, Texas in 2019. Integrated Interventions offers custom-fit treatment for individuals, utilizing one-on-one mentoring and community immersion to integrate a healthy life balance along all lines and levels of development. Integrated’s unique approach allows them to serve a wide spectrum of individuals with differing diagnoses including behavioral, cognitive, medical, addiction, and educational challenges. Integrated offers 24/7 care, crisis support, life skill development, work ethic training, career and educational support and so much more. Integrated believes in providing custom treatment and support systems designed for everyone on a totally individualized basis.
For more information check out Integrated’s website at IntegratedInterventionsLLC.com or contact info@integratedinterventionsllc.com
Brendan O'Neil, MSW- Cloverlea Consulting Founder/Director of the specialized therapeutic educational consultancy is excited to announce that they are offering professional office visits for families in NH and VT in addition to their Amherst and Boston MA locations.
"We are pleased to offer families in VT and NH the same personal touch we have been providing for our Massachusetts clients."
"While we do continue to work remotely for families nationwide and abroad, we always want to be sure that students and families can have their needs met according to their level of comfortability."
"We are there for you from the outset and all along the path," Brendan says.
About Cloverlea Consulting:
Helping to Promote Shifts that lend to Lasting Change. Cloverlea Consulting is a private educational consulting firm specializing in coordinating supportive services and programming aimed at maximizing educational and social emotional development for adolescents and young adults. Based in Massachusetts and serving families nationwide and abroad, Cloverlea Consulting has a wealth of knowledge in specialized educational and therapeutic programs. With more than 25 years of experience in therapeutic programs and supportive educational services, Brendan O’Neil, MSW will thoroughly examine your needs and make comprehensive recommendations specific to the needs of the individual and family. Offices in Amherst and Boston MA, VT and NH.
As the EDGE Learning and Wellness community prepares for an influx of students arriving for this summer’s Pathways to College program, the EDGE community reflects on what about the summertime makes the Windy City feel just a little bit more special.
Since its inception, EDGE Learning and Wellness has always been deeply connected to its home city of Chicago, providing a supportive transitional living community for students who wish to live in the city or attend school at one of Chicago’s many secondary-education options. This summer, EDGE is expanding its programming by offering Pathways, an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy-informed summer program where students will take a college-level course and strengthen their executive functioning skills in a collaborative learning community.
But, while EDGE students will certainly be hitting the books this summer, there’s still plenty of time to enjoy the many festivals and seasonal offerings that take the city by storm once the snow has melted and the weather has warmed up.
Starting in May, many of the city’s unique street markets and farmer’s markets will open. These markets are often filled with many fresh and organic fruits and vegetables, giving students a great place to practice making healthy grocery shopping choices. June ushers in the start of the Millennium Park Music series. These free weekly concerts are great destinations for social outings and are only five minutes' walk from the EDGE Learning and Wellness community building. The same can be said about the Millennium Park Film series, which starts in July. Taste of Chicago, an incredibly fun festival that highlights various cultures and flavors throughout the city, also begins in July. Taste of Chicago pop-ups are great places to get inspiration for EDGE’s community meal nights, where students plan and prepare a healthy meal for the EDGE community and their guests. Creative students can also explore The Second City, a renowned comedy club that’s been home to many Saturday Night Live alums, and art-focused festivals like the Old Town Art Fair and Logan Square Arts Fest. Venturing out to these vibrant and creative experiences can be a great way to learn something new and tap into one’s hobbies and personal interests.
Both Pathways and Learning and Wellness students will have countless opportunities to explore the city this summer and put their executive functioning and independence skills to the test in real-world situations. The EDGE team, while excited for the warm weather, are much more excited to support their students during this special time in the city.
About EDGE Learning and Wellness Community
EDGE Learning and Wellness Community is an accredited transitional living program located in Chicago, IL. EDGE offers therapeutically supported residential and non-residential options for post-treatment young adults. The participants, ages 18 -24, are striving to excel academically while creating a life of balance, joy, and wellness.
New Focus Academy, a co-ed residential program for neurodiverse teenagers, has introduced a Community Project Initiative (CPI) that aligns the academic domain of the school with their surrounding community. The purpose of this new programming is to integrate students with neurodiversity into the community with projects that engage and grows upon their social-emotional skills, life skills, and social skills. These are skill sets that are taught and practiced at New Focus Academy and give the students the necessary experiences to live independently.
New Focus has been able to partner with multiple organizations within the community such as Paws for Life, Wasatch State Park, and the Wasatch County Library; the school is very excited to be presenting students with this opportunity to practice their skills while simultaneously giving back to the local community.
Learn more about New Focus Academy’s program and how it can help your child. Visit https://newfocusacademy.com or call (435) 383-4369.
About New Focus Academy
New Focus Academy is a therapeutic residential treatment program for adolescents ages 12-18 with neurodevelopmental challenges. Located in Heber City, Utah, just outside of Salt Lake City, New Focus Academy prepares struggling teens for a purpose-filled, independent life. New Focus Academy creates an environment of success using a positive reinforcement approach and empowering students to take small steps leading to big changes and overall wellness.
Learn more about New Focus Academy’s program and how it can help your child. Visit https://newfocusacademy.com or call (435) 383-4369.
Last month, Foothills at Red Oak Recovery celebrated 3 years of serving adolescent boys and their families. This licensed and accredited residential treatment program provides gender-separate treatment for boys ages 14-17 that are struggling with substance use, mental health issues, and trauma.
Located in Ellenboro, NC, Foothills is situated on a beautiful 94-acre campus, complete with welcoming, home-like spaces and a working horse farm. Foothills provides trauma-informed care, social and emotional development, academic support, experiential activities, recreation, and life skills. At Foothills, clients work with Master’s level, dually licensed (clinical additions and mental health) clinicians and receive a minimum of 30 hours of individualized clinical care per week to focus on holistic healing and treating the whole person by putting clients’ long-term health and wellness at the front of treatment planning.
“It’s wonderful celebrating the third anniversary of Foothills at Red Oak Recovery,” says Jack Kline, MS, LCMHCS, LCAS, CCS, CTT-2, MAC, Founder and President. “We utilize age and developmentally appropriate state-of-the-art clinical care for dual diagnosis adolescent males delivered with the same compassion, care and respect as our other two programs. The setting is absolutely gorgeous - a 94-acre horse ranch with a robust equine therapy program and 50-mile views that promote a sense of peace and healing. It’s the team of people that make any program, and the team at Foothills is terrific at what they do. I’m humbled witnessing the amazing work they do on a daily basis.”
Red Oak Recovery® programs are located throughout Western North Carolina and include clinically-driven and gender-separate trauma-focused substance use and mental health treatment for young adult men ages 18-30 (www.redoakrecovery.com), young adult women ages 18-35 (www.thewillowsatredoak.com), and adolescent boys ages 14-17 (www.foothillsatredoak.com).
blueFire PulsaR, an innovative and comprehensive wilderness and adventure-based program for young adults aged 18 to 28, has started a new community service-learning project in which they will be surveying a local farm property in preparation for a fence being built.
Students at blueFire have always played a part in the local community, but this exciting new project has students breaking into a new skill set that can be applied to a future career or homeownership. They are building on their previous wilderness skill sets in a new fashion by using their GPS, map planning, and compass skills to survey the property. An important aspect of this project is to keep and maintain the natural habitat and disturb it as little as possible during construction. So they are also learning and implementing proper habitat management and restoration techniques.
The skills these students will learn throughout this process are vital to supporting the therapeutic work done at blueFire PulsaR and give the students the additional opportunity to build skills that could lead to a successful career or hobby. Giving the students a chance to be active and helping others helps to build on their own confidence, success, and overall happiness.
To learn more about blueFire PulsaR visit https://bluefirepulsar.com/ or call (844) 413-1999 for more information.
About blueFire
BlueFire Wilderness is a wilderness therapy program based just outside of Boise, Idaho that offers teens ages 11-17 a comprehensive adventure experience. BlueFire Wilderness combines clinical expertise, academic assessments, and a family systems approach to help teens struggling with emotional, behavioral and social challenges.
About blueFire PulsaR
To learn more about blueFire PulsaR visit https://bluefirepulsar.com or call (844) 413-1999 for more information.
Equinox RTC, a residential treatment center for teen boys ages 14-18, is excited to welcome Clinical Director Dr. Mike Feeney.
Dr. Mike Feeney, PhD. is a Licensed Psychologist with a passion for working with young people and their families, especially those affected by challenging behaviors, adverse events, or trauma. He values the level of treatment residential services can provide, and a genuine appreciation of the trust families give when seeking support.
Mike earned his doctoral degree in clinical psychology from East Tennessee State University and was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Virginia Treatment Center for Children, part of VCU Medical Center in Richmond, Virginia. He started working with young people in out-of-home placements ten years ago as a field guide in a wilderness program, learning the value of new experiences to support change. Since then, his clinical training and work spans acute, residential, and outpatient care, juvenile justice, and medical settings. He has provided clinical supervision and training, and administrative management of services, and has been fortunate enough to work alongside numerous specialists as a part of integrated treatment teams. He has a solid foundation in psychological testing, developing treatment plans, assessing risk factors, determining appropriate levels of care, and supporting school recommendations for young people. He has also conducted research examining how relationships influence self-identity in teens and young adults.
"We are thrilled to have Mike leading our clinical team,” says Executive Director John Moore. “We did an extensive search to find the best fit for Equinox and we believe we found that in Mike. His relational approach to trauma work with students to create meaningful change is exactly what we need in a Clinical Director. I look forward to working with him!”
Through a developmental lens and trauma-informed approach, Mike works to help young men create meaningful change and feel joy and acceptance in their relationships with others and themselves. Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy (TF-CBT), Dialectic Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and Family Systems Therapy are a few of the evidence-based interventions he draws from. Mike works well with young men who get “stuck,” whether that be in a pattern of behavior, an unhelpful mindset, or with big emotions. He approaches clients with validation and curiosity, finding positive intentions, and always working to connect, then correct. With an emphasis on experiential and holistic programming, and evidence-based treatment, Mike supports the team at Equinox to ensure that each young man and family receives quality care.
In his personal time, Mike enjoys cooking for his wife and loved ones, running, mountain biking, learning to play the guitar, and looking for new fishing holes.
About Equinox RTC
Equinox RTC is a leading residential treatment center for boys ages 14-18. Equinox is unique in its focus on Relational Trauma, which includes grief, loss, and attachment. Trauma, Loss, and Attachment, providing clinically intensive treatment for boys struggling with anxiety, depression, substance use and abuse, learning disabilities, and other emotional and behavioral needs. Equinox offers a combination of clinically sophisticated support with a whole-person approach including adventure therapy, a health and fitness 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 East’s Adventure Therapy Director, Dan Horseman, recently partnered with Breakwater Expeditions to facilitate a week-long excursion down the Green River near Moab, Utah for students and their parents. As a residential treatment center located in western North Carolina for 14- to 17- year old female, transgender, and non-binary students, offering these annual overnight trips creates an opportunity for families to focus on connection through a powerful shared experience.
“The Green River provides the perfect medium to explore, reflect, play, and connect,” says Horseman. “This year we had five families courageously decide to join this trip, choosing connection over the comfort and convenience of their normal lives. Throughout the trip, they were given opportunities to connect as they laughed, played, explored, and overcame challenges together."
Covering about 45 miles through Labyrinth Canyon, the group spent five days and four nights on the river paddling from the flat desert all the way into the heart of the canyon where the walls skyrocket to almost one thousand feet.
One parent reflected, “The venue for this trip was very special… There is a peacefulness to the area that you don’t see often and forces one to step out of our comfort zones. It nudges you in the direction of being ‘present’. I will always cherish this opportunity and the time I was able to spend with [my daughter].”
About Solstice East
Solstice East is a residential treatment center for students ages 14-17 nestled in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains just outside of Asheville, North Carolina. Solstice East is committed to treating each student through a combination of individual, family, equine, and adventure therapies as well as treating and diagnosing a range of issues including (but not limited to) trauma, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, substance abuse, suicidal ideation, self-harming behaviors, attachment, and identity issues. Solstice East assists adolescents and their families in developing excellence in relationships, influence, character, and health throughout their life journey. Our holistic approach acknowledges that mental health diagnoses are only one piece of the puzzle; we strive to help students succeed in multiple areas of their lives.
On June 23 and 24, Ellenhorn and The Menninger Clinic will partner to host "The Crowning Fortune of Purpose," a conference and workshop aimed at allowing the often-neglected issue of purposelessness to enter and inform our work.
The conference will be a hybrid event, taking place both virtually and in-person on Thursday, June 23, at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, Calif. The panel of speakers will be practitioners who are experts in the field of community integration. Presentation topics include "Emerging from the Shadows of Mental Illness: The Transformative Power of Finding Meaning and Purpose", "The Power of Purpose: Peer Perspectives on Meaning Making", “Finding Our Way: Using Values to Find Purpose, Identity and a Life Worth Living", "Purpose: The Driving Force in Motivation, Efficiency and Efficaciousness, Metabolizing Help and Building a Relationship with One's Own Suffering" and “Compassionate Professional Renewal (CPR): Connecting to Purpose".
Conference attendees will have the opportunity to earn 5.5 contact/credit/clock hours upon completion of this conference.
A half-day workshop will also take place on Friday, June 24 at the Skirball Cultural Center. It will be offered exclusively to in-person conference attendees and will focus on challenging providers to examine their principles and strategies for helping people who live with serious mental-health conditions, and, at the same time, challenge them to broaden their psychosocial-rehabilitation methods to include those that invite and offer activation of hope, a willingness to try and the discovery of new meaning and valued roles. Attendees will have the opportunity to earn 3.5 contact/credit/clock hours upon completion of the workshop. Attendees who complete both the conference and the workshop will receive a total of nine continuing-education credits.
Purpose organizes you and gives you meaning. It’s like the trunk of a tree from which branch your personal goals, your identity, the way you form and hold onto your relationships, and your world view. Without purpose, life lacks coherence and the world can appear disassembled and chaotic, like floating dust in the light. To put it in the context of modern life, purpose is both your idea of a destination and your GPS; when you lack it, you’re lost. From a longer life span and better health to greater resilience and the ability to act efficiently, the physiological and psychological results of a strong sense of purpose are innumerable. A sense of purpose, however, is not merely a matter of knowing where you’re going in life. It also has to do with your sense of your value to other people in your life and the community at large. “What’s my purpose here on earth?” is a question about whether–and how--you will add value to your family, community, country or planet. It’s a question with difficult and painful parallel queries: “Do I matter?” and “Does my absence matter?”
Of all the social injuries experienced by psychiatric patients—from stigma and ostracism to the loss of social support and self-determination— purposelessness is the constant. In fact, there is a rough correlation between treatment and purposelessness: The more treatment a person receives and the more they spend their days in treatment, the less time or energy they have to create purpose and live accordingly. This raises the possibility that we might be contributing to purposelessness by the very act of treating the results of lacking purpose. In other words: “low motivation,” “treatment noncompliance” and a supposed lack of “life skills” are actually signs that a person has no map for the future, rather than problems that require more psychiatric and psychological interventions.
Here enters community-integration work, which focuses on helping a person reintegrate into the world and places their life goals front and center in their pursuit of change. This year’s community-integration conference seeks to help attendees appreciate purpose in its rightful place as the “crowning fortune” in our lives, and more specifically, in the lives of the people who seek our help.
For more information about attending whether in Los Angeles or virtually, for this exciting series.
For more information and to register, please visit www.communityintegrationseries.com
The Hive Psychological Services is founded on the belief that it takes a group of individuals to effect change within any one person, and that each person’s contribution is just as valuable as the other. “The Hive” was created to uniquely address the assessment needs of clients and their families who need connection, compassion, and who would benefit from a collaborative approach to assessment. The Hive is a reference to a beehive, which is considered a basecamp for a community of bees.
Dr. Ingrid Boveda, who launched The Hive Psychological Services after working in the industry for several years, wanted to create a truly unique and personalized experience for the clients and families she works with. “I always tell parents, ‘You know your child, and I know children. Your contribution to the assessment process is just as valuable as mine and that of your consultant, your child’s therapist, and other helping professionals. My ability to be helpful in this process has depended heavily on the value I place on the contribution of each of these individuals.’”
Among her other areas of expertise, Dr. Boveda has developed a knowledge base in assessing and diagnosing females who may be on the autism spectrum. She recently published an article in the Journal of Therapeutic Schools and Programs titled: “Autism Spectrum Disorder in Girls and Women: Issues with Diagnosis, Unique Experiences, and Intervention”. This arose out of Dr. Boveda’s experiences working with adolescent females who were in treatment and in need of assessment, who had previously been conceptualized from a behavioral or personality disordered lens. “I realized that we as helping professionals knew so little about autism with this population, and because these women often present differently than males on the spectrum, they were being misdiagnosed or otherwise being overlooked for needed intervention, even by clinicians who specialize in spectrum disorders.” Dr. Boveda is regularly educating herself, and the families she works with, about this topic. She hopes to continue to disseminate the information she learns for the benefit of those individuals who need it most.
Dr. Boveda encourages anyone, including parents, consultants, and therapists, to reach out to “The Hive” should they have questions or if they have any assessment needs. Dr. Boveda can be reached at drboveda@protonmail.com, or by phone: 801-410-0995.
Dr. Ingrid Boveda is the Founder of The Hive Psychological Services and provides psychological, neuropsychological, and psychosexual evaluations with children, adolescents, and young adults that are in residential, therapeutic boarding school, and wilderness therapy programs. Dr. Boveda is licensed through PSYPACT, and can therefore practice in most states. She has developed several areas of expertise, including neurodevelopmental assessments with females on the autism spectrum, nonverbal learning disorder (NLD), possible exposure to substances in-utero, functioning following a traumatic brain injury, executive function difficulties, issues around adoption, developmental trauma, issues within the family dynamic that are impacting the client and treatment progress. Dr. Boveda brings compassion and an ability to genuinely connect with clients and their families. She believes in an interdisciplinary approach that equally values the input of the client, family, therapist, and consultant.
First Light Wilderness Therapy is pleased to announce the appointment of Jennifer Cooper, LPC NCC RPT CPCS to the role of Clinical Director. Jennifer joins the First Light team with a wealth of knowledge and experience providing trauma-responsive care to adolescents and families, as well as a passion for utilizing the natural world as a context for healing.
Jennifer earned her Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Mercer University and has spent the past decade specializing in child / adolescent development, as well as in expressive arts therapies. She has provided therapeutic treatment services in a variety of settings including private practice, community mental health services, in-home treatment, schools, outdoor settings, and residential adolescent treatment programs. In addition to her role providing direct services to youth and families, Jennifer has held multiple leadership roles including Program Manager and Deputy Clinical Director. For the past five years, Jennifer has owned and managed her own private practice, within which she also developed relationships and facilitated treatment services at several residential group home settings. Jennifer has a passion for being a part of the growth journey of other clinicians in the field, and is a Certified Professional Counselor Supervisor.
Jennifer brings a prescriptive and thoughtful therapeutic approach to her clinical and leadership style, with a strong focus on relationship as the primary agent for growth and change. Jennifer believes in meeting people where they are -- whether that is a client, family or supervisee, and collaboratively developing a plan of support. Her goal is to provide a space where others can be heard, feel empowered, experience playfulness and find joy during some of life's hardest seasons. Jennifer has extensive training and experience in a number of therapeutic modalities including EMDR, CBT, Sand Tray Therapy, Play Therapy, Expressive Arts Therapy, TBRI and Child-Parent Relational Therapy. Her focus is to ensure that she is always operating from a trauma-responsive lens and supporting others in doing the same. After spending years working on a 220-acre ranch, Jennifer is delighted to expand her wilderness treatment playground to the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of northern Georgia in her work with the First Light team.
Personally, Jennifer is the mother to three children, a marathon runner and a lover of the outdoors. She enjoys simply being outdoors practicing mindfulness or sitting in her hammock reading a good book.
For more information or to learn more about Jennifer and the First Light Clinical team please contact Aleshka Szypulski, Director of Business Development, at aleshka.szypulski@firstlightwilderness.com.
First Light Wilderness Therapy is a trauma-responsive wilderness treatment program based out of Dahlonega, Georgia. Serving adolescents ages 12-18, First Light's goal is for every student to achieve meaningful change by creating an environment where joy is re-discovered and nurtured, where the adventure leads to self-discovery, and where relationships heal and grow. Set in the serenity of the Blue Ridge Mountains, our field area is nestled in the Chattahoochee and Oconee National Forest and is sprinkled with miles of clear-running streams and rivers, making it an ideal setting for evidence-based outdoor behavioral healthcare. Learn more at www.firstlightwilderness.com.
Sky’s the Limit Fund welcomes Mary Davidson and Robin Wolthausen to the STLF team.
Mary Davidson assumed the role of STLF Executive Director on March 28, 2022. Mary first began her career in marketing communications and then brought her skills to the nonprofit world and has served in a leadership role in the midwest for over 18 years. Her personal career highlights include managing a $53 million capital campaign for the Figge Art Museum, leading a $20 million capital campaign for a giraffe and lion exhibit at the Niabi Zoo, and settling where her passion lies: helping at-risk youth in a residential facility. She worked as the Director of Program Development at Arrowhead Ranch for 8 years, where she created its brand, raised funds for a renovation of the campus, and created and implemented an admissions program that focused on the needs of the families during crises. Mary sits on the public relations committee for the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programming.
Mary has a deep knowledge of the wonders of wilderness programs, both professionally and personally, and the life-changing effects it has on adolescents, their families, and their futures. She is grateful to be able to marry her two passions as STLF Executive Director; supporting funding for youth who need the lifelong positive impact of wilderness therapy and the opportunity to take an organization to the next level.
Robin Wolthausen joined the STLF Coaching team in April 2022. Robin has over 18 years of professional short and long-term coaching, mentoring, teaching, and empowering youth, teens, adults, families, and groups in a diversity of therapeutic modalities, settings, and activities. Specifically, Robin has worked in the wilderness therapy industry for over14 years, helping thousands of clients and families of all backgrounds to heal, find wholeness, their passions, and actualize themselves. In the industry, he has worked as a wilderness therapy guide, a field director, a parent coach, a therapist, and a transition specialist. He believes in everyone doing their small part to make the world a better place.
He is certified as a Wilderness First Responder, in crises de-escalation, in post-traumatic growth somatic therapy, and is currently a candidate for a Masters of Social Work (MSW). Robin has completed training, and is still enrolled in ongoing body-based therapeutic anti-racist and equity education with Resmaa Menakem and the Education for Racial Equity organization.“
About Sky’s the Limit Fund
Sky's The Limit Fund was co-founded by Rochelle Bochner and Lani Dorff. After experiencing the life-saving impact that wilderness therapy had on their son, Rochelle and her husband determined that wilderness therapy should be available to ANY youth in crisis. Joining their endeavor, Lani worked with Rochelle to form STLF to raise funds to support youth in crisis and their families. Unfortunately, wilderness therapy is very expensive and rarely covered by health insurance companies.
The Dorm, a mental health treatment community for young adults, is looking forward to inviting friends & colleagues to tour their newly expanded facilities during a May 24th Open House Celebration. The event invites visitors to tour and learn about their three new floors of therapeutic space serving clients with a range of diagnoses looking for holistic treatment options.
"We're excited to offer our clients the same exceptional care in an inspiring and lively new clinical space that will allow us to serve our community for years to come,” said DC Director Sarah Harte, LICSW, LCSW in anticipation of the community’s recent move into the new space.
The newly renovated state-of-the-art facilities feature a bright movement studio, a chef’s kitchen for nutrition and cooking groups, 14 private therapy offices, fully integrated telehealth technology for hybrid and remote clients, a community clubhouse for social activities and clubs, and learning labs and experiential group rooms with space for studying, cognitive remediation, didactic instruction, creative arts and processing work.
The celebration will feature personalized tours from the outreach and admissions team, local catering and an exclusive headshot cafe where visitors can have their photo taken by a professional photographer.
The Open House will take place on Tuesday, May 24, 2022 from 5 -7pm at 1814 N St. NW, Washington, D.C. Please RSVP to attend, or contact Mandy Blake-German, LMSW Director of Business Development (mblakegerman@thedorm.com).
About The Dorm
Since 2009, The Dorm's mission has been to guide young adults towards independence through evidence-based clinical therapies, community support, and practical skill-building. As a full-service treatment community with locations in New York City, NY, and Washington, D.C., we offer a unique approach to caring for young adults that is both therapeutic and holistic. This includes comprehensive day and evening services with individual and group therapy, wrap-around academic support, independent living opportunities, and individualized life skills training. Our holistic health and wellness services span weekly mindfulness, meditation, yoga, nutrition, and fitness training. The Dorm’s expert therapists and practitioners support the community with tailor-made treatment plans that meet them where they are today - virtually, at home, at school, or out in the community. www.thedorm.com.
Solutions Parenting Support has been a staple in providing the most effective parent coaching, guidance, and support to parents who have a child either in wilderness therapy, therapeutic boarding school, residential treatment, or to those parents transitioning their children home. Solutions Parenting Support’s dynamic team of parent coaches has come together to create an extraordinary model for parent coaching and transition support for parents.
What is the HOME model?
The HOME model considers the process of developing new habits as being on a continuum. In this work together, Solutions Parenting Support will identify habits that can affect various areas of parenting and guide parents to shape the tone of their home. The HOME model allows their coaches to evaluate and prioritize focus while supporting parents in self-reflection as they learn and put new skills into practice.
- H = Hone. Honing sharpens one's understanding, helping parents get clear and specific on the skills they need to learn, through a process of data collection and collaboration. Parents learn the foundations of new communication, relationship and parenting skills, While the home contract takes shape, parents learn to set and communicate goals and expectations clearly. Skills and language that parents have learned along the way hone their family ethos while prioritizing where their focus and energy are best spent, so they know why and how to move into the next step.
- O = Own. Ownership is key to knowing what parents have control over. Knowing what they have control over empowers them to focus their energy where it matters most. Solutions Parents Support offers compassionate feedback and encourages a "claim don't blame" mentality. In this step, parents develop a clearer understanding of these skills they want to hone, confront the challenges in front of them and gain a better understanding of the need for change and evolution in relationships and parenting skills.
- M = Master. Just as parents hope that their child develops mastery over the tools they learn in treatment, Solutions Parenting. coaches will encourage parents to practice the skills they are being taught and gain a greater clarity and confidence in understanding why they work.
- E = Enact. As parents own and master these skills, the next step is to put new skills into action regularly and with clarity and confidence. When parents are able to enact, to make action steps with things over which they have control, regardless of their child’s behavior, they will take charge of the tone of their home.
Hilary Moses, co-founder of Solutions Parenting says this about the HOME model; “We understand that change is a continuum and that parents will move through this model at different paces in relationship to different skills and parenting styles and struggles. Our coaches, who have had extensive careers and experience as therapists in wilderness treatment and residential boarding schools will walk alongside parents and identify where they are in the model and will help parents learn to do the same”
Solutions Parenting Support, LLC is a nationally recognized parent support and transitional program assisting families during and after wilderness therapy treatment and/or residential treatment programming. The Solution's team is supporting parents and families in the United States and around the globe. The team of parent coaches and transitional specialists are family system focused, licensed professional therapists and/or licensed social workers with a combined 40+ years of experience working in wilderness therapy programs, varying levels of residential treatment programming, and transitional support.
Evoke therapeutic Intensives are aimed at adults looking to deepen their self-knowledge or overcome present challenges through examining their pasts. Younger adults have challenges and concerns that are markedly different from older, more established adults. This June 10-13, Evoke Therapy Intensives will host a weekend-long therapeutic Intensive aimed exclusively at young adults aged 18-26. This retreat is shorter than Evoke’s cornerstone program, Finding You, to accommodate the busy summer schedule of young adults.
The Young Adult weekend is perfect for those struggling to find their way in college or university, those who have been the sibling of an identified patient, those who are experiencing a failure to launch, and those who want to set goals and look deeper into the question of, "Who am I?" The weekend will focus on goal-setting, beginning to find clarity and purpose, understanding codependence versus interdependence, setting healthy boundaries, and creating contentment in a world where social media and outside expectations make it very difficult.
“We know that young people entering adulthood often have needs and goals that differ from our average middle-aged participant. We consistently get inquiries from young people wanting to do their own work but Finding You, our individual program, sometimes doesn't fit exactly what that age group is seeking,” says Sara Carroll, Evoke Intensives program director. Carroll says that’s why Evoke created this shortened, more economical, summer program –to allow Gen Z-ers to come together to discuss issues relevant to them exclusively. Additionally, Evoke has intentionally staffed this program with younger therapists and a younger logistics team.
Over three days, clients will participate in guided yoga, experiential activities, art therapy, group processing, one-on-one sessions with a therapist, day hiking in the picturesque Heber Valley, and more. Ground transportation, all meals, and accommodations are included in the price. Interested individuals can email Intensives@EvokeTherapy.com for more information.
The Intensive will be held at the Alpenglow Inn, a beautiful 9,000-square-foot space in the heart of the Heber Valley, with the Wasatch mountains, Cascade Springs, Deer Valley, and Park City nearby. The inn features fireplaces, well-appointed rooms, a game room, a dedicated yoga room, and outdoor spaces with comfortable seating and firepits.
About Evoke Therapy Programs
Evoke Therapy Programs provides outdoor-based therapeutic programs for adolescents, young adults, and families, Intensive therapy programs for individuals, families, and couples, and an extensive roster of mental wellness coaches. Evoke is accredited by the AEE/OBH and is a NATSAP Research Designated Program. Evoke’s outdoor programs are based in Saint George, Utah. Evoke Therapy Intensives & Coaching are based in northern Utah.
Theater productions have been a staple at Valley View School for many decades. Generations of neophyte actors have participated in this program, usually consisting of two major plays per year. Sadly, over the two years of the pandemic, the lights were out on the Valley View stage. To the joy of staff and students, the theater program will resume in June with a production of "Loopy" by Shawn Deal and a video compilation of original "Super Bowl" commercials. Students will perform for the community on June 11th, and for parents on the evening before students' June 18th graduation.
Jay Burnett has been director of the theater program for the last 10 years. He has directed a wide variety of dramatic and comedic productions. Jay states, "Students at Valley View were given the opportunity to learn and experience firsthand the hard work it takes to put on a theatrical production." Jay goes on to say, "It takes courage and commitment to perform in a play before one's peers and the public. Confidence and self-esteem flow from experiences such as this. Often our boys surprise themselves with their capabilities on stage." Those students who do not wish to perform on stage are able to contribute by constructing the set and handling the sound and lighting. It is truly a team effort.
In a world saturated with technology, the theater offers an opportunity to personally engage with peers, generate creative ideas, and express the complexity and nuance of the human experience. For students struggling to learn to express themselves appropriately, theater can provide a rich experience in the skills of communication. It is wonderful to have the Valley View Players back on stage.
About Valley View School
Valley View School, founded in 1970, is a private therapeutic boarding school serving boys in grades 6-12. Our non-profit 501(c)(3) school is located in the central Massachusetts town of North Brookfield. The Valley View Program consists of a comprehensive blend of Therapy, Academics, Athletics, Arts, and Activities challenging our students emotionally, intellectually, and physically. The boys learn self-control and anger management, social skills in order to create and cultivate relationships with peers and adults while developing compassion, empathy, and respect for others and to realize their true potential.
May is a major fundraising month as Meristem participates in Sacramento’s Big Day of Giving, May 5th, with 4 Free Virtual Facebook Live Classes. In addition, Meristem holds their annual Awaken the Possible Event on May 11th. These fundraisers not only help monetarily support Meristem’s programs, field trips, and campus events but also help Meristem reach a wider audience to those that aren’t aware of the mission to help young adults on the spectrum gain a greater life of independence, through one of their most requested offerings, driver’s ed.
Meristem brings back driver’s ed and students are thrilled; students currently have the option to work with work skills instructors, studying with trips to the DMV to take the written test. Meristem has partnered with Bond Driving School, who employes instructors certified in adaptive training to assist students throughout the required hours of driving training and prepare them to pass the driving portion, get their driving license and blaze the trail to independence.
On May 6th & 20th, students will join The Tug McGraw Foundation as The Meristem Phillies take on The Tug McGraw Foundation Mixed Nuts. For most, this will be the first opportunity to experience playing baseball, hearing fans chant their name as they bat, serve hotdogs, announce a game, and lead fans into a song of “take me out to the ballgame.”
Meristem closes out the program year with an End of Year Celebration reflecting on the growth students have experienced over that last 9 months. It’s a special time to celebrate students transitioning out of Meristem with a speech and announcement of their plans, for many, into the workforce or college.
Meristem, a non-profit 501c3, founded in 2015 is a unique program dedicated to preparing young adults on the autism spectrum for a life of greater independence and fulfillment. Meristem's multi-year program serves students ages 18–28. Our residential students come from across the United States. Our day students commute from homes throughout the Sacramento region.
Foundations Asheville, a young adult transition community located in the mountains of North Carolina continues to grow.
What Foundations Asheville so successful? Foundations provides engaging programming to help young adults transitioning out of primary treatments such as wilderness and residential. These programs are geared toward serving a diverse community authentically while providing tailored programming to help them acquire the tools for making the transition from adolescence to independent adults and tailored to their individual needs.
With this success and growth, Foundations Asheville is continuing to add professionals to its team. Currently, Foundations seeks to fill a primary therapist role in Asheville, NC. Ranked one of the best cities in America, Asheville is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains offering plenty of educational, professional, and outdoor opportunities.
The position as Primary Therapist will include the following responsibilities;
- providing individual, group, and parent coaching weekly,
- develop treatment plans
- provide supervision and training to frontline direct care staff,
- oversee case management, and crisis intervention, and maintain accurate records on each student.
About Foundations Asheville
Foundations Asheville is a program for young adults of all genders ages 18-24 who are struggling to find the motivation to launch into adulthood. Many of our students struggle with anxiety, depression, social skills, and learning difficulties. This program is committed to helping young adults develop and sharpen the skills they need to be successful in the real world. There is a focus on teaching students how to enter the workforce, develop vocational trades, and functional living skills. Located in Asheville, North Carolina, Foundations Asheville gives young adults the opportunity to gain confidence, find their purpose, and learn useful skills that will help them navigate through the adult years. For more information about Foundations Asheville, please call (828) 604-6570.
Orem, UT: STRīV is a community-based transitional support program for young adults who are navigating the challenging landscape of independent living and the college experience. STRīV just celebrated its three-year anniversary and continues to gain momentum in helping emerging adults prepare for independence. Reflecting on the past three years, Jon Doebler, Co-founder and Director of Operations at STRīV shared, “Starting a program will always come with its ups and downs. But when I look back on what we’ve been able to accomplish in these past three years, it’s deeply gratifying.”
Dr. Clark Hammond, Co-founder, and Executive Director said, “My favorite part about this is seeing the victories that many of our students haven’t experienced in a long time. From the small improvements to the huge milestones, we love helping students gain confidence and build momentum. Recently, we had a student who had transitioned out of the program text us a copy of his newly earned bachelor’s degree, saying he couldn’t have done it without us. That’s priceless.
STRīV fills a unique space in the young adult transition realm. Their apartment living coupled with mentors, coaches, and therapists allows for a truly individualized approach for each student. Shahara Crist, Co-founder, and Director of Admissions attribute this to at least part of their success. “When a student truly feels heard, seen, and understood, and that we want to build the scaffolding to support their unique needs, they have a sense that we’re in this together; we’re on the same team.”
About STRiV (Strive Forward, LLC) is a transitional living and college support program for young adults who have struggled along their journey toward independence. STRiV provides social/emotional/academic support and life-skills development through one-on-one mentoring, executive skills coaching, and individual & group therapy within a semi-independent living environment. Located at the base of the Wasatch Mountains in Utah County, STRiV provides supported access to Utah Valley University, myriad vocational programs, unmatched outdoor recreation, and a wide variety of community-based entertainment.
Blue Ridge Therapeutic Wilderness, an immersive wilderness therapy program serving adolescents ages 13-18 and young adults ages 18-29, is dedicated to providing students and their families with resources to help them connect in healthy and meaningful ways. To enhance each family’s post-wilderness experience, Blue Ridge launched its Alumni Network in 2021 as a way to offer former students and families a way to stay connected. The network is managed by Blue Ridge’s Alumni Coordinator, who helps students and families keep in touch with the program and each other by facilitating monthly alumni parent Zoom calls, student and parent mentorship opportunities, sharing updates in the alumni community and more.
Since the network’s launch, parents have embraced connection and vulnerability during monthly alumni parent calls. Former students have also expressed consistent interest in lacing up their boots once again to provide peer support as returning student mentors. Alumni families and students have offered to support Blue Ridge and Emerald Arrow through contributions to the Alumni Newsletter, the Blue Ridge website, and donations to future Blue Ridge families via Sky’s the Limit Fund.
The scope of outreach from alumni students and families has demonstrated how impactful their time at Blue Ridge and Emerald Arrow was. One alumni parent, whose daughter attended Blue Ridge in 2021, shares “Our daughter found healing and hope at Blue Ridge… [She] found her voice and became a mentor to others. She is the first to tell people that Blue Ridge saved her life, and I share her story with her permission. Today, she is so much healthier, physically and mentally. She graduated high school and is awaiting college admissions decisions. She is committed to her recovery and hit her 1-year anniversary. While she will continue to need support to navigate her life in recovery, I can honestly say, none of this would have been possible without the care she received at Blue Ridge. As a family, we are forever grateful.”
Light, a returning student mentor who first attended Blue Ridge as an adolescent in 2018, also offers his experience as a program alum: “I’m able to confidently say that I’m brave and strong and confident and kind: all of the things that I wanted to be, and couldn’t bring myself to think about myself. I have a lot of respect for this program… and I have a lot of faith in it.”
Blue Ridge continues working to provide families with not just opportunities to connect, but a platform from which they can share their experiences, support and feedback. Consistent engagement with alumni students and families is central to supporting Blue Ridge’s commitment to evolving with the needs of the families it serves.
More information about the Blue Ridge Alumni Network, including ways to support current and future families as well as Returning Student Mentorship applications, can be found by visiting www.blueridgewilderness.com/alumni.
About Blue Ridge
Blue Ridge Therapeutic Wilderness and Emerald Arrow are honored to participate in the healing and recovery process for individuals and families like Dawn’s. To read the full story, purchase a copy of Chasing Carson online by visiting Amazon or Barnes and Noble. To learn more about Emerald Arrow: A Bold Path for Young Adults, visit the program’s website at www.blueridgewilderness.com.
In the foreword of the Book Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, Bill Wilson (one of A.A.'s cofounders) writes, “Many people, nonalcoholics, report that as a result of the practice of A.A.’s Twelve Steps, they have been able to meet other difficulties of life. They think that the Twelve Steps can mean more than sobriety for problem drinkers. They see in them a way to happy and effective living for many, alcoholic or not.” How foretelling this statement written in 1952 was.
A quick internet search reveals that, since their publication in the book Alcoholics Anonymous in 1939, the Twelve Steps have been adapted and are being utilized in over 100 different ways. Did A.A.'s founders envision over 100 varieties of 12 Step groups? Did they imagine such mainstream utilization? One can only wonder.
Triple Divide Lodge brings the principles to their clients and has developed a method of transmitting the message of the Steps to young people in a way that resonates with them. The young men are exposed to a variety of individuals who are practicing the 12 Steps and in so doing are able to see the validity of what Triple Divide Lodge encourages with the program. By witnessing and participating in outside meetings both locally and on campus, the young men get exposed to the successes of others that give hope. Triple Divide Lodge does this by bringing their clients to meetings in the local community and working closely with groups to bring meetings to them on campus.
To learn more about Triple Divide Lodge and its unique programming style, please visit https://tripledividelodge.com or call (406) 296-5776.
Triple Divide Lodge is a 90-day combination residential and wilderness therapy treatment program for adolescent males ages 14-19. Young men enrolled in the program have a history of substance abuse disorder and possible co-occurring disorders. Our model assists clients to overcome their substance use issues by getting outside of their comfort zones and experiencing the growth the wilderness inspires.
Engage Young Adult Transitions of Cedar City, Utah is excited to announce and welcome Breanna Bernarducci as Engage’s Director of Student Life. Brea’s extensive experience and enthusiasm for working with young people and directing teams, as well her outward mindset are just a few of her amazing talents. Brea’s attunement to young people and staff makes her a great addition to the Engage team in guiding young adults with attachment distress to reach their full potential.
Brea brings years of experience as an assistant field director, field instructor, and recruiter in the wilderness therapy world to Engage. She believes in the importance of teaching emotional education and empowering leadership skills to young people and their families. Brea leads from the heart and is passionate about creating a culture of security, consistency, and growth at Engage.
Brea finds purpose and connection through guiding herself and others to get outside their ‘comfort zone’ and into the ‘growth zone’ both physically and emotionally. Brea and her husband are raising a 3-year-old (which is its own journey outside the comfort zone). When she can, Brea loves to go rock climbing, skiing, mountain biking, paddle boarding, and camping in the aspen trees. Brea also enjoys reading, making art, listening to music, cooking, and feasting with friends. She is excited to share these passions and skills with the life coaches and young adults at Engage.
Working alongside Executive Director Jack Hinman, Psy.d., Brea is instrumental in creating an engaging therapeutic environment for young adults with attachment and relational trauma to experience safety and the confidence to explore the world.
"I am honored to join the Engage Transitions team as the Director of Student Life. This role allows me to serve as a mentor to our Life Coach staff and spend time with our Young Adults on a daily basis. I am thrilled by the variety of experiences we get to offer our Young Adults weekly, knowing the huge impact that these types of offerings created in my own life. Having worked in the wilderness therapy world since 2013, I am looking forward to continuing to learn from all the mentors I have had in this industry of humans helping humans. The opportunity to work alongside Jack Hinman is an absolute privilege. I'm excited to collaboratively support his therapeutic vision and foundational values for this program. I am inspired by Jack's desire to help each of our young adults find their own unique way to thrive in the world and proud to be part of their journey to Engage life now."
About Engage Transitions
Engage Young Adult Transitions is a therapeutic environment located footsteps away from Southern Utah University in Cedar City, Utah, and minutes away from the mountains. Engage’s purpose is to provide therapeutic support for young adults struggling with attachment distress, and relational trauma that is often creating emotional and relational challenges. These challenges may be depression, anxiety, loneliness, and lack of purpose. Engage’s therapist and certified life coaches are driven by principles of attachment while understanding the developmental needs of young adults. It is through Engage’s therapeutic guidance and life coaching one can better experience stronger emotional connections and develop new responses to familiar relationships challenges.
Yellowbrick Consultation and Treatment Center, serving emerging adults in Evanston, IL, is pleased to announce Extreme Experiences as a focused area of treatment for those suffering from psychosis.
“We’ve actually been doing all of these interventions for years, and quite well too” states Jesse Viner MD, CEO and Chief Medical Officer of Yellowbrick. “Creating Extreme Experiences as a specific treatment path organizes these interventions to address the unique needs of these patients.” Dr. Viner continues, “Early and intensive intervention can have a lifelong impact on the wellbeing, functioning and longevity in these patient’s lives.”
Yellowbrick’s Extreme Experiences offers services that appreciate the fears and concerns associated with the onset of psychosis in emerging adulthood and is organized to address these apprehensions amongst both emerging adults and their families. Following medical and neuroimaging workups to rule out non-psychiatric causes for the onset of psychosis, services target the key elements associated with deterioration in the research literature and clinical experience working with early onset psychosis. The good news is that research demonstrates that early and intense targeted interventions can affect the life-long trajectory of these conditions.
Extreme Experiences services include:
- Education and ongoing support for emerging adults and families to understand the illness and specifically to address and counteract stigma.
- ReCognition: Research demonstrates that cognitive impairment is at the nucleus of many of the symptomatic pathways in psychotic illness.
- Neuromodulation: Quieting the brain’s disrupted networking through pharmaco-genomically guided medication strategies combined with techniques such as neurofeedback and alpha-stimulation. Active management of adverse, self-damaging effects of medication such as weight gain.
- Promotion of brain hygiene through integrative nutrition, exercise and sleep enhancement.
- Occupational therapy for developing executive functioning and life skills as well as the development of meaningful, purposeful and satisfying activity; work, volunteering, education, etc.
- Support for not engaging in behaviors that activate the psychotic process such as substance use, excess gaming, etc.
- Support for socialization and membership in the Yellowbrick Community of emerging adult peers. Isolation promotes psychosis. Relationships nourish our brains and promote growth and healing.
- Mindfulness training for distress tolerance in the face of psychotic symptoms.
- Mind-body integration exercises and psychiatrically informed yoga to counteract detachment from the body self.
- Support for seeking and sustaining needed medical care.
If you’d like to schedule a meeting with Yellowbrick's team including Dr. Viner to learn more about Extreme Experiences as a treatment path at Yellowbrick, please reach out to Tracy Ashworth, Director of Business Relationship Development, at 847-869-1500 ext. 207.
About Yellowbrick Consultation & Treatment Center
Yellowbrick Consultation & Treatment Center, located at 1560 Sherman Ave. Ste. 400 Evanston, Illinois, is a nationally recognized trauma and research-informed intensive treatment center serving emerging adults ages 18-30’s. Yellowbrick’s Minding the Brain PHP/IOP is organized around the developmental emotional needs and maturing brain systems of emerging adults. There are also specialty services for trauma recovery, substance use disorders, Soma Self/eating disorders, ReCognition/cognitive restoration. Comprehensive Diagnostic Assessments are part of every Yellowbrick admission but can also be offered as a stand-alone option beginning at age 16 to determine the best course of treatment. Feel free to reach out to Tracy Ashworth 847-869-1500 ext. 207 for more information or to set up a virtual or in-person tour. Admissions for Yellowbrick can be reached directly at 866-234-0222. Learn more about Yellowbrick at www.yellowbrickprogram.com
Passages Alaska has started its third season with expeditions on the water and beaches of Southeast Alaska. 2021 was a great year with the first winter expedition and now spring and summer groups are already in progress and continue to grow.
Spring has many correlations with students who will be joining the Passages Alaska team this season. The humpback whales that seem like co-facilitators to the Passages process are returning from warmer waters on their annual migration. Passages Alaska students are on something of a parallel journey. Students will be paddling with these magnificent creatures. Spring is a time for students to begin their journey of self-discovery with all that Alaska has to offer. They take time, as they paddle through the blue waters, to mindfully consider the circumstances that have brought them to Prince of Wales Island. Students identify challenges and recognize assets, and then set a course to navigate toward a more successful family and life experience. Watching the graceful whales, individual and group therapy, peer dynamics, and the Passages Alaska curriculum combine to provide a truly pivotal experience.
As spring brings new growth in nature, it is the same for the students. They watch the beautiful Alaska ocean and landscape come alive through the spring. As the students learn to be self-sufficient and competent in the various aspects of the program they start to grow and build their own self-confidence. Whether it’s cooking salmon or other locally procured food, learning water navigation, or re-creating their relationship with their families, a new reality begins to blossom.
About Passages Alaska
Passages Alaska is a unique wilderness therapy program in Southeast Alaska serving adolescent males and young adults aged 18-28 in gender-specific groups. As participants come into the Alaskan Wilderness the coastal waters offer a fresh perspective and a new path. Hands-on therapeutic interventions include paddling, whale watching, fishing, primitive skill building and service to others. Extensive therapy and coaching is built in for those with anxiety, depression, ADHD, and failure to thrive.
Skookum House is an adventure high school with educational support designed to keep students engaged, active, and progressing toward graduation. Skookum House is for high school boys who have not been able to thrive at home or in a virtual school environment. Students may choose to use their home high school platform or another virtual platform. While living at SH, students will benefit from a more normalized social life, participate in outdoor Alaskan adventures while learning unique, confidence-building skills, and gain a respect for serving others.
Prepare To Bloom, Lilley Consulting and Lighthouse Guidance are excited to announce the expansion of the Alternative to College Fair (ALT Fair) to the East Coast. September 9th and 10th, 2022 in New York City
ALT Fair founder Shayna Abraham, MA, CEP said. "I have been asked for years to to bring the ALT Fair east and New York City is the perfect spot." This Spring, ALT Fair was held in Walnut Creek with over 40 participating transition options and many high school students and recent grads exploring post-college options. September 9th is a closed networking event with a free fair even on the 10th. The fair event is open to high school seniors, parents, and young adults who were trying to determine a plan, whether they left post-secondary institutions or never left. One young adult woman shared, “I’m so glad I came to this! I have several new ideas for what I want to do and where I want to go. Thank you for hosting this event!” While Meristem reported, that one visitor to their table, was a family who had inquired online and they were able to have an informal interview at the event.
The ALT Fair is a one-of-a-kind event bringing programs that specialize in different pathways for families to follow, post-high school. Expanding this event to twice each year on both coasts allows even more families to learn about the less explored young adult options. The event is open to all families and professionals.
For any programs interested in being a vendor please email hello@collegealternative.org for additional information. We are looking for vendors who offer a range of post-secondary options for adolescents and young adults.
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.
About Lilley Consulting:
Since 2016, Lilley Consulting has been helping families and young adults find treatment options during a time of transition or crisis. Joanna dedicates herself to working solely with emerging adults who unravel before going to college, when they land on a college campus, or right after college graduation. Young Adulthood can be messy, but it doesn’t have to be if you find the best treatment resources at the time that you need them.