All Kinds of News for September 14, 2022

Alpine Academy is delighted to announce the opening of its new, state-of-the-art school building on the Lakeview Campus.

This 24,000 square-foot building is now home to Lakeview’s administrative offices and includes 12 classrooms, two libraries, multiple therapy offices, a kitchen, student lounge, and lunchroom area, a fitness area with work-out equipment, and several other great spaces for future growth.

The Lakeview Campus for adolescent, birth-assigned males, opened in July 2020, near the beginning of the Covid pandemic. The original expectation was to have the school completed shortly after students began to arrive. However, the pandemic put a huge damper on the building industry and progress halted. That is when the creativity of the Alpine Academy’s academic staff and administration kicked into gear. Direct instruction classes continued to happen. It occurred in different places and in different ways - sometimes through video conferencing, other times in different homes and buildings around campus. Evidence of its success came when Alpine Academy received recognition from Cognia accreditation as a 2021 School of Distinction. Although students continued to progress in the classroom, Alpine Academy administration, faculty, and students are happy to have that all behind them and feel very fortunate to be in the classrooms of the new, beautiful school facility. 

Alpine Academy’s new Academic Director, Donna Jenkins, commented about the building, 

        “The Lakeview students have embraced their new school building in a way that was unexpected but very welcomed.  When I asked several students how they liked their new school, some of the comments were:

        ‘I really like it because it is so much bigger' (with a big wave of their hands towards the open hallway and ceiling).

        ‘I feel like I have more room to breathe.'

        ‘This is just the better campus — you know it is.'

        ‘Now we have everything we need.'

        'I like how everything is so new and it’s just really quiet. And the narrative goes on and on.'

Those comments are palpable if you spend much time in the school building.  Behaviors have improved as each student seems to have been able to exhale and relax a little bit more.  The atmosphere is very calm and peaceful.  The students demonstrate an overall sense of positivity, better comradery, and greater ability to use the skills they know to access their education more completely, and to feel more academically confident overall.  This is setting the overall tone for the new students coming in and new leaders are emerging in our current population.  It’s student growth in a different form than your typical “school work” and it’s great to watch it happen.”  

 Alpine Academy is a part of Utah Youth Village, Utah’s oldest and largest non-profit organization focused on families. Proceeds from Alpine Academy support families in crisis through Utah Youth Village programs. Many generous Utah philanthropic individuals and organizations have made donations to building Alpine Academy’s new campus. They are perpetual endowments for Utah Youth Village programs. The new school, called the Lavon Gotberg Education Center, is named in honor of one of those people. An official ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house celebration of the school and homes will be held in September. The public is invited to attend. For additional information about this event or to schedule a private tour, please contact Jill McIntyre at jmcintyre@alpineacademy.org.

Alpine Academy is located in rural Tooele County, Utah, just 20 minutes from the Salt Lake International Airport. Lakeview Campus is just three miles south of its original, Mountain View Campus for adolescent birth-assigned females which has been in operation since 2002. Both campuses are gender-affirming programs.

 About Alpine Academy Therapeutic Schools

Alpine Academy Therapeutic Schools, state-licensed as residential treatment for adolescents, ages 12-18, includes two campuses - one for males and one for females. The 30+ acre, Utah campuses are just three miles apart and are only 30 minutes west of the Salt Lake City International Airport. Both campuses serve students struggling with severe emotional disturbances. Alpine is a fully accredited school with dual-endorsed teachers. Therapy, with master’s level clinicians, is built into the school day. Alpine is a nationally certified Teaching-Family Model treatment program. Students live in homes with married couples who provide a family-like setting and serve as professional house parents. Through a strength-based, trauma-informed, individualized approach, students are taught healthy behaviors in a setting that best replicates family, school, and community life. Contact: Jill McIntyre 801-815-4683 or jmcintyre@alpineacademy.org.

Open Sky is excited to announce that the Family Quest intensive is now available to alumni familie - open to any family who has been through the Open Sky program, whether they graduated one or ten years ago.  Alumni Family Quest builds upon the journey the family began at Open Sky so they may continue to move forward with strength and intention.

Open Sky understands that facilitating meaningful growth for a family requires an individualized approach and ongoing support. Alumni Family Quest is therefore highly customized to each family’s specific situation, goals, and needs. Some reasons a family might consider attending an Alumni Family Quest include:

• They did not participate in Family Quest during their initial stay at Open Sky and are hoping to undergo the experience now.
• They would like to refresh the mindfulness, communication, and emotional regulation skills they learned at Open Sky so they can carry them forward into the next phase of their lives.
• They are looking for a powerful way to reintegrate the family as their child is returning home after completing an aftercare program or residential treatment center.
• They would like to experience Family Quest with other family members, such as siblings, who may have been too young or otherwise unable to attend during their initial stay.
• Their child is experiencing a significant transition, such as graduating high school or college, and they would like to mark the milestone with intention.
• They would like to honor meaningful evolutions within the family system, such as welcoming new family members through marriages and births.

Open Sky encourages families to be creative as they consider their inspiration for Alumni Family Quest and what they would like to get out of the experience.

Families who are interested in signing up for Alumni Family Quest complete an application process and initial consultation with Open Sky’s Family Services Director. If the family is eligible for a Quest, they will be matched with a therapist in Family Services based on their specific situation and goals. Leading up to and following the Quest, they will receive substantial support from their therapist so that they may make the most of their time in wilderness together.

Visit https://www.openskywilderness.com/family-services/connection/ to learn more and submit a form of interest.

About Open Sky Wilderness Therapy
Open Sky Wilderness Therapy is the premier family-centered wilderness therapy experience for early adolescents (12-14), adolescents (14-17), young adults (18-30) and their families, since 2006. Nestled in the mountains of southwest Colorado and the canyon country of southeast Utah, the Open Sky approach transcends traditional wilderness therapy by emphasizing treatment for the whole family. This approach integrates the latest in evidence-based clinical modalities with innovative, research-driven holistic healing practices such as yoga, meditation, and other mindfulness practices. When a family partners with Open Sky, they embark on a rewarding adventure of self-discovery and learn valuable skills that promote lasting success. Learn more at www.openskywilderness.com.

Open Sky Wilderness Therapy is excited to announce that high school-age students may now earn college credits while at Open Sky and pay for a portion of their treatment and education using college savings. In partnership with Western Colorado University, Open Sky is offering high school-age students the opportunity to take a three-credit college psychology course: Nature and the Human Psyche.

The course is designed to both provide an enriching academic experience and complement students’ therapeutic work in the field. Its robust curriculum combines independent study, group engagement, and experiential learning. Students enrolled in the course will not only deepen their experience in the wilderness but also strengthen their core capacity for attention, curiosity, awareness, emotional intelligence, critical thinking, and connection.

The increased prevalence of online learning and isolation has given rise to a variety of mental health challenges — such as anxiety, depression, grief, and loss — for high school-age students. Many adolescents experiencing these issues have had to step away from school to seek treatment but are still highly motivated by academics. Through Open Sky’s partnership with Western Colorado University, these students may still pursue their educations while simultaneously receiving treatment.

Furthermore, students who enroll in the Western Colorado University course may apply college savings toward both treatment and education. When registered for three credit hours, families can use funds from 529 plans or AmeriCorps vouchers to pay for a portion of treatment at Open Sky and for Western Colorado University course credits.

For more information about college credits at Open Sky and the process for using a 529 plan or AmeriCorps voucher to pay for a portion of treatment, please contact admissions@openskywilderness.com.  

About Open Sky Wilderness Therapy
Open Sky Wilderness Therapy is the premier family-centered wilderness therapy experience for early adolescents (12-14), adolescents (14-17), young adults (18-30) and their families, since 2006. Nestled in the mountains of southwest Colorado and the canyon country of southeast Utah, the Open Sky approach transcends traditional wilderness therapy by emphasizing treatment for the whole family. This approach integrates the latest in evidence-based clinical modalities with innovative, research-driven holistic healing practices such as yoga, meditation, and other mindfulness practices. When a family partners with Open Sky, they embark on a rewarding adventure of self-discovery and learn valuable skills that promote lasting success. Learn more at www.openskywilderness.com.

New Focus Academy, a co-ed residential treatment program for neurodiverse teenagers, welcomes Kade Wood as their new Recreational Therapist.

Kade has a degree from Brigham Young University in Recreation Therapy and has years of experience working with adults with developmental disabilities. As the Recreational Therapist at New Focus, Kade will be working with the student multiple times a week to develop their skills as well as utilize these activities to promote healthy stress management, self-esteem, and team building. 

“I have seen many people in my life that have had to face challenges alone and without the necessary skills to overcome them. By developing my own passions, it has given me the ability to share the benefits with others in a way that can leave a positive impact on their lives.”

Learn more about New Focus Academy’s program and how it can help your child. Visit https://newfocusacademy.com or call (435) 383-4369.

New Focus Academy is a co-ed residential program for neurodiverse teenagers that prepares them 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.

Equinox RTC, a residential treatment center for teen boys ages 14-18, is excited to expand advanced training for non-clinical staff. Equinox Primary Therapist Angela Curtis has begun Relational Based Trauma Informed Care (RBTIC) with non-clinical staff as a way to advance their training in relationship-based care.

At Equinox, it is vital that staff regularly advance their clinical-based training in order to provide the best care for clients. Primary Therapist Angela Curtis has adapted this therapeutic model to fit the needs of Equinox staff and students. This approach challenges non-clinical staff to do therapeutic equine work in order to better understand their relationships with clients at Equinox. As horses are animals with a herd mentality, their nature often mimics the traumatized brain and is similar to children with relational trauma. When doing this sort of equine work, horses often experience a fight or flight response that presents itself similarly to those experiencing relational trauma. For example, during the training, if a staff member puts too much pressure on the horse they may exhibit an adverse reaction or response, or if the staff member is too passive with the horse they may not get a response at all. This experience encourages the staff to grow and reflect on their interactions not only with the horse but also on their interactions with students at Equinox. This can bring up questions that lead to deeper conversations and allows them to grow in their role as a staff member. 

“It’s all about intention when it comes to RBTIC training. The point is to examine their intentions or ‘how they show up’ in their relationships with clients” says Primary Therapist Angela Curtis. She adds, “Just like when they’re working with clients, they must approach the horse with intention – hoping to get something out of the training. If the horse isn’t interested in interacting with them then they have to decide if they’re ok with that or think intentionally about how they want to approach it. As I watch these staff members interact with the horses, I begin to notice patterns that I recognize from their work with clients and I ask questions and give feedback that I think could be helpful. The staff are then able to reach their conclusions about their patterns of behavior and lead them to become present in their roles as leaders and mentors.”

A primary therapist as well as the Equine Specialist is present to supervise the training experience and also aim to give feedback to facilitate deep discussion on the RBTIC process. The training takes place over three half days and is critical for these staff members to advance their careers in the mental care industry. 

“It’s also been a great catalyst for student buy-in,” explains Curtis. “They hear that Equinox staff are doing equine therapy, and they feel like the staff is experiencing similar vulnerabilities that they experience and it leads them to become more invested and enthusiastic in their process.”

 To learn more about Equinox, please visit https://equinoxrtc.com/

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.

Triple Divide Lodge (TDL) is excited to announce the latest addition to the team, Chase Sewell, as the new Director of Admissions and Business Development. Chase is excited to bring his years of varied experience to the admissions director role to help enhance the wilderness-inspired residential treatment programming at TDL. "I get so much fulfillment assisting families on their journey to recovery! Being a resource for loved ones or a professional looking into options for a client, I always strive to be a loving and supportive resource."

Chase has been working with individuals seeking recovery and personal growth for over 15 years. His passion was created out of his own journey in recovery beginning in 2005. Since then, he has worked within several organizations including recovery residences, an intensive outpatient program as a counselor, an adolescent and young adult addiction center, and a dual diagnosis treatment program. In addition to working with substance use disorder, Chase also worked for a number of years at Onsite Workshops assisting individuals, couples, and families, both nationally and internationally, seeking recovery from trauma and codependency. In his position as Business Development and Admissions Director, Chase brings passion, experience, and authenticity to everyone he works with. If you’d like to reach out to Chase and say hi or welcome him, he can be reached at 404-437-4055 or chase@tripledividelodge.com

Pat and the team are eager for Chase to integrate and be ready to serve current and future clients. To learn more about Triple Divide Lodge, visit https://www.tripledividelodge.com or call Executive Director Pat Hawkins at (406) 296-5776.

About Triple Divide Lodge

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 in overcoming their substance use issues by getting outside of their comfort zones and experiencing the growth the wilderness inspires.

Journey Home East (JHE), a transitional living program for 17 to 21 year old female, transgender and non-binary students, provides an idyllic opportunity for titrated structure and support in an intimate and family-style home.

As a small program that houses no more than 10 residents at a time, the team is able to keep a truly person-centered approach to supporting young adults who have just completed a primary therapeutic program. Located in the heart of downtown Asheville, North Carolina, JHE residents are able to experience life in a bustling and unique city, while leaning into their journey to autonomy.

Since opening in 2015, residents who have come through Journey Home East have acquired a variety of different jobs throughout the city, many within walking distance from the downtown home. Jobs have included cafe baristas, plant nursery assistants, childcare workers, and artist apprenticeships, amongst others. In addition to working, residents may also be enrolled in a variety of different coursework options to either complete their high school degrees, or begin college course work. Finding this work-life balance in a city that promotes outdoor adventure, music, the arts, and consistent innovation creates an ideal space for personal exploration.

Emily Smith, MSW, LMSW, LCSWA, supports JHE students as the primary therapist in the home. “I love getting to collaborate with these young people as they integrate their treatment journeys and continue to develop their identities here. Most have done a lot of trauma work by the time they get to Journey Home, so I try to help them think outside-the-box in applying what they’ve learned to healthy relationship building and personal exploration.”

To learn more about the program please visit: https://journeyhomeeast.com

About Journey Home East

Journey Home East is a transitional living program serving young adult female, transgender and non-binary students ages 17 to 21 who have completed a primary therapeutic program. Located in eclectic downtown, Asheville, North Carolina, in a family-style home, JHE provides around-the-clock structure and support for young adults looking to find balance in their life. Overseen by a team of experienced and compassionate professionals, students are supported and encouraged to practice a multitude of everyday skills including budgeting and financial planning; managing free time and electronic devices; relationship building and boundaries; health, hygiene, and personal safety; job pursuit; school studies; meal planning and cooking; and more.

Anxiety is a complicated disorder. The brain of an anxious person is focused on self-preservation. As triggers push their system into a sympathetic response mode, they are forced to prioritize their surrounding threats, asking themselves the following questions: Am “I” safe? How do “I” protect “myself”? What accommodations do “I” need to feel supported and capable? Over time, as this survival instinct trains one’s brain to consider their own needs first, they can become less aware of the needs of those around them.

This past month a group of Cascade Academy students who have progressed in their treatment were given the opportunity to spend eight days in Guatemala where they focused on Leadership, Adventure and Service. The insights they gained, the individual fears that they challenged, and the connections that they made as they looked outside of themselves and embraced a beautiful and unique culture created an internal shift. For beautiful brief moments students were able to expand beyond their focus on self-preservation and live outside of their comfort zones with others. They were able to share joyous moments with tender children, learn at the hands of master artisans and take uncharacteristic risks with the support of trusted peers.

Throughout this adventure students were challenged to consider poverty in a new way. When describing poverty most people think about hunger, a lack of money, shelter, and work. While this is a major contributing factor to external poverty, there is a deeper, emotional connection associated with internal poverty. Internal poverty relates to the shame, the hopelessness and the embarrassment associated with an inability to provide for and connect with those you love.

During the eight-day adventure Cascade Academy students played hide-and-seek with young Guatemalan children, planted square box gardens with rural families with histories of hunger and malnutrition, and learned how to make corn tortillas, spin cotton and work leather at the hands of talented Guatemalan families and artisans. Through this process they connected with their own internal and external poverty while engaging in connection and providing hope to others.

In addition to connecting with the kind Mayan families of Guatemala, Cascade Academy students challenged their own personal limitations through some high-adventure experiences. Students challenged themselves throughout the week cliff diving into Lake Atitlan, ziplining through a jungle canopy and hiking a volcano to roast marshmallows in hot lava shoots.

The adventure, leadership discussions and service opportunities of this international experience provided opportunities for each student at Cascade Academy to consider the needs of those around them. When their anxious brains told them to panic and focus on self-preservation, they had the training and experience and guidance to pause, approach the situation, and challenge their fear rather than be controlled by their distress

About Cascade Academy

Cascade Academy is a 26-bed residential treatment center treating adolescent girls between the ages of 13 to 18 suffering with severe anxiety, OCD and OCD-related disorders in Midway, Utah. Cascade Academy combines the power of traditional therapy and experiential therapy modalities to create a clinically specialized, individualized residential treatment center. The residential treatment program utilizes evidence-based treatment modalities: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure Response Prevention (ERP), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Motivational Interviewing (MI). Individual, family, recreational and group therapy along with individualized sequential exposures are a key component to their treatment.

It is with a heavy heart that I am announcing that College Excel is closing its doors on September 9th, 2022. After 19 years in operation the decision to close has been difficult to come to terms with, yet the impact of the pandemic on our business has made it challenging to continue to operate.   

Over the next 30 days, we will be working closely with the families and referring professionals whose students are enrolled to assure they have the support they need during this transition and are honored in the process. 

I want to personally acknowledge all of you who have trusted us over the years to provide students a safe place to step into adulthood and find college and personal success.  Your support over the years has contributed to our achievements and made us better at what we do.

In closing, College Excel was born out of my passion for helping young people learn to love who they are regardless of their challenges. It has been a privilege to serve our families and the last 19 years have provided me with an extraordinary journey.   I will miss the colleagues, families and employees I have had the opportunity to work alongside, and wish everybody the best. I am not sure what is next for me, but my intention is to trust, let go and keep an open mind. 

Please feel free to reach out if you have questions.  

Thank you,

Jeannie Crowell, Founder

Cascade Crest Transition’s owner and founder, Sean Fievet, is pleased to introduce Jensine Peterson, M. Ed., as Executive Director. With nearly 20 years' experience in both therapeutic and academic settings, Jensine has dedicated her career to supporting adolescents and young adults in meaningful transformation. Although new to her role as Executive Director, she is not a new face to CCT; Jensine previously served as an Academic Advisor at CCT before pursuing leadership opportunities working with adolescents in the public sector. For nearly a decade, she led middle and high schools prior to re-joining CCT in 2022.  
A lifelong leader and learner, she earned her undergraduate degree in science education from Northern Arizona University and a graduate degree in school administration from Concordia University. She completed post-graduate studies at the University of Oregon with an emphasis on organizational leadership, talent management, finance, and innovation.  
Jensine is driven by her love and appreciation for transformation and the belief that we must strive to be our best selves, every day. She is an active member of a 12-step community and understands the complexities of addiction and families who navigate them.  She is a wife and mother of two children and holds family as a strong core value. As a nature-loving family, they enjoy gardening, exploring Oregon, and growing together. 
 
 

Celebrating over 10 years, founded in 2011. Cascade Crest Transitions has been an industry leader in aftercare/transitional programing 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, in a sober setting, and safe community, along with real life experiences. Cascade Crest is located in beautiful Bend, Oregon.

blueFire PulsaR, an innovative and comprehensive wilderness and adventure-based program for young adults aged 18 to 28, went on a four-day experiential wilderness adventure. Led by PulsaR Clinical Director Jake Tucker, the young adult group set out on a white water rafting trip on the Salmon River in Riggins. The group rafted, hiked, biked, camped, and even did paddle board yoga on one of the days. They bagged a peak at the summit of Ponderosa State park in McCall.

This four day adventure was part of a new program at PulsaR where students are taken through the typical steps of the Hero’s Journey via experiential learning, pushing themselves to break through emotional barriers and to complete what they set out to do.

You can read all about this trip from the words of PulsaR Clinical Director Jake Tucker and see some of the amazing photos taken on this adventure here: https://bluefirepulsar.com/blog/pulsar-four-day-adventure-trip/

To learn more about blueFire PulsaR visit https://bluefirepulsar.com/ or call (844) 413-1999 for more information.

About blueFire PulsaR
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.

Trails Carolina announces the first Alumni Retreat on October 13-16. Designed for the entire family, the experience enables families to reconnect to the tools they learned at Trails.  "Family has always been a pillar at Trails. As we've continued to build alumni programming and support, it was our families’ feedback that was the impetus to this retreat," explained Executive Director Jeremy Whitworth.
 
The retreat will be held at a North Carolina lakeside resort during peak, autumn leaf season. The event features opportunities to slow down and enjoy family time, reconnect with Trails’ tools, build community with other alumni families, whitewater rafting and more. Parents will also receive a pre-and post-retreat coaching session. Family Services Director Leah Madamba, NCC, LCMHC and Family Coach Erin Cantalini, LPC, will facilitate the event.
 

Trails Carolina is a wilderness therapy for pre-teens and adolescents ages 10-17. The clinically sophisticated and time-tested program engages students through wilderness therapy, mindfulness and yoga, equine assisted therapy, intentional transitions, and academic engagement. Recent outcome research demonstrates efficacy. Trails Carolina was created to help families reconnect and heal. For additional information about Trails Carolina, located just outside of Asheville, North Carolina, please call 800-975-7303.

Redlands, CA - Benchmark Transitions is extremely pleased to announce that September 9, 2022 marks the 29th anniversary of providing exceptional treatment and supportive transitional living programs for young adults and their families. Benchmark was founded by Jayne Longnecker-Harper, M.Ed. on September 9, 1993, serving nearly 1000 clients since inception, making Benchmark the longest running young adult specific program in the nation. Throughout its tenure, Benchmark has remained committed to growth and change, shifting the original model from a life skills and mentoring program to a licensed and certified dual diagnosis treatment center with a robust full continuum of therapeutic care and supportive transitional living. Benchmark is one of the only young adult specific programs in the treatment space to hold both state licensure and accreditation by a nationally recognized behavioral health entity.

"When I started Benchmark," states Ms. Longnecker-Harper, "I had no idea that this little program in Redlands would develop and evolve for almost three decades. I'm proud and very honored to know that the work that we have done has not only provided meaningful jobs for dedicated health care workers, it has paved the way for other programs and professionals to venture into the young adult arena and create some truly life changing modalities and treatment options for young adults and their families," she concludes.

Benchmark will be hosting a home cooked BBQ luncheon for staff and clients on Friday, September 9, 2022, to commemorate this extraordinary accomplishment. 

About Benchmark Transitions

Benchmark Transitions is a comprehensive, multi-discliplinary approach to dual diagnosis residential treatment and supportive transitional living for young adult men, ages 18-28. Benchmark provides evidence based and compassionate treatment for substance use and co-occurring mental health disorders, supportive transitional living, education, career development and independent living life skills. 

Benchmark has been helping young adults and their families for nearly three decades. As the longest running young adult program, we have experience with a range of complex mental health issues, including anxiety, bipolar, borderline, depression, attachment, trauma, psychosis, ADD/ADHD, mild autism spectrum discorders, executive functioning and behavioral health mood dysregulation. 

Benchmark accepts most PPO insurance plans and is in network with Anthem Blue Cross (accepting most BCBS members), Aetna, First Health, Kaiser Permanente of Southern California, MHN, TriCare West and Quantum Health. Benchmark is licensed and certified by the California Department of Health Care Services and is fully accredited for all levels of care by The Joint Commission for Behavioral Health. 

ROOTs is growing. After many months of searching, ROOTs is excited to welcome Kristi Riecker, CMHC, and Emily Clark, MSW to the ROOTs community.   Both therapists bring extensive experience in both wilderness and residential levels of care.  

Jaime Palmer, MSW,  Executive Clinical Director, shared “ROOTs requires a high level of sophistication from all of our team.  It was important to me that the therapists we add to our team have strengths in various modalities as well as a desire to work collaboratively in a community setting.  Emily and Kristi both bring an incredible amount of knowledge and experience to our clinical team”.  Jaime continued “ both therapists have jumped right in and joined parent intensives, stand up paddle board days, guide shifts, groups and hikes.  Their excitement for the community at ROOTs has been extraordinary.”

Kristi received her Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Hofstra University.  By integrating both nature and experiential activities Kristi draws from her time in wilderness and residential to access the important work with her clients.  Kristi utilizes a combination of radical acceptance and trauma informed therapy, believing all behaviors make sense when one understands people and their motivations.

Emily earned her Master's in Social Work from the University of Michigan.  With over a decade of experience in various therapeutic settings Emily believes expressive therapies help clients go deeper in their therapeutic journey and enables powerful, long-lasting changes.  Emily has experience and training in trauma-informed, strengths-based, and experiential therapies and techniques and utilizes many different modalities, including EMDR, to support her clients in the treatment process.  

ROOTs Transition is a residential treatment center in Park City, UT working with girls ages 15-18.  ROOTs serves clients with a history of trauma and mental health challenges.  Using a variety of therapeutic approaches ROOTs helps clients and families heal and move forward with clear goals and renewed hope. 

Open Sky is excited to announce that Shannon Weaver, LCSW is joining the Open Sky team as Clinical Outreach Director. A licensed clinical social worker with over 20 years of experience, Shannon brings a wealth of knowledge and skill to her new role. Her experience includes working in community mental health, hospital crisis work, residential treatment, therapeutic schools, and private practice. Shannon has also held a variety of leadership positions, including Clinical Director, Admissions Director, and Marketing and Outreach Director, at a variety of prominent residential and therapeutic programs. 
 
“Shannon’s knowledge of the continuum of care gives her unique perspective that will allow her to thrive in this role,” said Emily Fernandes, LCSW, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Open Sky. “She is passionate about forming meaningful connections with others and understand the needs of students and families. Her strengths-based, team-oriented approach make her the ideal person to support Open Sky in inspiring families to live and learn in a way that honors, values and strengthens relationships.” 
 
In her role as Clinical Outreach Director, Shannon will nurture Open Sky relationships with referring professionals, parents, and others in the field of wilderness therapy.  “Comprehensive and quality family programming is very important to me as a clinician, and I have always been impressed by the robust family services at Open Sky,” said Shannon. “I look forward to partnering with this amazing group of professionals in doing outreach and sharing more about the great work happening at this program.” 
 
Welcome to Open Sky, Shannon.

About Open Sky Wilderness Therapy
Open Sky Wilderness Therapy is the premier family-centered wilderness therapy experience for early adolescents (12-14), adolescents (14-17), young adults (18-30) and their families, since 2006. Nestled in the mountains of southwest Colorado and the canyon country of southeast Utah, the Open Sky approach transcends traditional wilderness therapy by emphasizing treatment for the whole family. This approach integrates the latest in evidence-based clinical modalities with innovative, research-driven holistic healing practices such as yoga, meditation and other mindfulness practices. When a family partners with Open Sky, they embark on a rewarding adventure of self-discovery and learn valuable skills that promote lasting success. Learn more at www.openskywilderness.com.

(Duchesne, UT) Second Nature Wilderness Family Therapy is excited to announce that Tiwi Nicks, M.Ed, has joined the Admissions and Marketing team. Tiwi joins Second Nature after having worked the past 4 years as the Admissions Director at a therapeutic boarding school. “I was fortunate enough to see students come from Second Nature who were incredibly prepared for the next step, due in large part to the therapeutic structure of Second Nature, family coaching, and the intention behind every aspect of the program.” Explained Tiwi, “After spending a few days and nights in the field with our All Gender Group, it is more evident than ever, the peace and progress these kids find at Second Nature to start their healing process.”

Tiwi brings years of experience not only from the therapeutic field, but also from the public school sector where she worked for a large school district, meeting the needs of diverse learners and their families. She understands the leap of faith that it takes to place a child in the care of others and approaches the admissions process with the calm and compassion families need during a very difficult time. “We are thrilled to have Tiwi join the Second Nature team. Her professional experience is a natural fit for us. Her life and family experience bring continued maturity and stability to families seeking hope and change,” said Devan Glissmeyer, Owner/Founder of Second Nature.

Tiwi was born and raised in North Idaho, but now calls Phoenix, Arizona her home. When she is not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters and watching their many athletic pursuits. To learn more about Second Nature Wilderness Family Therapy please contact Tiwi at tiwi@second-nature.com

About Second Nature Wilderness Family Therapy
Founded in 1998, Second Nature Wilderness Family Therapy is a licensed and accredited treatment program for adolescents in Utah. Located two hours east of Salt Lake City, Second Nature provides sophisticated clinical treatment in an outdoor setting for adolescents ages 13-17 who struggle with mental health issues, trauma, behavioral problems, developmental issues, oppositional defiance, substance abuse/dependence, learning disabilities, academic issues, attachment issues, and relational difficulties. For more information about Second Nature please visit https://www.second-nature.com.

A research collaboration headed by Dr. Aaron Kelly, professor of pediatrics and co-director of the Center for Pediatric Obesity Medicine at the University of Minnesota Medical School, will be presenting an abstract featuring the outcome data from Gem Academy. Gem Academy is a dual specialization therapeutic boarding program for adolescent girls (13-19) who struggle with emotional health issues and concurrent severe weight issues (BMI >35). Over the last 3 years, the results from Gem’s scientific but moderate approach have surpassed those of medication or surgery, drawing attention from the research community.  

The presentation will be during the Obesity Week conference in San Diego, Nov 1-4. Obesity Week, regarded as the preeminent international conference for obesity researchers and clinicians, is home to the latest developments in evidence-based obesity science: cutting-edge basic and clinical research, state-of-the-art obesity treatment and prevention, and the latest efforts in advocacy and public policy.

What is of particular interest in the research initiative is Gem’s extensive therapeutic program and the effect improved emotional health can have, not only on the person as a whole, but the implications on metabolic health and the way the body stores and releases energy. Gem incorporates an eclectic multimodal clinical approach (CT, EMDR, DBT, ERP) that targets different experiences unique to the students' lived experience, the chronic stress state and specific emerging issues throughout treatment.   

“With the ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experience) being born from weight and obesity research, we know trauma has a profound effect on hormone levels and how the body stores energy,” states Jim Hershey, founder and executive director of Gem Academy. “What we hope starts to emerge through this collaboration is the recognition of emotional health as an absolute need in helping kids who struggle with severe weight issues and it needs to happen concurrently with the physical interventions. This would help the amazing results our girls have achieved have wider reaching implications”. 

The abstract is the beginning stages of a larger-scale study to be announced in early 2023 involving the both University of Minnesota and Arizona State University and the National Institute of Health (NIH).

About Gem Academy

Gem Academy is a solution-based program for adolescent girls who struggle with obesity. The format is that of a year-round boarding school with a curriculum inclusive of high-school general studies, nutrition and culinary, fitness, therapy, community service, and experiential learning.

SYMMETRY Neuro-Pathway Training is excited to announce its participation in The 2022 Utah Fall Conference & Symposium & The 34th Annual Childhood Trauma and Attachment Conference. Dianne Kosto, SCN, CEO & Founder of SYMMETRY Neuro-Pathway Training, will be presenting at both conferences scheduled to be held in the month of September.

The 2022 Utah Fall Conference & Symposium will be held in Zermatt Resort, Midway, UT on September 16-17, 2022. Dianne, along with Nathan Jensen (CMHC, ScenicView Academy), will be focusing on “Neurofeedback’s Remarkable Effectiveness Within the SUD / MH Population”. “Our mission is to make neurofeedback mainstream and accessible to individuals and families”, says Dianne Kosto. Nathan Jensen is vastly experienced in Research intervention for people on the autism spectrum, treatment planning, and therapeutic intervention services. Register for the conference by visiting their website (in-person registrations only). Visit the company's booth for exciting offers on neurofeedback services. 

The 34th Annual Childhood Trauma and Attachment Conference 66th Annual Conference will be held in Anaheim, CA on September 29 - October 1, 2022. Dianne will be presenting on “The Case for qEEG Brain Mapping and Neurofeedback in Occupational Therapy” with with Maude Le Roux, OTR/L - Maude Le Roux Academy, PA. During this workshop, Dianne will do a hands-on demonstration on how to do a brain map and neurofeedback to achieve measurable outcomes and improve results. Maude Le Roux will be sharing her experience using qEEG brain mapping to provide measurable outcomes. Register for the conference by visiting their website (in-person registrations available). Visit the company's booth for exciting offers on Neurofeedback services

About SYMMETRY Neuro-Pathway Training:

Our Mission: When people have dysregulated brains, they suffer physical and emotional pain, life is hard, and relationships are damaged. At SYMMETRY Neuro-Pathway Training, we empower people by providing neurofeedback services and systems that help the brain regulate because everyone deserves the opportunity to thrive.

For more research and information about SYMMETRY Neuro-Pathway Training and the different partnership opportunities, contact Dianne Kosto, SCN, CEO & Founder. To schedule an appointment, follow this link: https://go.oncehub.com/DianneKosto. Follow them on LinkedIn or Facebook or visit their website, https://symmetryneuropt.com/.

Uinta Academy is excited to share the removal of the point system from the Teaching-Family Model in its programming. Uinta Academy made this change over the last year to be in line with its meaningful and impactful relationship approach with students.  This change further allows the programming to create a positive and self-monitoring approach for the clients,  The focal point of Uinta’s milieu program is based on praise and positive reinforcement of healthy relationship skills. This allows students to focus more intently on their therapeutic work for themselves and their families. 

As Executive Director Russ Pryor states, “We moved away from the point system because it can create a false sense of completion and does not reflect real-world growth and internalization. Moving to a more relational-based model, allows our students to be more authentic and work on their true core issues.” Since implementing this new system, Uinta Academy has received great feedback from students, their families, and other professionals throughout the field.

Uinta Academy will continue to use the Teaching-Family Model components including relationship development, family-style living, teaching, and self-governing, in addition to the new relationship-based motivation system. All of this combined creates a strategy for students to build a bridge between becoming more externally and internally motivated.

About Uinta Academy

Uinta Academy is the nation’s leading multi-dimensional residential treatment center for teens and young adults struggling with relationships, attachment issues, or who have experienced trauma. Uinta offers intense clinical treatment in the form of individual, family, and group therapy delivered by licensed professionals. A research-based therapeutic milieu, an accredited academic program, equine-assisted psychotherapy, a robust integrated cultural arts program, recreational therapy, and a healthy lifestyle element round out the program. For more information visit our website: https://uintaacademy.com

Evoke Therapy Programs’ owner and executive clinical director Dr. Brad Reedy is offering a new way for parents to learn and connect with an all-new, all-day, online Conscious Parenting Workshop.  Originally running on November 4th, that day quickly filled and a new date has just been added on December 2nd.

 Created to teach, connect with, and build community between Evoke families, as well as Dr. Reedy’s podcast listeners, his book aficionados, and his social media followers, the workshop will allow participants to help shape the day by exploring their individual and personal questions. In addition to Q&A sessions, there will also be psycho-education, and breakout discussion groups.

 “We wanted to extend the opportunity for people to dive into their work outside of our therapeutic Intensive programs. So this was born out of our desire to support more people through a platform that gives them more access to me — and to each other,” says Dr. Reedy. “We also wanted to make it affordable to a broader audience and to those who couldn’t leave home for a five-day Intensive.” 

 During the workshop, which runs from 9:30am to 4:30pm MT, Dr. Reedy will cover topics and issues such as:

Understanding how backgrounds and history contribute to one's current day dilemmas. The impact of the rules, roles, and messages of childhood and how they can wreak havoc on relationships when left unexplored.

• How to replace despair and fear with hope and optimism. Changing the frame from the child as the student to the child as a teacher and what lessons their struggles are trying to impart.
• Boundaries and what gets in the way of understanding them and setting them with loved ones. Understanding the role of boundaries and how attachment histories prevent taking the next step in our relationships.
• Defining and exploring codependency. How can we discover the issues from our unconscious and their impact on our connections with others?
• Developing a plan for individuation: changing the project from “changing the child” to “changing yourself.”
• How to use myth and metaphor to better understand one's current situations.
• Debunking cultural relationship and mental health myths.
• Exploring the path to enlightenment and preparing for the pain that inevitably accompanies such transformations.
• Understanding defenses in ourselves and our children as barriers to growth.

For more information or to register, please call 866-411-6600 or email Intensives@EvokeTherapy.com.

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.

Alternative-to-college options are becoming more and more necessary for young adults.  For the 75+ families who attended this first-time fair, the programs ranged from residential college entry programs, young adult transitional programs, therapeutic domestic and international gap year programs, trade programs, non-residential young adult support services, college re-entry programs, coaching, and many more.  The programs in attendance are only a fraction of what’s available out there for young adults who are looking to get creative after they graduate high school.  One mom mentioned “more people need to know about this event!  Thank you for hosting this, because now I know I’m not alone in this quest to help find alternative resources for my child.” 

The 'Alternative to College Fair,' commonly known as the ALT Fair, which was launched in Walnut Creek, CA in 2014 just hosted an inaugural event in New York City on Saturday, September 10, 2022. Those in attendance at the ALT Fair were parents, high school seniors, young adults, school counselors, and Therapeutic Consultants.  This event hosted 32 local and national programs and opportunities.  Joanna Lilley of Lilley Consulting, one of the co-hosts of the event, said “with the response from families this year, we know that if we were to host it in NYC again, we would have many more attendees. For a first-time event, I’d say we had a good turnout. I certainly hope the programs in attendance felt that way as well.” 

Any family or young adult that was unaware of this event or unable to attend can learn about the upcoming ALT Fair by exploring the CollegeAlternative.org website or email hello@collegealternative.org to ask for guidance. The event date and registration will be available in October for the ALT Fair in California in 2023.

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.

Building Bridges was awarded The Joint Commission Gold Seal of Accreditation last month. The Joint Commission is the recognized global leader for health care accreditation in the Behavioral Health and Human Services arena. It requires a rigorous process including an onsite survey visit. The Commission shapes the best practices and establishes the most rigorous standards to raise the bar on Building Bridges performance.

Building Bridges is licensed as a Chemical Dependency Treatment Center and is also a member of the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs. The Joint Commission accreditation requirements coincide with Montana’s state regulations.  Undertaking this accreditation is one more piece adding to the program’s commitment to growth.

Joint Commission provides practical tools and resources to support continued improvement and to help maintain performance excellence after accreditation. Building Bridges’ 25-year anniversary has come with the commitment to positive growth and therefore had several of the requirements already in place. The accreditation will be in place for three years at which time there will be a renewal process.

 About Building Bridges

Building Bridges is a licensed Chemical Dependency Treatment Center, structured as a Therapeutic Boarding School in Thompson Falls, MT. that has been open for 25 years.  We help young men, from 14-18, with substance and behavioral issues. Our passion is in creating a structure that mirrors real life. From community involvement to full-time enrollment in public school, our students have the opportunity to experience growth and positive change in a real-world environment. Our therapeutic team works closely with our students and their families to promote long-term changes to engrained behaviors and choices. Building Bridges has been helping young men and their families for over 25 years. We are fully licensed by the State of Montana. Our Academic Program is accredited through Cognia.

Sean Tomkinson, LCSW, Found and Owner of Passages Alaska, can be found wherever the students are, whether that’s on an island where they’ve paddle to or on the boat fishing.  He continues to do the individual therapy not because he must, but because he is interested in keeping his finger on the pulse of the program.

Sean is out in the field a minimum of three days per week.  Generally, he is there during staff exchange and overnight when he does individual sessions and the next day, the group often has fishing therapy; a half day of fishing on Sean’s boat.  It not only is helpful for the students but for the staff as well.  The field guides feel that he is accessible and there to give them an ear to allow them to have a larger amount of autonomy than where they have been before.

Sean started his wilderness career in 2008 as a therapist for a program in Idaho.  He received his undergraduate degree from Idaho State University in 2001 and his Master of Social Work ] from Walla Walla University in 2002.  His first trip to Alaska was in 2009 and after returning to the lower 48, there was no decision to be made, he moved back to Alaska.  He started and ran a state-funded adolescent program that provided the framework of what Passages Alaska is today.  After the state program lost its funding, Sean worked at the local clinic working with residents who struggle with mental health and substance issues, but he continued to dream about offering what the majesty of the Alaskan waters has to offer.  Thus, Passages Alaska was born.

About Passages Alaska + Skookum House 

Passages Alaska is a unique wilderness 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.

Red Mountain Colorado (RMC), a premiere mindfulness-based, community-integrated residential treatment center (CIRTC) for male-identifying and non-binary adolescents aged 14 to 17, announces a new technology policy called The Healthy Tech Initiative. This policy is brought forth in a quest to improve their commitment to exposing kids to triggers and to establish a process to reintroduce technology so that they can better handle its weight upon returning home.

Dr. Bennett Edgerly, RMC Clinical Director, has received Certified Digital Health and Wellness Level 1 Professional (CDHWP) training through the National Institute for Digital Health and Wellness (NIDHW).  Dr. Edgerly is working closely with all staff so that they are trained in the same implementation methods and ways to help students manage their technology consumption.

Learn more about Red Mountain Colorado by visiting the website https://redmountaincolorado.comor by calling (970) 316-7683.

Red Mountain Colorado was founded to help struggling teens work through behavioral and emotional challenges, empowering teens to build healthy coping skills and habits that they can use to work through the challenges they face and create a happier life. Learn more by visiting our website https://redmountaincolorado.com or by calling us at (970) 316-7683.

Blue Ridge Therapeutic Wilderness is thrilled to welcome Justin Messinger, MA, LCMHC to the team as Primary Therapist for adolescent boys ages 13-18. Justin arrives to Blue Ridge with a passion for connection and a thorough understanding of the wilderness therapy process. He joined the Blue Ridge Clinical Team this summer, bringing to the team over 6 years of clinical experience in wilderness therapy in a variety of roles such as Clinical Intern, Family Therapist, Aftercare Transitional Support Coach, and Primary Wilderness Therapist.

Justin specializes in working with adolescent boys with neurodevelopmental and learning differences. The students in his group may feel isolated, insignificant, stuck or frustrated with a lack of connection or belonging. Students in his group may struggle with challenges related to neurodevelopmental and executive functioning differences, including high functioning or Level 1 ASD, academic and learning challenges, anxiety, depression, patterns of avoidance, difficulty developing deep and meaningful relationships, and/or presenting as aloof, withdrawn or disengaged.

Justin’s clinical approach is rooted in providing individualized care, helping students feel understood and showing them warmth, empathy and a genuine desire to connect. He implements motivational interviewing, social skills training and forms of experiential therapy to create concrete opportunities for learning and success. Justin explains, "I believe a fundamental part of my work is not only to seek to understand the students, but also to recognize their strengths and provide them the tools so that they can begin to see them too."

To learn more about Justin and the students he works with, please reach out to the Blue Ridge Admissions Team by calling (888) 914-1050 or emailing admissions@blueridgewilderness.com.

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.

The Prepare To Bloom team of referring professionals is excited to announce the addition of Michael Gilpin as their newest Therapeutic Consultant.  Gilpin is based out of Asheville, North Carolina and his client base is focused on addiction and recovery for adolescent and young adults’ and their families.        

Over the past eight (8) years, Gilpin has worked in various private mental health treatment facilities and approaches.  His experience spans wilderness therapy programs, wilderness therapy guide, collegiate recovery at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a remote mentor at a parent coaching company, and marketing/admissions/outreach. This vast experience has required him to collaborate with families, and professionals, and be part of growing and evolving approaches to rehab and treatment.  He has demonstrated his case management skills while participating in evolving and growing companies. “Michael’s breadth and depth of personal and professional experience in the recovery side of the field are going to assist the team at Prepare to Bloom, “ said Shayna Abraham, MA, CEP, CEO.   She went on to explain, “he has a personal connection to education and assisting families through their own understanding of what their child could need in order to find long-term recovery.” 

Prepare To Bloom’s team is now represented in three different time zones and states.  The growth of the organization with the addition of Gilpin allows the team to further assist clients around the United States and globe with the diverse learning profiles, mental health diagnoses, and substance use or abuse or dependence. To reach Michael Gilpin email him at Michael@PrepareToBloom.com or call the main number 650-888-4575.

About Prepare to Bloom

Prepare To Bloom is a team of therapeutic consulting professionals headquartered out of the San Francisco Bay Area.  With professionals located in Park City, UT, and Asheville, NC. The therapeutic consulting firm is devoted to helping families of adolescents and young adults make sound therapeutic, treatment, and educational choices, in or out of the home.  Founded in 2011, by Shayna Abraham, MA, CEP, Prepare to Bloom consultants visit over 50 different treatment programs per year specializing in complex diagnosis and family systems for clients who are in the United States and around the globe.

Research-informed care for trauma conditions is one of the pillars of The Mental Health Collective. As research and interpersonal neurobiology align and offer more healing modalities, the choices families have in choosing a trauma program can often be stifling.

The Collective is a neuro-informed and trauma-informed program that offers trauma therapies in a variety of formats. This includes the trauma track designed for intimate group support, individual therapy designed for narrative exposures and creating safety in the 1:1 therapeutic relationship, and technology-driven trauma practices including amygdala fingerprinting of neurofeedback and Stephen Porges’ Safe and Sound Protocol. This protocol allows for repatterning of neural networks and improved regulation of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) disruptions after a traumatic event.

“The field of trauma is ever-expanding and can often be overwhelming for clients and families healing from an epidemic of violence. I believe clients' current symptoms always make complete sense when considering their historical trauma and nervous system conditions. I tell clients that part of healing is understanding how their brain and body has responded to the trauma and our unique menu of trauma expertise at The Collective has numerous modalities to support them as they develop a more regulated state of being in the world,” states Sarah Douglas, LMFT, Trauma Program Manager of The Mental Health Collective.

The ten modalities now offered at The Collective are divided into the neuro-informed configurations of top-down processing (the cognitive interventions that target clients’ thoughts and resulting behaviors) as well as bottom-up interventions (the body-based reactions that often have no cognitive awareness). The current top-down interventions The Collective offers include Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure (PE), Holographic Reprocessing (HR), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and Janina Fischer’s Developmental Trauma Curriculum for clients who experienced prolonged neglect and abuse that might not appraise experience as life threatening at the time. The bottom-up interventions offered include Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (SP), Somatic Experiencing (SE), Neurofeedback for amygdala fingerprinting as well as alpha/theta wave interventions, Porges’ Safe and Sound Protocol, and the Community Resiliency Model (CRM).

In addition to the trauma modalities themselves, our trauma-expert staff are doctoral-level and masters-level clinicians with post-graduate training in each specific modality.

The Mental Health Collective:

The Collective is a mental health program staffed with seasoned clinicians utilizing diverse therapeutic modalities to diagnose and treat adults 18+ facing mental health challenges. The Collective provides neurobiology-informed, outcome-driven clinical care in a community-based setting where clients are supported, connected, and can safely navigate life’s challenges. To learn more, visit us at https://themhcollective.com, follow us on Instagram @themhcollective, or contact our clinical outreach professional Lindsey Fisher at (949) 244-1499 or lfisher@themhcollective.com.

Over the last year, Solstice East’s Clinical Director, Caitlin Crolley MSW, LCSW, has begun facilitating a virtual parent support group alongside an additional member of the leadership team, twice per month. These groups create a space of connection and psychoeducation for students' parents in addition to their weekly family therapy sessions and quarterly on-site Family Seminars. For many, these groups are the first chance to connect with other parents who have had to make the difficult decision to send their child to treatment.

Throughout these groups, parents have prompted questions, taught the language, encouraged to have open dialogue and left with a challenge that coincides with that week’s theme. Recent session topics have included:

• Change is a family project: the importance of self-care and the principle of self-regulation.
• Relationship Logic Principles: What does it mean when we say “increasing pressure”? How has the Pressure Continuum been working for you?
• How to manage your home community and your new Solstice community. What does support look like for you? The Principle of Choice.
• Healing is a process, not an event. We cannot force change, but we can predict patterns along the journey. “You’re never where you started.” Principle of Being Assertive.
• Aligning with your program. Practicing healthy boundaries; helping vs enabling. The Drama Triangle.
• Be a warm, empathetic, curious observer. How to validate what your teen is feeling, while maintaining emotional boundaries. EFFT.

“These groups have been a consistent space for parents to connect with one another in between Family Seminars. Our hope was not only to create a deeper connection and community amongst parents, but to also provide an additional outlet for parents to orient themselves to the treatment journey and Solstice process; it has been a tremendous addition to our program,” reflects Crolley.

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.

PIVOTPoint WNC, a therapeutic adventure program offering intentional group facilitation to those historically considered at-risk and those facing challenges around mental health, behavioral health, and substance use, expands its services over the next two years with the support of Dogwood Health Trust.

Dr. April Bragg, the senior impact officer at Dogwood Health Trust, comments, “The natural beauty of western North Carolina is striking, and we are proud to partner with organizations like PIVOTPoint who harness this beauty for healing and resiliency. Their evidence-based outdoor programming provides support for recovery from substance misuse and strives to reduce the risk of substance use disorder in young people. Our woods and rivers have many benefits, and this is surely one of the most compelling,” 

This latest grant secures a 2-year, program expansion and capacity-building project, including nearly 200 fully-subsidized therapeutic adventure outings. PIVOTPoint is able to invest further in working with county-wide Adult Drug and Treatment Court Diversion programs. Matthew Nannis, Executive Director of PIVOTPoint WNC, says, “A therapeutic support system for those at-risk, court-involved, and recovering from SUD needs to include everyone in the community. PIVOTPoint WNC is honored by the recognition of the strength of our work. We welcome the opportunity to extend our services to even more within our area.”

About PIVOTPoint WNC

Founded in 2017, PIVOTPoint WNC offers fundamental elements of immersive wilderness therapy programs delivered in day program models for people ages 14 and up. PIVOTPoint is leading the way in specialized adventure programs, creating standalone interventions which support the family system, provide one-on-one life skills coaching, and offer supportive housing. PIVOTPoint has subsidized experiential adventure work for Buncombe County Court and Treatment Diversion programs for the last three years and is expanding into neighboring counties. For more information, visit our website at https://pivotpointwnc.org

Celebrating 15 years in business, Elements is partnering with Blue Ridge Wilderness, Legacy Outdoor Adventures and LiveStrong House to host a joint anniversary celebration at the February 2023 NATSAP Conference. 

“Starting Elements in 2008 from the ground up was exciting and scary! It seemed like a good idea, and then the market crashed and somehow, it didn't seem like such a great idea. But we did not give up, we all stepped in and did what we needed to do to get through the hard times and built our company foundation upon that commitment to clients, families and one another. I lucked out with amazing partners: John Karren and Lynn Smith. Then it only got better with the addition of Neal Christensen and Andrew Powell. I couldn't be more proud of the culture and community we have built to help families. It is truly wild to think it has been 15 years already!” states Karen Scrafford, co-founder, owner and Program Director at Elements Wilderness.

“Any time we are invited to be part of an event with Elements, we are absolutely in. We are looking forward to celebrating the 5-year anniversary at LiveStrong House along with these other great programs”, Paul Taylor, owner and CEO at LiveStrong House.

“We are really stoked to join with these other stellar independently owned and operated programs to celebrate these important milestones and create a really fun evening. The Annual NATSAP conference brings together so many friends and colleagues from around the country making it a great time and place to host this event”, says John Karren, co-founder, owner, admissions at Elements. “Having fun and remembering the great and important work that we do is especially important in today’s treatment climate”.

This celebration will take place at world famous Billy Bob’s in Fort Worth, Texas during the February 7-9, 2023 NATSAP Annual Conference week.  There will be dancing, mechanical bull rides, delicious food, and so much more country fun.

If you would like to visit or get more information about Elements, in person or virtually, contact Brandi Bradbury at (435) 231-3961 or Brandi@ElementsWilderness.com.

Since 2008, Elements provides a specialized therapeutic intervention for adolescent boys as well as all-gender young adults. We at Elements envision a world in which everyone has the skills and support necessary to live a full and healthy life. Through innovative therapeutic and psychiatric intervention, a comprehensive outdoor living experience complete with expeditionary backpacking and adventure programming, a robust family program involving the family at every step, and evidence-based substance abuse treatment, we strive to provide our clients with intervention, treatment, and assessment. Elements is licensed and supervised by the State of Utah Department of Human Services and accredited through the Outdoor Behavioral Health Council and the Association for Experiential Education.

As summer comes to a close, EDGE Learning and Wellness’ Pathways to College program finishes off its inaugural season. EDGE, a transitional living program based in Chicago, Illinois, introduced the Pathways to College program this past June in partnership with Roosevelt University.

Pathways to College is an eight-week, executive functioning program designed to help prepare students for college or other higher education alternatives like vocational school. Brittany Tolar, LCSW, EDGE’s Program Director, summarized the program best, “It’s a good balance of practical life skills with an emphasis on social and academic practice to prepare them (young adults) for wherever they are going.  Pathways was a safe space to build skills needed for the kinds of things they (young adults) would be doing independently in the fall.” The program ensured that not only would the skills covered be transferable, but also the credits earned during the students’ time at Roosevelt University.

The types of academic and life skills explored were specifically selected with the Pathways students in mind. Brittany Williams, EDGE’s Learning Coordinator, explained in deeper detail what Pathways programming looked like with an emphasis on EDGE’s specialized twice-a-week workshops. “The executive functioning workshops were designed to supplement what students were learning in their academic coursework and provide opportunities for practice. Some of the topics included essay writing, researching, finding valid sources, collaboration, note taking, summarizing, and study skills. The goal was to get them prepped for their fall academic placements.” To ensure the topics covered were relevant to the Roosevelt class the students were taking, Psychology 203 - Stress, Coping, and Mindfulness, Williams said the team, “Worked off the syllabus provided by Roosevelt. Each workshop was designed to go hand-in-hand with content from their class. For example, if they had a quiz coming up in class, we were practicing study skills and discussing test-taking strategies before students were going in for that quiz.”

Other topics students covered included:

• Time management
• Establishing routines
• Course enrollment
• Navigating public transit
• Navigating a college campus
• Reading a syllabus
• Finding on-campus resources
• Self-advocacy
• Submitting assignments
• Communicating with roommates
• Communicating with professors

 When asked about her favorite memory from the summer program, Tara Maloney, an EDGE Life Coach, said “One of the things that was the most exciting to see was how our EDGE veterans, the people who have been at EDGE for a while, stepped up to be huge leaders in a lot of different ways… They even set up extra social activities outside of EDGE programming. The students went to the beach, Chinatown, and thrifting together on their own.”  

There was also one specific student journey that Tara was especially proud of. “One of the [Pathways] students came in not wanting to attend the program. She felt it was unnecessary and that her freedom would be taken away. Later, she expressed she had found she had a lot of independence and freedom here. And that the program/staff were there to support her in how to navigate that freedom, rather than take it away.  By the end of the summer, she was emotional about leaving the program because she was previously distrusting of groups due to difficult past experiences. However, she felt the EDGE community, both staff and students, was so welcoming that it completely changed her perspective. She felt more excited to attend college knowing that communities can be welcoming and positive influences on her life."

Talks about next year’s Pathways to College season are already happening as the EDGE team gather notes from this past summer and prepare to bring new ideas to the table to help strengthen and continuously improve the Pathways program for future young adults at EDGE. 

For more information about Chicago Community, EDGE Learning and Wellness, 'Pathways to College' programming Erin Greiss at egreiss@edgelearningcomunity.com. 

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.

Triple Divide Lodge is excited to share Founder and Executive Director Pat Hawkins was interviewed for Stories From The Field podcast hosted by Will White, Episode 168.  This podcast interviews leaders in behavioral healthcare, specifically those working in the wilderness therapy field, and also former wilderness therapy students, parents, clinicians, and many more to get well-rounded perspectives on this ever-evolving field. Recently,  In Pat Hawkins spoke with Will about his own professional journey and the innovative work that Triple Divide Lodge does to provide a wilderness therapy twist on substance abuse treatment for young men. 

“It was such a humbling pleasure to sit down with the man who wrote the history of wilderness therapy," said Pat Hawkins.  "Will pulled out of me my experience and passion that created what is now Triple Divide Lodge," he said.  In the conversation with Dr. White, Hawkins shares what led him to spend over 1,100 days guiding clients into recovery during his years of working at the first-of-its-kind wilderness program. He shares the influences on the Triple Divide model, including Outward Bound and the National Outdoor Leadership School. Patrick reflects on how the field is changing, controversies related to the field, and what advice he has for people interested in working in wilderness therapy.

About Triple Divide Lodge
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 in overcoming their substance use issues by getting outside of their comfort zones and experiencing the growth the wilderness inspires.

Dragonfly Transitions and Embark Behavioral Health are excited to announce the opening of Embark at Dragonfly. Embark at Dragonfly is a short-term insurance-based inpatient facility, accommodating 6 beds. Located outside Klamath Falls, Oregon, Embark at Dragonfly resides on a 30-acre ranch featuring outdoor therapeutic activities, a massive greenhouse and barn, horticultural teaching, and more. This residential treatment center supports young adults ages 17.5-28 with anxiety, depression, learning differences, suicidal ideation, and other mental health issues.

The ranch serves as a sanctuary away from life pressures and technology to allow students to focus on themselves, build life skills and healthy relationships. Students follow a restricted daily schedule consisting of therapeutic groups, life-skill-based groups, outdoor recreation, farm activities, and much more. The team is committed to respecting each student's journey and helping them overcome the struggles holding them back from living the life they want for themselves.

Embark at Dragonfly is a new approach to providing access to families through insurance-based treatment, backed by 22 years of experience with young adults from Dragonfly Transitions.

Some students who attend Embark at Dragonfly may have the opportunity to transition into the step-down program Dragonfly Transitions, as deemed appropriate, where there is the ability for continued work on strengthening skills obtained while being integrated into the surrounding community, slowly integrating outside distractions. During this time, students really dive into the goals they want to achieve before launching into independence.

About Dragonfly Transitions

Dragonfly Transitions is a young adult treatment program in southern Oregon, founded in 2000, Joint Commission Accredited, and Licensed by DHS. Dragonfly launches young adults through community, connection, experience, and leadership. It offers a variety of living, learning, and treatment opportunities which allows for a range of clinical needs to be addressed. Dragonfly provides intentional exposure to transition as we believe hands-on experience leads to success within and beyond the program. Dragonfly is research-based and grounded in the perspective of students. Healing and growth happen through Interpersonal Relationships, Community & Culture, and Experiential Education.

https://www.embarkbh.com/locations/embark-at-dragonfly/
https://dragonflytransitions.com/