Every so often we receive communication from former students and parents of students. It is nice to hear how they are doing and what they are up to. I recently received a letter from a parent whose daughter had returned home seven weeks ago. The parent was giving us an update and had this to say about his daughter, who I will call Julia. He wrote: “As of today, Julia has been home for 7 weeks. To date, we have had no ‘volcanic behavioral eruptions.’ Whenever Julia has been anywhere close to a meltdown, she draws upon the coping skills learned at CALO, which certainly includes spending time with her dog, Anya. We continue regular therapy with Diana Giest, the wonderful attachment therapist you met during her visit to CALO last summer, which has been helpful. Ken, it’s difficult to put into words how much it means to Mom and Dad to not have to be ‘hypervigilent’ in our parenting, to protect Julia from poor choices. At this time of year especially, we are thankful to you and your colleagues at CALO for their help and support. You do amazing work!”

That letter alone was quite kind and I am grateful for this parent’s words. That parent then sent a handwritten note from Julia. Here is that letter. Just click on the pdf below:

student EK letter.pdf (1.00 mb)

This was a “payday” letter and the reason we do what we do at CALO. Just wanted to share it with you.

I started my career at a Residential Treatment Center that was much more behavioral and "in your face." I worked to create a different paradigm on my caseload of girls and worked to have a much more relational focus. I am grateful for that early experience. I got some good training and began the process of creating a different kind of residential treatment that was much more nurturing. I would not want to go back to those old ways but, again, I am grateful for what I learned in that very different system.

While at that RTC I got to work with a young lady with some issues around self-image, communication, and anger. She also had a significant eating disorder that almost took her life. Working with this young lady, I will call her "Maddy," was alternately painful and exhilarating. We made some nice strides but Maddy could be emotionally abusive and destructive at times. All of us caring for her kept at it and after a year and a half or so Maddy was ready to go home. She went home but it did not go well. Lots of old coping mechanisms came out. We tried a tune-up at the RTC with mixed results. Finally, Maddy went to a therapeutic boarding school for another year. After graduating from there Maddy had some More...

AfterCare – A Transitional Step Toward Success.

Transition from the residential setting to the home environment is one of the key pieces to a successful outcome.  Aftercare utilizes the progress, skills, and relationship established in residential treatment to create continuity and momentum for maintaining and developing interdependency throughout the student’s existence.  The student and family’s transition is as essential as treatment itself.

Often times, the student nearing the end of treatment is evidencing authentic change and has experienced a great deal of success with self regulating, managing behavior, and controlling themselves emotionally while on home-visits and with parents/guardians.  As valued as this change is, it soon becomes challenged after graduation and is forced to face many obstacles, fears, and temptations.  Knowing that these difficulties will arise, After Care is designed to provide the support, structure, and resources necessary to productively work through the challenges and reinforce those foundational elements (relationship, trust, humility, and connection) developed while in treatment. More...