Time to REGISTER!!

Attachment and Trauma Conference

Dr. Arthur Becker-Weidman

Keynote Speaker

April 12^th-13th, 2012

Change Academy Lake of the Ozarks (CALO) in Lake Ozark, Missouri

The conference will include attachment basics, as well as highlighting attachment and trauma work in a diversity of settings

and how those different settings work together to better support the child and the family.

Registration packets and conference brochures will be sent out by mid-February.

Brochure attached including registration form is attached.

Sincerely,

Nicole Fuglsang

Director of Business Development & Admissions

caloteens.com

866-459-1362 (direct)

573-746-1884 (mobile)

573-365-2224 (fax)

CALO strives for on-going quality improvement, growth and development. We complete a variety of activities to encourage quality, consistency and individualization while providing world class care and treatment for our students. Key ways CALO promotes development are as follows:

·        Open Door Policy- The CALO Leadership Team has an “Open Door Policy” with our parents, students, employees and other stakeholders. The intent of this policy is to provide transparency, open dialogue and development opportunities.

·        Leadership “On the Floor” - A member of the Extended Leadership Team (ELT) and/or one of CALO’s masters’ level therapists works an 8+ hour “residential coaching shift” on the floor each week. The goal of this activity is two-fold, firstly, to provide CALO leadership the opportunity to directly interact with students on a purely relational level and secondly to provide leadership with an accurate picture of how the CALO treatment model and policy & procedures are being implemented by the residential coaching staff.

·        Exit Interviews- Exit Interviews with all families upon their departure from CALO. This occurs with students and their parents/guardians. The goal of this activity is gather direct feedback on what parts of the program have been effective and what areas need improvement.

·        Training- Bi-weekly training of all staff & bi-weekly therapist directive training for all coaching staff.

·        Ongoing Quality Improvement Planning which includes standards for all departments which meet Joint Commission accreditation standards.

·        Research Participants- NATSAP Research Program, Anonymous Parent Surveys and Internal Parent, Student and Therapist Surveys.

·        Connected Leadership- Weekly Leadership Meetings & Monthly Extended Leadership Meetings/Trainings.

·        CALO frequently invites outside professionals including educational consultants, psychologists, therapists, psychiatrists and other treating professionals to visit CALO. CALO encourages these professionals to provide CALO’s leadership with direct feedback following their time on campus and interactions with staff and students. The intent of these professional visits is to provide an open, accurate, transparent representation of CALO and to request feedback from professionals on what is working well and areas of potential improvement.

CALO does not subscribe to a predetermined or set date of departure. Each student is individual, has individual needs and will respond to treatment as an individual. However, the AVERAGE length of stay is about 17 months. Consistent with our treatment philosophy, CALO believes that length of stay is largely determined by the child. This means the student should not leave CALO until she has accomplished individual goals (outlined in an individual treatment plan) and the family has met the family goals that were established at the onset of treatment by the treatment team. The treatment team is comprised of representatives from academics, residential coaching, recreation therapy, and your child’s peer group. Your therapist is the leader of this treatment team and you as parent are considered the final treatment team member.

Our treatment team consistently reviews each student’s progress and moves toward the goal of transitioning back home. The length of stay varies based on a number of factors and is individualized for each student. Some factors influencing the length of stay are:

1) Relative Complexity: The relative complexity of the psychosocial and educational history of the student prior to enrollment often has a large impact on a student’s length of stay; typically, the more complex the history of the student the longer the length of stay.

2) Onset of Problems: How long has the student been struggling? Is this a new problem or has the student been struggling for a significant amount of time? Normally the longer the student has been entrenched in the behavior the longer the length of stay.

3) Family Involvement: Our families are a key part of our therapeutic process. Your involvement within the milieu, family therapy, and family coaching visits supports your child’s growth and healing. When family involvement is limited a child’s progress might stall or the student may progress at a slower rate.

Expect to feel bad:  It is normal to feel grief, sadness and guilt as you enroll your child in a residential program. Your child’s actions have devastated and/or traumatized your family and it is common to feel angry about that. Many parents feel a sense of loss when their child is gone from their home, and many experience anxiety about the rigors of a residential setting. It is common to re-examine everything you’ve done as a parent to try and figure out what went wrong.

Placing a child in a residential treatment center is one of the most difficult, and yet courageous, decisions a parent can make. Based on our personal and professional experiences, we encourage parents to prepare for a wide range of emotions and varying reactions from your family and close friends. Some will praise you. Some will not be able to understand why you have made this choice. Some friends and even family may verbally attack you for making a residential decision. They just don’t understand as they have not gone through what you have.

Expect to feel good: Many parents report no bad feelings at all when they place their child at CALO. In fact, some express tremendous relief to have their child in a safe setting. There is no wrong way to feel as your child enters treatment.

Expect your child to protest: Your child would much rather be with his own friends, sleep in his own bed, and continue life as he was living it. He will use his considerable powers of persuasion to try and talk you out of your carefully considered decision. It is reasonable to anticipate his promises of change and guilt-inducing pleas of “How could you send me away?” “I see now how much I really mean to you,” and, “Things aren’t really that bad.” Parents who decide to send their child to CALO do so with love and a determination to help. A firm grounding in this knowledge is what helps parents overcome the predictable protests from their child.

Expect to have second thoughts: At first you may be angry with your child for the disruption he created in your home and then feel a sense of relief that he is gone. However, it is also a common next response to second-guess your decision. You may question whether your response to your child’s problem was too harsh. You may ask yourself if there is something else you could have done to prevent his placement in a residential setting or if there was another way to solve the crisis.

Expect support from CALO: When you enroll your child at CALO, your child becomes part of the CALO family. When you enroll your child at CALO, you are also part of our family. We are here to help you and your child navigate this process. The CALO family support system is there to help you understand and cope with all of the issues noted in this handbook. Your key contact in our system will be your child’s therapist. It is crucial to ask that therapist for help in navigating residential treatment. Our goal is to help reduce your anxiety by thoroughly explaining how the program works and the safeguards built in for your child. Your child’s treating therapist will contact you regularly to make sure your questions and concerns are addressed. Our Leadership Team is also a resource for families with questions or concerns. If you feel you are not getting the answers you need from your therapist, please take concerns to the CALO Leadership Team. That said, the therapist is the head coach of the treatment team and we encourage continual conversation with your therapist.

This blog series has three parts. The first installment discussed what to expect on the day of enrollment and was posted on March 10, 2011.  The second installment discussed common reactions students may exhibit when first arriving at CALO and was posted on March 21, 2011. 

The Angry Child: This child is upset and wants everyone to know it. He is oppositional, uncooperative, and stubborn. He typically blames others for his situation and accepts little responsibility for poor decision making. The “angry” child will take every opportunity to let the staff at CALO know that he cannot be controlled as he maintains a façade of toughness and defensiveness.

The Helpless Child: This child is panicked about her placement in a therapeutic program and feels an overwhelming urge to get out of the program immediately. She lacks the confidence to believe she can possibly survive in such a setting without her parents for more than a few days. She will plead with CALO staff to allow her to talk with her parents so she can share how difficult the program is and how much she needs to be home. Poor self-esteem, lack of self-confidence and an abundance of fear and anxiety often characterize the “helpless” child.

The Denial Child: This child firmly states that his placement at CALO is a mistake. Although he admits to small errors in judgment, he is guarded about the truth and tends not to disclose much about his life. This child works hard to appear competent to the group in hopes the treatment team will realize that he has been mistakenly placed at CALO and consequently will be discharged from the program. This child can also be quite sneaky and have hidden agendas that require close supervision by the residential coaches. 

The Forgiving Child: This child is quick to make amends for her behavior. Despite not having any depth of insight into her destructive behavior, this child hopes for quick redemption and the opportunity to immediately return home for a second, third, or fourth chance. She commonly tries to convince parents and CALO staff that she has learned everything needed in the first or second week and is ready to come home.     

The Ready to Work Child: This child has experienced an immediate wake-up call once removed from his home. He recognizes a pattern of poor choices, is beginning to recognize that these patterns are his responsibility and the cause of his problems. He is ready to get to work to change things and will typically cooperate with his therapist and residential coaches. This child often attempts to create a positive impact on his peer community.

Although most parents want their child to fall into the “Ready to Work” category, it is important to accept how a child is reacting. There are typically good reasons for your child’s responses that are better understood as he or she progresses through CALO. Your child’s reaction also provides valuable information for the CALO team that helps them create treatment strategies and therapeutic goals. Your ability to accept your child’s responses will begin the process of rebuilding a positive relationship.

This blog series has three parts. The first installment discussed what to expect on the day of enrollment and was posted on March 10, 2011.  The final installment will discuss what to expect to feel as a parent at the time of enrollment and will be posted on April 4, 2011. 

Due to the uniqueness of the experience, the day of enrollment often is a time of great expectation but also a time of great anxiety. Proper knowledge of what to expect, what to bring, etc. helps to ease the transition. This blog is designed to outline what the parents can expect to occur on the day of enrollment.  

Welcome & Introductions: When the family arrives at CALO the admissions staff greets and welcomes the family.  The family spends about 30 minutes completing admissions paperwork and finalizing the admissions process. As a part of the admissions process the parents will be provided a parent handbook.

*All admissions paperwork should be brought completed on the day of enrollment or should be provided to CALO prior to enrollment. All student belongings to include clothing, the student’s favorite bedding from home, a favorite pillow, etc. should be brought at the time of enrollment (refer to Student Clothing and Belongings list).

Campus Tour: Following the completion of the admissions paperwork, the admissions staff and the family participate in a campus tour. Even though the family has typically toured previously, the tour on the day of enrollment is a way to help the student feel grounded and an active part of the admissions process.

*The campus tour normally takes about 45 minutes. If the family has not toured prior to the students enrollment the parents will have meetings schedule with each key department (Clinical/Canine, Academic, and Recreation).

Following the campus tour the student will join the residential coaching staff to begin the intake processing and initial student orientation. While the student begins the initial intake process, the parents will meet with the student’s treating therapist.

Student Intake: During the student intake process the Residential Coaching staff will walk the student through the basic intake search procedures, have the student change into CALO appropriate attire, complete an initial orientation with the student, provide the student with a student handbook and bring the student’s belongings to the campus coordinator to be checked in. The campus coordinator will check all the student’s belongings in and return any items that are not appropriate for campus to the family. After the initial intake the student will join the other students on campus.

Meeting with Treating Therapist: The meeting with the treating therapist is designed to be a time for the parents of the enrolling student to connect with the therapist, provide a face-to-face student history and get on the same page with regard to expectations for treatment. The therapist will explain their role as the “head coach”, and will set-up call times for social and family therapy calls. This initial meeting is basically an initial orientation for the parents. Following the completion of the Therapist meeting the parents will spend time on-site with their child. The amount of time spent on campus will vary depending on the specific needs of the family and student.

This blog series has three parts. The next installment will discuss common reactions students may exhibit when first arriving at CALO. Part two will be posted March 21, 2011.