Sundance Canyon Academy

SCA Therapeutic Boarding School Alumni News

2011-09-14T16:32:39Z

Hi there!

Today is Grant’s first day of school, so I was sitting at my desk at work thinking about our journey and how we have been led to this moment…

Only a little over a year ago, we felt hopeless and scared. After making the most difficult decision of our lives, our Grant has emerged from 11 months with you guys a renewed young man.

I have said it many times, but don’t think I could ever express our gratitude to you. With your wise guidance and Grant’s very hard work, our family has come out on the other side of hopelessness and fear.

The past few months have been amazing. I know that we will see challenges, but feel so much more capable and secure in our ability to handle whatever comes our way. There have been so many times in our journey with Grant that I have looked at friends with their children and watched how they truly enjoyed them. Because of our struggles, I had not had that feeling in a very long time. We are now thrilled to be together and are truly enjoying Grant – and all of his wonder.

So, on this first day of Grant’s sophomore year, I say thank you – thank you for showing our family how to be the family that we always dreamt of… We are so grateful to you.

Love to all -
Tricia D.
TEXAS

Letter From the Executive Director

2011-07-09T20:06:14Z

Dear Parent:

Welcome to Sundance Canyon Academy. We feel honored that you have chosen us to work with your son and your family. We recognize that this has not been an easy step on your part. Entrusting someone with your child is a difficult decision, yet, be assured, you are not alone.

One question that is often asked, “What do kids need to succeed?” can be answered in many different ways depending on the person or persons you are speaking with. Our answer is a simple one, at Sundance Canyon we provide students a therapeutic environment to educate, improve, and aid individual growth towards becoming a caring, capable, and contributing member of society.

At Sundance Canyon, we are fully committed to serving families. Please feel free to contact us at anytime if you have a concern or wish to discuss a situation regarding your son. The following information is to help you understand the rules and procedures here at Sundance Canyon.

With Warm Regards,

Simon Timms
Executive Director

Teenager Alcoholism and Teenager Substance Abuse: What are the Signs?!

2011-09-20T18:25:56Z

One of the worries that plagues parents and friends of youth is that their teen is using drugs or alcohol, or that they might have a substance addiction. If you worry about this, but are unsure, here are some signs to look for.

1. Mood Swings:

While teenagers are prone to going through some mood swings due to the nature of their changing world. But if your teen’s moods have become violent, or aggressive, or even more flighty than other teens that you encounter (as in happy one minute, and within minutes after that depressed, angry, or sad), then this could be a sign of substance abuse on the part of your teen and should be investigated.

2. Social Circles:

As with all things in your child’s life, be involved. If your youth has suddenly developed a new ring of friends that is different from the ones he or she previously was involved with, get to know these new friends. Did your child suddenly abandon the old friends that they had before? What kind of friends are these new kids that they hang out with? Are they older? Do you suspect them, or are there any reasons to believe that they are using drugs or alcohol? Look into the new friends that your child is involved with and investigate if you think there is something there to be worried about. Our experiences show that this could be a sign of substance abuse with youth.

3. School Performance:

If your child’s grades suddenly plummet, or change radically from doing well to suddenly missing classes consistently, back talking and disrespecting teachers and authority figures, and not doing homework at all, then it is likely that alcohol or other substances could be the source of the problem. With all things, remember to be involved with your child’s life, in our studies we’ve seen that this can help prevent a myriad of problems that a youth might face. If you think your child is abusing a substance, investigate, and then confront your child about it.

4. Physical Health:

Youth are usually in the process of growth spurts and other physical changes that generally include a healthy appetite, but if your child is suddenly without an appetite, or is suffering from physical symptoms usually associated with substance abuse such as gastritis or ulcers, then it is possible that your youth may have a problem. Also, check in on their sleeping patterns, as this may be another indication if their sleep cycle has completely changed in some radical way (i.e. staying up all night, or sleeping in later than is normal and missing class).

5. Evidence:

Look for actual signs of the abuse. Depending on the situation, you might try looking through their room to see if you can find containers of alcohol or other substances. If you drink, or keep alcohol in your house, have you noticed that you are missing drinks from time to time? Have you found that your child is trying to smoke openly? Can you smell alcohol or smoke on their breath or clothes? These can all be signs of substance abuse for your child.

6. Attitude:

If your child is acting out against authority figures, or has had problems with the law, or even if he is against anti-drug or –alcohol programs, then you might have a problem on your hands. Check into the reasons behind the disturbances or negative attitude and don’t be afraid to confront your child openly about the subject of substance abuse.

7. Appearance:

Has your child suddenly developed a new sense of style that is somewhat more outlandish? Are they ignoring or paying less attention to their personal hygiene? If so, these signs could be pointing towards a substance abuse. While children do change their sense of style as they grow, they usually do it to fit in, check in to what group your child’s sense of style is trying to fit in with. This could be linked back to what group of friends they are currently involved with. Hygiene is generally something that is very important to most teenagers, and if yours is ignoring it, it may be a sign of depression coupled or independent of substance abuse.

8. Overt Signals:

Often times when a child is involved with substance abuse, there will be rumors that circulate with them. While you do need to be careful about gossip, it is a good idea to know what is being said about your child. It is also likely that other parents will approach you to let you know what they have noticed about your child. Consider the source of the information, and if it concerns you enough then talk to your child about what you’ve heard. These are possible signs of substance abuse from what our experiences have shown us. As with all things, being involved with your child’s life will be the greatest help you can be. A lot of these indications can simply be your child’s emotional growing pains, but if you notice a string of incidents in this list, then you might want to consider further investigation. If you decide that you need additional help or counseling, then help is available. Remember that each youth is different, and the approach to helping your child may be different from another’s solution, you are the closest to your youth and are the best person to determine how best to approach the problem.

Take time to fill out our parent assessment form and we will be more than happy to walk you through a few ideas and give you some resources to help guide you down this overwhelming experienc

Choosing Teenager help programs: UGLY Pitfalls to avoid

2011-09-20T18:25:50Z

If you have even given thought to the possibility of placing your teenager in a program to
help them with their problems that they may be facing, then you’ ll need to be aware of a
few of the most common red flags that we’ ve noticed in our research.

1 . Avoid any kind of institution with a large enrollment. Unless the institution branches out and gives its students more personal level experience in smaller groups and with one on one instruction and counseling, there is a very palpable danger of having your teenager placed on an “ assembly line” to success, rather than one that will actually build your child up and help them to really develop the basic foundations that they need to develop their lives in a constructive way.

2 . Any program that tries to dress its institution with false credentials we advise that you avoid. A licensed professional is an essential part of any type of therapy. While other individuals who are good people and have some qualifications may help in the process, the system should include regular contact with a licensed and
qualified therapist in order to be effective.

3 . A program that will not be straightforward or upfront about its teaching methods or process of therapeutic agenda needs to be closely inspected. It doesn’ t matter if it is for “ ensuring that their formula is not copied by other institutions” or if the people simply do not want to be forth coming with what exactly their program entails (such as not allowing you to visit the campus or institution before enrolling your student there, etc.) it is a dangerous gamble you will be taking with your student’ s future. We recommend that you make sure that the staff is friendly and willing to help you understand fully what your child will be experiencing while at the selected institution before you enrolling them.

4 . A big distraction that we have noticed is if the program is Co-Ed. When boys and girls are thrown into one big melting pot it can lead to both sexes simply performing to gain attention from the opposite sex and can make progress extremely difficult to measure accurately. Or else they lock themselves away, afraid to show their true emotions in front of a peer of the opposite gender, fearing the consequences of opening up.

5 . Any institution that claims to be a “ quick fix” can be compared to a shady used car dealer, neither of which you should trust from what we have experienced. Your child deserves to have someone who is going to stick with them throughout their healing and growing process, which may prove to be very painful and emotional and should not be handled in a weekend or any other pre-determined amount of time. We’ve noticed that each youth is different and the amount of time necessary for each one differs from each teenager. A program should bend to the teens needs, and not the other way around.

These are just some of the pitfalls that we’ ve noticed in our experiences and feel that we should express to you, the parent or friend of a troubled teenager, before you make the final selection to help your teen with their problems. As with all circumstances, you should take into consideration your own child’ s needs and make a decision based on the information that you have at your disposal. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us for additional advice and support.

Help for parents of troubled teens

2011-09-20T18:25:44Z

If you are on this website, then chances are that you’ ve had problems with your teenager and are looking for help. But you probably wonder if your child truly needs some type of intervention, or if it’ s just a “ phase” that they are going through, here are some warning signs that your child is facing bigger problems than you might have thought:

Isolation:

An adolescent’ s life is a very social one. If your teen tends to prefer his own company to that of his peers, there may be a problem. As with all of these symptoms, communication with your teen is of capital importance, find out why your teen prefers to keep to themselves.

Peer Groups:

This extends to friends that you haven’ t met. If a teen is concealing his friends from you, or is ashamed/anxious to bring them over for you to meet, this may be a cause of concern. Other warning signs may be an abrupt change in “ look” in a teenager.

Hiding:

When your child is hiding things from you, not just their diary or a text message from her boyfriend, but significant events in their life that deals with her welfare. If your teen is habitually late, or misses certain appointments regularly, then it might be a good idea to find out if there is a problem.

School:

When grades suddenly plummet, or truancies and tardies are becoming rampant, then there may be a problem that you need to discuss with your teen. Drugs and Alcohol: These are dead giveaways that there is something amiss. If you find that your child has been habitually abusing a substance, then take time to speak with them if possible. Help discover the problem, and contact a professional to help you plan out a solution.

Violence: In our observations, any kind of violence, whether it is to others or the teenagers themselves, is a sign of another problem; bullying, cutting, or any other violent action is something that should be a cause for concern.

Self Image:

Extreme weight gain or loss can be a sign of unseen troubles, also any kind of indication of a distorted body image, such as thinking that they are too fat when they are perfectly healthy, or even too skinny. Things of this nature can be indicators that your youth needs help.

Nerves:

When the trials of adolescence seem impossible to your child, and they are prone to nervous breakdowns, this can also be a sign that your child needs help.

Moods:

If your teen has a tendency to swing to violent extremes of moods, such as smiling one moment and screaming the next. This may be an indicator that your youth is struggling with things that they need help with. These are all different indicators, and of course, with every situation it depends on the individual. While some teens might be able to figure out their issues with some help from you, the parent or friend, others could use the additional help of professional services to deal with these pressures. Consider your child’ s situation and make a decision with as much information as you can.

Choosing the right program for my troubled teenager?

2011-09-20T18:20:49Z

That’s a question you could very well be asking yourself at this point. With all the options available to you it can be a bit daunting, especially when the item at hand is your child’s future. When considering which choice is the best for you and your troubled teenager, consider what it is that you are looking for. Look through all the explanations offered
for the various services on this website. Select one that you think best suits your child’s situation. Consider what it is that your child is doing that needs correcting. What are your main concerns for your teenager? Taking that into consideration can help you decide on what kind of facility or service you need. The following are suggestions to take into account depending on what your troubled youth’s situation is:

Boot camps:

Your troubled teenager cannot be expelled or removed from the program and can be enrolled without their consent.
Strong security is in place so troubled youth cannot run away once they are enrolled.
This can be seen as more of a short-term solution, or perhaps a gateway solution to help the youth begin to break into other alternative methods of healing and development. Because the youth are there for such a short time, it generally lends to minor corrections that don’t appear to last as long. There is usually no academic program to help them with school either; again, this is a quick program in comparison with some of the other options available.

Therapeutic Boarding Schools:

Youth again can be enrolled without their consent and cannot be expelled.
A security presence is always there to help maintain order and prevent students from running away.
Both group and individual therapy is available to help your troubled youth.
“Co-ed” is not the best option in our opinion
These programs are meant for longer enrollment times but focus on the aspects of personal growth and individualization for the most part.

Outpatient and Day Treatment:

This requires the cooperation of your youth, but if they have a drug or substance abuse problem, and is willing to work in this method, or is more willing to try this solution than the others, this option may be your best choice.

Summer Camps

This option also requires the cooperation of your youth. If your troubled teenager has an honest desire to receive the help that they need, then this is an excellent and less intrusive method of helping them to succeed. There are other methods available, of course, but these are some of the more popular options available. Choosing one will definitely depend on your youth’s situation and desires to seek help. In the end, always keep the hope that progress is possible.

If you need some help with this please fill out the Teen program Assessment

Teenager help – Residential Treatment Center

2011-09-20T18:22:02Z

A residential treatment center is a place meant to give your teenager a comfortable, home-like environment where they can receive the additional help and support that troubled teenagers in general are looking for. Students at one of these centers usually participate in several weekly group and individual therapy sessions designed to help troubled youth find balance and answers in their changing world.

The amount of time spent at one of these facilities can vary from teenager to teenager, as each scenario is different depending on the situation presented by each teenager. Usually the time spent is around 90 days, but can be longer or shorter depending on the teenagers progress. During this time, teenagers are given therapy sessions both individually and as a group. These sessions have several benefits, such as helping the youth to realize that they aren’t alone in their struggles, and giving them the opportunity to talk through their doubts, worries, and questions with peers that have similar experiences and under the guidance of an accredited therapist. The steady environment of a residential treatment center tends to lend to the ongoing process of healing and growth that a troubled youth can be searching for, which makes it possible for progress to be possible. In an ideal situation, a youth attending one such treatment center is able to make new friends, realize that their world is something that is understandable and help them to make the steps in their lives that they need to take in order to adjust to their changing views in life. Usually a treatment center is built to be more like a home, and less like a facility. This

tends to make students feel more comfortable, and less like patients. This also can have the effect of making youth feel as though they are more capable of applying the lessons they learn in the center to their regular lives outside of this controlled environment. Everything is done on an individual pace, so youth will not feel rushed through the system, nor will they feel like they are being held up by other members at the center. In our experience, this helps students also to develop an individual sense of progress, something that can potentially help build self-esteem and a sense of accountability. This type of center is meant to help your teenager understand their world better. By helping them to do this, most teenagers will be better prepared to face their world, and will understand better how to interact with others in a less abrasive way. Ultimately, the goal of these centers is to bolster your teenager, and help them realize their full potential.

Teenager Help – Therapeutic Boarding Schools

2011-09-20T18:25:31Z

Therapeutic Boarding Schools are advantageous in the method of their approach. Many

boarding schools offer the opportunity for troubled teens to interact with other youth who

have already overcome their more volatile tendencies. Our experiences have shown that it

helps to have someone who has a similar background to what your teen has gone through

or is passing through currently. As one apt description details: “No one can see through a

con man’s words faster than another con man.” Youth who have comparable experiences

seem to be able to see through defenses put in place by their peers, and this allows them

to open up in what they perceive as a more inviting environment. There is also the added

ability to relate that is inherent in similar experiences that makes it easier for a troubled

teen to talk about his or her issues that they are dealing with.

Another advantage that we’ve noticed that this method has over other, more extreme

methods, is that it is done in a calmer, and often times more effective manner. In our

experience, screaming drill instructors and heavy-handed discipline will often instill a

deep resentment in a child for authority figures, where a calmer environment can often

times invite your teen to open up and discover the true source of the issues they have at

heart. While we have observed that a strict and detailed regimen is often times a good

place to start with helping a youth to overcome their obstacles, it isn’t the end-all for your

teen’s progression. Teenagers are looking to understand the world around them, and often

times their confusion at what they see is displayed in forms of extreme or aggressive

behavior. Such behavior is not helped by a screaming authority figure, but rather that

exacerbates the situation.

The key word to this approach is “therapeutic” meaning therapy. From our observations,

in order for therapy to be effective, the participant must be in a position where they are

willing and able to give their all in an effort to progress towards healing. In our opinion,

such positions are nearly impossible to realize in a situation of high stress, so therefore

a strict, but flexible regimen is essential to building structure that can also change as the

needs of the youth appear.

In the end a Therapeutic Boarding School is a place for healing and helping. It offers

a calm place for youth to explore their world and help them make sense of it all

with guiding influences and helpful peers to make that discovery easier and more

understandable.

Therapeutic Boarding Schools are advantageous in the method of their approach. Manyboarding schools offer the opportunity for troubled teens to interact with other youth whohave already overcome their more volatile tendencies. Our experiences have shown that ithelps to have someone who has a similar background to what your teen has gone throughor is passing through currently. As one apt description details: “No one can see through acon man’s words faster than another con man.” Youth who have comparable experiencesseem to be able to see through defenses put in place by their peers, and this allows themto open up in what they perceive as a more inviting environment. There is also the addedability to relate that is inherent in similar experiences that makes it easier for a troubledteen to talk about his or her issues that they are dealing with.
Another advantage that we’ve noticed that this method has over other, more extrememethods, is that it is done in a calmer, and often times more effective manner. In ourexperience, screaming drill instructors and heavy-handed discipline will often instill adeep resentment in a child for authority figures, where a calmer environment can oftentimes invite your teen to open up and discover the true source of the issues they have atheart. While we have observed that a strict and detailed regimen is often times a goodplace to start with helping a youth to overcome their obstacles, it isn’t the end-all for yourteen’s progression. Teenagers are looking to understand the world around them, and oftentimes their confusion at what they see is displayed in forms of extreme or aggressivebehavior. Such behavior is not helped by a screaming authority figure, but rather thatexacerbates the situation.
The key word to this approach is “therapeutic” meaning therapy. From our observations,in order for therapy to be effective, the participant must be in a position where they arewilling and able to give their all in an effort to progress towards healing. In our opinion,such positions are nearly impossible to realize in a situation of high stress, so thereforea strict, but flexible regimen is essential to building structure that can also change as theneeds of the youth appear.
In the end a Therapeutic Boarding School is a place for healing and helping. It offersa calm place for youth to explore their world and help them make sense of it allwith guiding influences and helpful peers to make that discovery easier and more understandable.

Teenager help programs

2011-09-20T18:24:31Z

Is there such thing as a Free Teenager help program? The only free teen boot camps we have found are state-funded, and typically can only be utilized if your teen is already in the juvenile system. State programs may appear to the most viable financially, but there are drawbacks to be considered with this option.

Parents looking for help with their troubled teenager often look for boot camps, military schools, wilderness programs etc… when looking for relief to a very stressful situation of a teenager out of control. Boot camps are mostly state supported facilities and for a teenager to be placed in a boot camp the teenager usually must already be part of the “system”. Private programs tend to be labeled as Residential treatment centers, behavioral boarding schools, therapeutic boarding schools, or some type of wilderness program.
While wilderness programs are very strict and very structured, short term programs very seldom produce long term results. Some therapists say that 9 months is optimal, however it will take as long as it takes depending on the teenager.

The programs that we recommend are long term boarding school type placements. These type of placements offer the program, security, structure, and time that teens need to get themselves back on track. We are here to provide you with as much support as possible in making that decision. Fill out the Teen Assessment form and we will help you start the research process to find the best program for your teen.