Limited Enrollment. Like school, residential treatment is more successful where there is lots of one-on-one interaction and individual attention. Smaller facilities are usually more responsive to individual needs.
 

Specialty Programs. The expression “Jack of all trades, master of none” is true of schools and programs. Programs that specialize in treating certain disorders know how to do the little things that make a big difference in helping your son or daughter.
 

A Campus “Classroom.” We all learn better by doing than by hearing. The most effective campus is a recreational playground where students have lots of space to heal, learn, and grow.
 

“Change-from-within” Philosophy. Lasting change comes because your son or daughter discovers a better way to live and then chooses to do so. True “behavior modification” only occurs when therapy, patience, and experiential lessons combine to give students enough motivation to really want to change.
 

Specialized, Handpicked Therapists. A great therapist can make all of the difference. As with teachers, it’s not just the college degree that determines effectiveness, but the love and concern, combined with experience that changes lives for the better.
 

Skilled Experiential Therapy. Experiential therapy uses select activities to teach the need to change. Equine (horse) therapy is one excellent example: students learn important life-lessons from working with a thousand pound, hairy animal that can’t talk.
 

Broad Elective Class Offerings. Not every child excels in traditional academic classes. Elective classes like Art, Music, Foreign Language, or Drama provide opportunities for students to excel in non-traditional areas and boost self-esteem, an important key to full recovery.
 

Great Academic Teachers. Outstanding teachers change lives because of their love for us and for what they teach. They also specialize in what they teach and have a schedule that allows them to focus on their students. The result is that students discover the “natural high” of learning.
 

Outstanding Parent Communication. Parents are a key part of the care team. Timely communication between staff, parents, and students is an important element in healing, because parents can sense when something is wrong and can give valuable input in the therapy process.
 

An Effective Parent Education Program. When parents are taught the therapeutic principles that their son or daughter is learning, they can be much more effective in sustaining change once their child has returned home. A good parent education program is a significant factor in increasing chances of long-term success.