I am in New Orleans this week, at the annual conference of the American Association of Children’s Residential Centers (AACRC). I’ve been meeting with some amazing people:
Brian Lombrowski is a Youth Involvement Specialist in New York. He balances passion with thoughtful responses when discussing how RTCs can better serve youth. I hope to visit him soon in New York.
Kari Sisson, pregnant with twins, is the Executive Director of AACRC. She’s a tireless advocate for AACRC’s members. Without her this conference wouldn’t happen. Without her this association wouldn’t happen.
Glen Zaugg is the president of the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP). He has been instrumental in working to build a bridge between AACRC and NATSAP.
Chris Bellonci is the new president of AACRC. He is unafraid to entertain new ideas and push into the future, yet he honors the past in a way that does not bind AACRC to it. I am excited to see what he does as he takes the reins.
Margaret Vimont is the past president of AACRC. Her calm leadership style is refreshing. She extended trust to me and gave me opportunities to serve early on. Under her leadership the attendance at conferences grew and AACRC is also financially sound.
Bob Lieberman is the Executive Director of Kairos, a treatment center in Oregon. Bob is one of my mentors, and is easily one of the most well-respected and well-connected people in the residential treatment world.
Jodi Levison-Johnson is trying to change the culture of treatment for youth in the state of Louisiana. No small task. She’s unafraid and clearminded about who she serves.
Neal Sternberg is the leader of the Research Committee at AACRC and has volunteered countless hours trying to get a 10-year comparative study off the ground.
These are just a few of the amazing folks who are influencing me this week.
We continue our series of videos taken from our interview with Lon Woodbury. In this video Lon answers the question, “What advice would you give to new programs or a director who is just starting out?”
If you missed any of Lon’s videos we encourage you to check the links below to see more of his interview. The posting schedule was as follows:
We continue our series of videos taken from our interview with Lon Woodbury. Here Lon talks about why we need outcome studies in the residential treatment world:
We encourage you to check back here throughout the week to see more of Lon Woodbury’s interview. The posting schedule will go as follows:
We continue our series of videos taken from our interview with Lon Woodbury. Here Lon talks about how effective aftercare can be, and why treatment programs should incorporate it into their services:
We encourage you to check back here throughout the week to see more of Lon Woodbury’s interview. The posting schedule will go as follows:
What residential treatment needs is a clear vision. The old ways of doing things are fading, but not fast enough. I’m referring to the behavior modification programs of yesteryear. Those well-intentioned but power-hungry programs and people who felt that they could impose their will on teens and call it “treatment”. There are still too many of them around
I’m calling for crystal-clear leadership! We need therapists, nurses, teachers and all levels of staff to embrace the truth: no one makes permanent positive change simply because we tell them to, incent them to do so, or punish them if they don’t. People change for other people.
Read that last sentence again.
We need treatment that respects the suffering individual. Who among us would berate or otherwise abuse, incent or punish a cancer patient? Why then do we tolerate those treatment centers who believe that bars belong on bedroom windows and contact with one’s family is a “privilege”?
It is time to be done with our excuses.
Let’s have the courage to build relationships with those we serve. Healthy, life-affirming relationships.
Today I spoke with a young woman who – not four months ago – harbored an extreme death wish. She and I were outside on the swings, side-by-side, swinging and talking in the crisp fall weather. We spoke for a long time about how far she’d come, about her new vigor for life and about her future plans. I pointed to the relationship we’d developed. A mutual friendship, full of life and joy and peace. Nothing weird, nothing sexual. Just the friendship of two people who have almost finished a difficult journey together. The healing she’d experienced, I told her, was in the process of building that relationship. “What is it about relationships,” I asked her, “that is so powerfully healing for you?” She thought for a minute then said, “When someone wants to be near me and works to build a relationship with me, well, that feels pretty good.”
Let’s start being honest with ourselves. Let’s simply answer this question:
How would I treat my own daughter/sister/friend?
After all, unless you’re a sadist, the answer to that question is sufficient to guide you toward more compassionate ways of dealing with those clients with whom we are privileged to work.
