At Trails Carolina, we believe each student's success depends greatly on his/her family's willingness to participate, learn and grow throughout the treatment process.
An adolescent who returns to an unchanged family is more likely to begin gravitating back to old habits and behaviors. By examining the family system and making positive changes, parents can dramatically increase the child's likelihood of success. For this reason, family is an integral part of the Trails program.
Family Support: You're Not Alone
At TRAILS Carolina we believe that the events that have affected your teen in negative ways have also affected the family as well. This is why family involvement is held so highly in the treatment process. Research has shown that family involvement not only allows the whole family to heal but it can also increase your child’s success—short and long term. By examining the family system and making positive changes as a whole, families can be a huge catalyst in the growth that is taking place within their child. It is for this reason that family is such an integral part of the Trails program.
Phone Calls with Primary Therapist
Weekly phone calls with your student's primary therapist gives you insight into your student's progress and offers the opportunity to ask questions or seek counsel. Not only are you receiving guidance from qualified counselors, you also reap the benefits of hearing from everyone that works with your student. From the highly qualified and trained field staff to the academic team, our comprehensive team of professionals is always observing and supporting your student, and all this insight is shared with the primary therapists daily.
Communication With Other Families
Great comfort comes in knowing there's someone else out there who understands what you're going through. That's why structured communication with other Trails families is strongly encouraged. Phone calls, online chats and weekend parenting groups put Trails families together for invaluable information exchange and emotional support.
Sibling Support and Communication
This journey is not only a difficult one for parents and their child, but your child’s brothers and sisters are also an important part of the process. That is why we also have sibling support calls for them to learn more about what their brother or sister is doing as well as share with other siblings about what this experience has been like for them.
Parental Involvement: Following a Parallel Path
“To bring a child in the way s/he should go, travel that way yourself once in awhile.” ~Josh Billings
Parents have the unique opportunity to enrich their Trails Carolina experience by participating in activities that parallel the students' experiences. Below are a few of the opportunities we offer for this purpose:
Parent Information/Education Topics
Parents have the ability to download audio/video files on topics that they find useful. These topics are available to help families better understand dynamics within the family, dynamics that teens face today, and strategies for parents to lead/guide their teens after TRAILS.
Parent Resource Manual
This detailed family guidebook navigates parents through the process—explaining each of our five values and offers specific tasks and projects to undertake during each stage. Specific information/education topics we have found to be helpful to parents are also included in the manual.
To view our Parent Resource Manual click HERE. You will need a password, which can be obtained by calling our Admissions Department. Please allow some time for the manual to download.
Parent Workshops
Parents attend an intensive two-day workshop led by licensed therapists. The workshops help parents identify their own patterns of behavior, and offer tools and methodologies that lay the foundation for creating a happier, more fulfilling home life. The workshops also provide emotional support and the invaluable opportunity to meet other families facing similar challenges.
For a sample of our Journeys: Parent Seminar Manual click HERE. You will need a password, which can be obtained by calling our Admissions Department. Please allow some time for the manual to download.
Family Assessments
Researched assessments that allow families to quickly and effectively target areas of strengths and growths within the family are also offered. It's been said that unless you know were you are you can't truly know where you are heading. This can often times be a crucial step in understanding the entire family dynamic and starting everyone down the road to success.
Family Reunification
Your family will attend a two-day graduation experience led by staff and licensed therapists. Graduation allows both you and your child to practice and share the new skills that everyone has learned during their Trails Carolina experience.
Jason McKeown, LMFT, CPE-I
Jason is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who received his Master's Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy/Child and Family Studies from the University of Southern Mississippi.
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