The aim of this paper is to describe the development of the Phased Model of Adventure Therapy. Adventure therapy is the use of adventure experiences to engage clients on cognitive, affective and behavioural levels. Use of adventure therapy has been found to improve psychological wellbeing, self- esteem and behaviour in young people. A UK-based…

Training in the Fairy Tale model of trauma-informed treatment was provided to clinical and direct care staff working with 53 youth in a residential treatment facility. Compared to the year prior to training, in the year of the training the average improvement in presenting problems was increased by 34%, time to discharge was reduced by 39%, and…

In creating Project Re-ED, Nicholas Hobbs (1913-1983) embarked on a bold new approach to emotionally troubled children and youth. Re-ED, an acronym for the Re-education of Emotionally Disturbed Children, builds on positive concepts of normalcy and health rather than deviance and illness. Hobbs had been impressed by the "educateur" of Europe and…

Traumatized youngsters are frequently admitted to psychiatric hospitals and residential treatment facilities (RFTs; Lawson, 1998). Institutionalization can be a traumatic event that involves an assault on personal autonomy and self-direction (Mohr, Mahon, & Noone, 1998). According to Visalli, McNasser, Johnstone, and Lazzaro, (1997) external…

Alternative programs need to offer troubled and troubling students alternatives to punishment, expedient control, and rejection. This article demonstrates how the alternatives of building trusting relationships and effective, empathic communication can provide the re-education to improve a child's life.

There is paucity in both the literature and in the practice of integrated, evidence-based models of residential care for youth. This article describes the assessment and the process that led to the redesign of services at a residential center. The article describes how evidence-based models for each of the four major disciplines (residential…

DBT and EMDR as primary treatment methods provide effective treatment for adolescents in the setting of group residential facilities. Regardless of the intensity of the pathology or the length of stay, these compatible treatment methods provide adolescents with significant decreases in the impact of traumatic memories and increased emotional…