The Interpreted Rock

 By Stephen C. Schultz Five years ago, I listened to a podcast conversation between two people I know and respect. Today, I found myself thinking about it again. I was talking with a potential Oxbow Academy student and his family, and as we discussed some of the challenges they are facing, I found myself using several of the principles that came up in that conversation. When the call was over, I thought, Where did I hear that before? It didn't take long to remember. I went back and found the podcast. It was a conversation between Dr. Gwen Palafox and Dr. Jared Schultz called The Developmental Process of Transitioning to Adulthood . And there was another reason the conversation was familiar. Jared is my younger brother. I had introduced Jared and Gwen to each other several years ago. I have had the opportunity to visit with Gwen a couple of times and have exchanged quite a few emails with her over the years. I have always appreciated the way she approaches her work and the way she...

  By Stephen C. Schultz  When it comes to communication in families—especially between teens and their parents —a simple question can open up a surprisingly deep conversation: Which one matters most? Being right Being kind Being honest Being understood Each of these qualities carries weight. Each shapes the tone of a relationship. But if we’re looking for the one that helps families grow, heal, and stay connected through the turbulence of adolescence, honesty rises to the top. And not just the kind of honesty where we tell the truth about what happened last Thursday. I mean a broader, more courageous form of honesty— intellectual honesty, emotional honesty, and honesty with ourselves . Dishonesty and the Trust Equation Teens sometimes hide the truth—sometimes to avoid consequences, sometimes out of fear of disappointing parents, and sometimes because they simply can’t yet articulate what they’re feeling. Parents, too, may avoid full honesty in an attempt t...

By Stephen C. Schultz (Editors Note: This is the written version of remarks and training I did as part of a workshop that included our residential, clinical and academic leadership. I work with a group of therapeutic residential programs . I thought it would be nice to share some of these thoughts with those who happen to view my blog. I hope this is helpful in some way.) There is a trend in business where the latest language around customer satisfaction and word of mouth referrals is the term “Advocacy”. This is where a customer actually advocates for the organization they are doing business with. I have chosen a career that specializes in teen residential treatment. Our clients include the student, their family, their therapists, their school educators and counselors and often many others just to name a few. The majority of our clients demonstrate this principle of “Advocacy” in one way or another. We see this principle in different forms at all of our tre...

By Stephen C. Schultz Please allow me to share an experience I had at Discovery Academy . It's simply a reminder of why we do what we do! A couple of months ago, I was over at Discovery Academy walking on campus headed to the academic center. Some of the students came up to me and asked who I was. We started talking and I asked them where they were from and we simply had some casual small talk. One of the girls said; “Hey, I remember you! You came out to RedCliff and had someone with you on a tour.” I replied; “Yes, you have a fantastic memory! I must say...a much better memory than I have. Please share your name with me again." She mentioned her name was Jordan and she started sharing with me what a great experience attending RedCliff Ascent was for her. She had that wilderness sparkle in her eye as she spoke and started to monopolize the conversation a little bit. She obviously still struggled with a few social deficits, but I’m sure things are muc...

Guest Blog Post by Moonstone Tiger 120 (Jordan) RedCliff Ascent Wilderness program is a place for troubled kids to work on themselves in a safe environment with an experienced group of people who want the best for each & every student as well as their families. My name is Jordan & I attended RedCliff Ascent , a wilderness treatment program. My first few weeks were rough & all I wanted was to refuse and get pulled. If you are a parent reading this... DON’T pull your child!!! It is really difficult & you really miss them at first, but it is beyond beneficial in the end. Once I was motivated & worked on myself the staff were always there to talk to me & work with me through rough times. In wilderness, everyday is a new day which is very helpful & every piece of progress you make is always recognized by those around you so you feel good about the change you’re making. Not only did RCA support me in my change, they also incorporat...

  By Stephen C. Schultz “The polygraph is not what you think it is. It is not a lie detector machine... there is no such thing as a lie detector machine... and the polygraph is not one.” ~ John Pickup, Polygraph Examiner Over the years, Oxbow Academy has consistently had to answer one question: “Why do you use the polygraph?” To provide an effective answer, it is important to understand the student population at Oxbow Academy. Oxbow works with students who have engaged in Problematic Sexual Behavior (PSB). This behavior can take many forms and affect students in different ways. The one common factor is that it has impacted the student’s life—or the lives of their family members—in a chronically dysfunctional and unhealthy way. The students at Oxbow have often lived a life of secrets and manipulation. Their parents don’t trust them, and they frequently feel trapped in an unhealthy family dynamic. Prior to enrolment at Oxbow, parents and mental health professionals regularly mention ...

Guest Blog                                                                                                       Call 801-921-8488 By Steven DeMille, PhD, LCMHC  Executive Director RedCliff Ascent If you find yourself reading this article, there is a good chance that you are struggling with your son or daughter in some way. Please know you are not alone. Teens and young adults are facing more and more pressure to excel with the knowledge that mistakes are instantly known about through social media. Relationships with parents also suffer as adolescents and young adults struggle with attachment, trauma, anxiety and depression issues. Sometimes a structured and deliberate time away can be helpful.  RedCliff Ascent...

By Stephen C. Schultz Collaboration:  to work jointly with others or together especially in an intellectual endeavor I just wanted to share a quick note and let you know that RedCliff Ascent , Discovery Ranch for Girls , Discovery Ranch for Boys , Oxbow Academy and Discovery Academy had their Administration teams come together for an Inter-departmental workshop. This is simply a deliberate way to have our Clinical, Academic, Residential, Human Resources, Accounting and Admissions departments all share experiences and best practices. It allows our people to get to know each other better and develop meaningful relationships. We’ve been doing this now for a few years. What a great group of folks we have!!! As you may be aware, each of the above listed programs has achieved the status through NATSAP as a Research Designated Program (RDP). Through our research efforts, we have been able to measure student health and wellness, staff burnout and satisfaction, academi...