The Interpreted Rock

By Stephen C. Schultz The mist drifted effortlessly above the glass-like water. Drips from the oars broke the silence as they rhythmically melted into the lake sending endless miniature waves out in every direction. Dawn was upon me, my favorite time of day. Overhead, I heard a faint whistling sound that grew ever louder. I looked up and saw ten to fifteen mallards, wings set, gliding, tipping, and adjusting in unison, as they lit simultaneously on the water about Twenty-five yards from my boat near the lily pads. What a beautiful sight. Mornings like this were common on Collard Lake in 1973. At the age of ten, there was nowhere on earth I would rather be, than in the old aluminum rowboat with my father, stalking that elusive lunker. That trophy large mouth bass that I knew was just waiting in the limbs of the next fallen Doug fir, Cedar, or at the edge of the lily pads just around the corner. I was not new to this ritual, for it was the same every morning we were at “The Ca...

By Stephen C. Schultz Clinton Dorny has worked in the field of mental Health for well over 20 years. He is a friend and a mentor to troubled teens from across the country. Check out this short heartwarming video of teaching students in ways that go far beyond the ABC's...

By Stephen C. Schultz I got home from work the other evening and my wife was on the phone with the local Pizza place. She asked me if I would go pick up the pizza. So, I got back in the car and off I went to get the pizza. I walked in the door of the pizza place and there was a line of ten or so people. Some were ordering and others were simply there to pick up their pizza like me. The young lady behind the register was very pleasant and spoke in broken English. It was apparent that she struggled to make change, even with the register doing most of the work. I stepped to the counter when it was my turn and gave her my name. She turned and grabbed the pizza, looked at the receipt, and told me the total with tax. I had already figured that I was to receive $2.38 in change. When she handed me my change, I folded the two bills in half and slipped the coins in my pocket. I headed out the door and towards my car. I was juggling the pizza boxes and the dollar bills as I leaned d...

By Stephen C. Schultz I fondly recall a conversation I had in the car with an educator while visiting treatment programs for troubled teenagers. RedCliff is one of the original founding members of the Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Council (OBH), and I mentioned some of the recent research that had been conducted. This educator made a comment based on her perception of RedCliff. She stated, “… RedCliff has the reputation for working with the clinically complicated cases… and you should embrace that reputation.” That comment got me thinking. Why does RedCliff have that reputation? Is it a reputation RedCliff has fostered and promoted? Is being known for working with “clinically complicated” kids a good or bad thing? What does that say about the clinical expertise of the therapists? If RedCliff truly excels with these families, why is that? So, I traveled to RedCliff and started asking questions. I made a point to meet with the clinical team at RedCliff Ascent. It was apparent—through...

By Stephen C. Schultz The morning was cool, the air was thin. Dew on the grass sparkled a million flashes as the sun peaked over the snow capped mountain. April, at 5000 feet above sea level, is a beautiful time of year. The valleys are green with spring growth and the mountains retain their white-tipped majesty. This particular morning was not only invigorating to the soul; it also ushered in the day that my 9 year old daughter was performing in the ritualistic yearly classroom school play. She had some speaking parts as well as singing parts in this youthful exercise of dramatic passion. We drove to the school and parked in the over crowded parking lot. Parents and students, hand in hand, weaved in and out of parked vehicles in a steady flow that culminated in a bottle neck at the southeast entrance to the school. The walk down the hallway was brisk as we moved like salmon making their way up stream. As we stepped to the door of my daughter’s classroom, she stopped to show ...

  By Stephen C. Schultz "What can we do to intervene in the life of our struggling teen?" I hear this comment regularly. The number of times I have had this conversation with a family just outside the emergency room of their local hospital is too high to count! Self-harm and suicide attempts are incredibly stressful for everyone involved. Often, these teens are struggling with drug use, running away, poor grades in school, or simply feeling disenfranchised with life in general. Deciding which therapeutic option is best for their child and family can be overwhelming. With hundreds of therapeutic programs and services to choose from, parents often feel confused and uncertain about where to turn for help. Here is a good place to start. Recognized as the foremost leader in Research-Informed Treatment, RedCliff Ascent is an Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare program that accepts students from across the globe. If sitting in a stuffy outpatient office hasn't worked well for your...

By Stephen C. Schultz With a history of a stagnant economy, many college students are graduating and finding it hard to enter the workforce in their chosen field of study. RedCliff Ascent has staff from across the country with various educational backgrounds. In fact, RedCliff appreciates the diversity in education and experience. The more diverse the staff population, the better able RedCliff can meet the very individual needs of each family and student who enroll in the program. This is a video that is simply staff members discussing their training experience at RedCliff Ascent . Nothing staged, nothing planned. I simply drove around the backcountry to different teams of students and pulled the staff aside, turned on the camera and let them talk. Great stuff! If having 1000 square miles of backcountry as your office sounds appealing to you, check out www.redcliffascent.com .