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TWAI Co-Ed Boarding School for Teens

Highlights of our Therapeutic Boarding School for Adolescents:

  • First-class experienced clinical team.
  • One-on-one regular therapy sessions.
  • Group sessions led by a counselor or therapist.
  • Certified teachers coming from a variety of backgrounds in education, affording them the necessary tools to cultivate success with each student.
  • Small program serving up to 65 teens which allows us to focus on the individual (Helps to prevent any child from "slipping through the cracks").
  • Turning Winds Academic Institute (TWAI) employees are among the best in the industry.
  • Family and values oriented program.
  • Located in Northwestern Montana on 150 acres with a beautiful trout river flowing through the property.
  • Fully accredited academic institute accredited by Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC) and National Independent Private Schools Association (NIPSA).
  • Utilize the outdoors to help facilitate change.
  • Partial scholarships available.
  • Aftercare program.
  • We have successfully helped hundreds of teens in crisis.

Making this world a better place to live one life at a time

Parent Testimonial

"Jonathan is doing wonderfully. He's 18 now, going to college at the University of Colorado and staying in a dorm. He also has a full-time job as a sous chef at a four-star restaurant in Colorado Springs, and he very much enjoys his work. His personality has vastly improved, and I can honestly say that in more than a year since he's been home we haven't had a single argument with him. That's never happened before! Rebecca and I do not begrudge a moment Jonathan spent with you. He is miraculously improved now and we really enjoy having him around; we're proud of what he's accomplished. Thanks for your help." -Kevin

Student Testimonial

"As far as my struggles prior to Turning Winds Academic Institute, they somewhat still remain and it's a constant effort to continue to be successful. Its self rewarding though to push through and accomplish what used to seem impossible. I have been sober for almost two years now! I never thought I could do it, but I have and it has changed my life more than anything else has! I also have become more assertive, independent, brave, and open minded. I am still pretty opinionated though :) and my patience is something I try to be better at... but sometimes fall short. :) That's just Abby though. -Abby

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Turning Winds Private Boarding School Program Description

TWAI is accredited by two of the most prestigious secondary academic accrediting bodies in the United States. We are fully accredited by Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC) and National Independent Private Schools Association (NIPSA). Our school accepts children between the ages of 12 and 18. Turning Winds Academic Institute, a specialty private boarding school, can accept enrollment for up to 65 students. The entire program averages approximately 12 months. Our Integrated Therapeutic Education Curriculum (ITEC) has set the standard by integrating a therapeutic direction throughout the program including academics, nightly group sessions, sports, the outdoors, and all other activities our teens experience. Our teen boarding school has helped heal hundreds of teens and continues to make a positive difference within the lives of each teen with whom we work. TWAI believes families are an integral part of the changing process and parents are able to actively participate along with their child in making the changes necessary for success. Parental participation can include, but is not limited to the following activities: parent work-shops, assignments, and family counseling sessions facilitated by one of our clinical staff. While enrolled in TWAI your son or daughter will traverse through three program phases; the orientation, transition, and aftercare phase.

Orientation Phase

The orientation phase is approximately five-six months; however, the length will be determined by the progress of your teen. This is also known as the stabilization phase of our teen program. During orientation, your child will be assessed behaviorally, emotionally, and academically. Once these assessments are made by our clinicians and academic staff an individual treatment plan will be completed and will serve as a therapeutic roadmap for your teen during the remainder of the program. Among other things, your son or daughter will participate in individual and group counseling sessions, life skills classes, team-building activities, and outdoor adventures to help cultivate personal growth and internal change.

Transition Phase

After commencing from the orientation phase your teen will enter the transition phase of the program. The Transition Phase of TWAI prepares students to transition back into the home environment. During this phase your child will continue to stabilize emotionally, behaviorally, and academically. This is the time that your child will continue to progress academically, graduate from high school, start on college courses, become involved in regular extracurricular activities, start mentoring peers, and engage in regular off-campus activities. This is also the time when parents start regular counseling calls with the child and the child's therapist. Family counseling is helpful in providing parents with the needed guidance to ensure, when the time arrives for the child to return home, that the teen will have all the tools necessary for a successful reintegration back into the home. In essence, our goal is to help the parents and child come together and work toward common goals to help achieve a strong lasting relationship.
Once it is determined by our staff, therapists, academic leaders, and the parents that the child is ready to start the transitioning process back into the family from our boarding schools for teens we will start planning a series of visits for the family to come and visit the child, and then for the child to visit home before finally returning home for good. These visits are not meant to be vacations; rather they are opportunities for your child to prove that he or she can maintain his or her positive lifestyle while with the family. The visits will help "test the water" and ensure that when problems arise they are identified and all the necessary adjustments are made before your teen finally returns home.

Aftercare Phase

Finally, after arriving home from our therapeutic boarding school we have set up a support network in which one of our therapists will be assigned directly to your family for regular counseling sessions and continued support during the critical Aftercare Phase. After the agreed upon Aftercare contacts have come to an end we encourage parent and child to keep in contact with TWAI and use us as a resource on an as-needed basis. We have found when parents and the child keep in contact we are able to help both the family and the child to stay on track during this decisive time.
Contact us or call one of our admissions counselors to get help now. 1-800-845-1380