At Turning Winds, we understand life’s challenges can be overwhelming for both the children and their parents. That is why we developed an outstanding program that empowers self-reliance and resilience in the kids in our care. We help teenagers overcome obstacles and rebuild their connection with their parents and emphasize the crucial role family members play in this endeavor.
“Attitude is one of the fundamental components of our program,” explains program director Enoch Stump. “We talk about attitude to overcome a lot of things. When I feel good about myself, I am more encouraged to push forward. If I don’t have to do it by myself and I have good peer support and other strong support around me, I think these are all key factors in building resilience.”
THE POWER OF SUPPORT
During the first two months of the programs, clients focus on building relationships. “The reason they take off in the second half of treatment is because they have that social support group,” says Stump. “Now, they are all pushing forward. We help these kids to get into a positive peer culture. When we’re all alone in our rooms and it’s just us and we’re battling our demons, my brain will kick my butt every single time but when I got the support, I got people rooting for me, then I can get it right back.”
LEADING BY EXAMPLE
“We spent so much time and energy as staff to put a smile on your face and walk in with a good attitude and some positive energy because just that wins a lot of days.” Just being around people who are happy and good can be a major boost. “The fundamental thing, though, is if you feel better you make better choices—period,” says Stump. “And if you’re doing better at school and if you’re not fighting with the people you love on a regular basis, and if you’re doing hard things, at the end of the day, you feel better.”
“You’re more willing to say ‘I’m trying, I’m capable, I can do this, I’m going to set a higher goal.’ Those are some key factors that help resilience.”
FACE-TO-FACE ENCOURAGEMENT
Stump has worked with many clients who were not in a good place when they arrived. Many of them didn’t think positive change couldn’t happen for them. But Stump knows different, always telling them “I believe in you.” Recently, he had a client helping with the intake of a new kid joining the program. Stump could tell that she was struggling a little bit with her self-confidence and so he pulled her aside and told her, “I believe in you. You can do it. Then, I could see some light coming back in her eyes.”
Stump had only a few minutes with her before the end of the day, so he didn’t know whether his encouragement had done the trick. But the next day, she had a session with Turning Winds psychiatrist and medical director John Gordon and she told him that the conversation with Stump had been really important to her and made her feel good. “That was a two-minute experience and I had no real sense of whether it worked at all but having that kind of support and encouragement and attitude was maybe the reason she tried again the next day,” Stump says.
Many clients come to Turning Winds from problematic environments with the worst “friends” where all of their interactions are negative. “Even some of the most remarkable people do badly under such circumstances,” says Stump. “What Turning Winds does for them is not rocket science. It’s just good people who believe in the process and who are rooting for people and believe in them. If our team members didn’t believe in the clients and empathized with their struggles, Turning Winds wouldn’t work—but it does.”
A DEDICATED TEAM OF SPECIALISTS
At Turning Winds, it’s the people who make the difference. Over two decades, we’ve built a dedicated team of some of the world’s finest academic and therapeutic professionals, all of whom share the same goal: to help teens re-engage meaningfully with their lives, families, and their futures.
Our mission is to rescue teens in crisis, renew their belief in their potential, reunite them with their families, and put them on a sustainable path to success. Contact us online for more information, or call us at 800-845-1380. If your call isn’t answered personally, one of us will get back to you as soon as possible.
