The Turning Winds treatment program is focused on therapeutic support in a setting that resembles a family environment rather than a clinic. Healthy behaviors are practiced and reinforced in a safe environment. New habits are then brought home and continue to be supported by staff during the transition.
This can only be accomplished by allowing enough time to establish the necessary routines. The desired transformation is also aided by a purposeful removal from previous circumstances. We use the great outdoors of Montana to combine adventure therapy, experiential education, and psycho-educational therapy. Experiential learning is based on the assumption that lasting change can occur when people are placed outside their familiar comfort environment and immersed in new and somewhat challenging situations.
Time invested by our dedicated and experienced faculty to build trust, honesty, and vulnerability lays the foundation for this rebuilding. Staying at Turning Winds in Montana for up to a year does not mean our teenage clients are cut off from their lives and academic careers, though.
CLOSE COORDINATION
Our therapeutic efforts are closely coordinated with families, schools, and home communities.
Our director of outreach, Danny Baucum works closely with clients and referral sources throughout the country and abroad to spread the word about the kind, compassionate, and effective work his teammates provide to our adolescents clients.
“Coordination is key when it comes to serving our clients and their families,” says Baucum. “Knowing when coming to Turning Winds is appropriate for a teenager, from a clinical, scholastic, or even financial standpoint—or maybe length of time standpoint. There are lots of different aspects to it.”
Baucum travels all over the country getting to know communities and their needs. He also checks in on Turning Winds alumni especially if they need additional help. “I recently reconnected with a kid who graduated from Turning Winds a year ago or so. He was struggling a bit with substance misuse and I was able to connect him with some industry colleagues—professionals who could get him the care and community he needed.”
RETURNING TO THE ‘REAL WORLD’
Having support in the “real world” after the discharge from Turning Winds is crucial—knowing who to call for help when things don’t go so well is very important. Even after graduation, the team can help students get into therapy, intensive outpatient programs, acute stabilization hospitals, or short-term residential treatment, should that be required.
Throughout the process, Turning Winds collaborates with families and relevant school districts, helping get students back on track.
“Parents are often not aware of the benefits of long-term residential treatment, and they worry about their kids losing school,” says Baucum. “In my experience, the longer the engagement in a community of care, the better the outcome. You have the chance not only to reinforce behaviors but also tools that students gain.”
Baucum knows what he is talking about. He has been helping individuals and families directly or indirectly with their life journeys since 2012. He has worked in various aspects of behavioral health and education including but not limited to wilderness, primary mental health, and dual diagnosis care.
The kids need opportunities to “practice how to handle failures in a safe place, take the time to come full circle, and have success,” says Baucum. “I run into people all the time who have no idea that longer-term options like Turning Winds exist and frankly, there aren’t that many. And we have had a lot of success with our long-term approach.”
TRANSFORMATIVE HEALING
Turning Winds offers a unique, long-term residential treatment program for teens that fills the gaps left by conventional options. Our holistic and relational approach, guided by experts like Dr. John Gordon and CEO Owen Baisden, ensures profound and lasting change for your teen.
The Turning Winds program counteracts unhealthy trends by removing smartphones, video games, and even some television time to refocus attention on building crucial human, face-to-face relationships that all too often have been completely compromised.
Turning Winds offers a full continuum of care for teens with mental health needs and provides a therapeutic respite from a dysfunctional cultural experience, reconnection with core human values, and the holistic education and therapeutic alliance needed to perceive and practice intentional living. Contact us online for more information, or call us at 800-845-1380.
