| News
& Views
- Aug, 1992 Issue |
Mission Mountain School
John Mercer, Administrator
Condon, Montana
(406) 754-2580
(From a description of the
school's program)
Mission Mountain School forms
an extended family for both the student and parents. Within
this extended family the student finds the boundaries he or
she needs to feel safe and begin the critical process of individuation.
This personal growth within the context of family and community
forms the foundation for successful reintegration into society.
Our students’ needs would likely go unmet in the larger programs
that focus on behavior management and compliance. These programs
are based on a level system where student graduation is contingent
upon completion of a series of emotional and behavioral tasks.
Individualized attention to the student’s unique problems
and process of individuation can be lost to the emphasis on
having the students achieve the desired “level” behaviors.
As a result students may learn how to comply and “work the
system”, rather than address or solve their real problems.
As part of the family treatment
plan, the parents will continue to come to Mission Mountain
School for periodic visits, and the student will return home
for periodic visits. Both parents and child agree to visit
plans that set out specific boundaries and responsibilities
for the family and child to meet prior to, during, and after
each visit. Upon completion of each visit, the plan is reviewed
by the family and Mission Mountain Staff, and progress and
problems noted in the individual and Family Treatment Plans.
In this way, the family and the student has opportunities
(to) try out new approaches to old problems and apply what
they have learned at Mission Mountain School. It is important
to note that the visits are not vacations, but times for the
student and family to do real work addressing significant
issues. We have found that much of this work is best done
in the context of a family adventure or activity. Hence, families
are encouraged to come and participate in our high quality
recreation activities with the students... or to simply come
and experience the beauty of Montana at our Double Diamond
Ranch Facility.
Copyright
© 1992, Woodbury Reports, Inc. (This article may be reproduced
without prior approval if the copyright notice and proper
publication and author attribution accompanies the copy.)
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