Posted: Sep 10, 2005, 19:31 RYTHER CHILD CENTER OF SEATTLE New Perspective

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Collaborative Coaching Program
Seattle, Washington
Benjamin Wahl, Program Coordinator
206-856-9490
Website


Ryther Child Center of Seattle, a non-profit agency, recently launched its Collaborative Coaching Program. The program believes that a "structured" combination of youth mentoring and parent coaching is effective as an early intervention option or an aftercare resource. Collaborative Coaching offers a 4:1 student to mentor ratio and requires a minimum three-month commitment to the program.

By creating a supportive relationship, mentors encourage students to make healthy life choices and build healthy relationships as well as help them obtain their educational and life goals. Collaborative Coaching believes that mentoring relationships should be grounded in a strengths-based approach and meetings often take place in a variety of activities including horseback, in an art studio, hiking, or on the Ryther ropes course.

Parents are taught to recognize and respond to early warning signs while the student is provided with a "wrap-around service" to help them stay on track and successfully transition home after completing a therapeutic boarding school or wilderness program. The parent coach and mentor facilitates family meetings on a regular basis with the focus being on the family's strengths.

Based on the individual needs of clients, the program is customized to integrate the specific treatment goals the student pursued during the aftercare phase of a program. Another aspect offered by the program includes "building a complete support system for the family whose child does not need a residential program but does need more intensive home-based services."

Editors Note: The information used in this New Perspective was gathered from the Ryther Child Center website and brochure.

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