New Perspectives
CHERRY GULCH New Perspectives
Feb 10, 2006, 10:31
Emmett, Idaho Andrew D. Sapp, PhD, Founder/ Clinical Director
208-365-3437
Cherry Gulch, a small ranch style therapeutic school for boys ages 10-14, will open in June 2006. Cherry Gulch is located near Boise, ID on 650 acres of ranch land. Students also spend three to four weeks in the summer at Camp Stanley, an outdoor base camp in the Sawtooth Mountains of Central Idaho.
The school accepts a maximum of 20 students with a variety of emotional and behavioral issues including, but not limited too, learning difficulties, abuse or neglect, ADD/ADHD, depression or low self-esteem. Cherry Gulch does not work with students with a criminal record, drug addiction or a variety of severe disorders like autism, conduct disorder or schizophrenia.
Cherry Gulch will incorporate a milieu of positive behavioral modification by utilizing a number of techniques and strategies "specifically tailored to this population" that will include both a level system and token economy. Therapeutic services led by a licensed clinical psychologist and a licensed family therapist will include 10 hours weekly of equine therapy, individual, group and family psychotherapy. Treatment plans are individualized for each student. Parents will receive weekly updates, attend quarterly parenting workshops and participate in periodic family therapy sessions via video conferencing.
Cherry Gulch plans to establish a scholarship fund. Academic classes will be small with a maximum of 10 students overseen by credentialed teachers. The emphasis is on experiential learning that will include field trips and caring for horses, cattle, chickens, rabbits and dogs. Other components will include athletic and outdoor activities like basketball, baseball, skiing, rafting, cattle drives and rodeo activities.
Editors Note: The information used in this New Perspective was gathered from the Cherry Gulch website.