Located near Woodville, FL, on the outskirts of Tallahassee, the proposed 7Arrows campus is in a beautiful wooded area that makes the campus appear as if it is in a pastoral wilderness. With a projected opening date of November 1, 2006, 7Arrows is now accepting enrollment applications. The residential cottages are nicely furnished, with a capacity for two or more boys per room. The program will have a nighttime awake staff that will check on them at regular intervals and the doors & windows are alarmed at night.
The typical 7Arrows student will be boys, ages 13-17, who display repressed anger, social problems, ODD as well as those who have experienced slight domestic violence and only experimented with drugs. 7Arrows will accept lower IQ (down into low 80's) with a pre-admissions interview to ascertain the student's ability to benefit from the CBT model 7Arrows intends to use. The current capacity is nine boys, but 7Arrows will open the existing cottages as the program slowly grows. There were no students admitted as of October 5, 2006, but there will be rolling admissions with the average length of stay being one year.
Each student will receive an individual treatment plan that will be developed after the initial assessment, and a staff psychiatrist (on contract) will review & sign off on all treatment plans and manage medications. Students will receive one-on-one therapy at least once a week, or as necessary by a supervising clinician.
A certified teacher will facilitate small academic classes with part of the school day devoted to individual/group therapy, equine assisted therapy, academic remediation and specialized vocational training. Excursions into the local area for both academic/cultural and social enrichment will also be offered.
The two main program highlights will be the vocational and equestrian programs, which may well lead to 7Arrows being unique in offering a vocational track in lieu of college prep. The vocational courses include an optical lab to prepare students for careers as opticians, as well as a computer course, printing, culinary arts and construction.
One of the unique aspects to the required equestrian program is Juan Purtle, the gentlest man I have ever met, and a team of horse corps professionals. Juan truly whispers to both horses and humans, thus creating an extremely trusting atmosphere. Call Elena for a visit; they are eager to work with consultants.
Note:The information used in this New Perspective was gathered during Sue Bigg's, MPH, CEP, Educational Consultant, visit to 7Arrows Academy, which is part of the Vision Quest family of programs, on September 20-21, 2006.