|
 AIM
HOUSE
Boulder, Colorado
Daniel Conroy, Director,
303-554-0011
 Visit
September 26, 2002
By Loi Eberle, M.A.,
Educational Consultant
Editor of Woodbury Reports
www.strugglingteens.com
loi@woodbury.com
 During
my visit to Aim House, once again the difference
between a “structured emotional growth boarding school”
and a transitional program for adolescent males who are
eighteen and older, was accentuated. Aim House is
definitely a transitional program, designed to help its
residents gain the educational, occupational, social,
and psychological skills necessary to successfully move
into adulthood and integrate into the community. I doubt
that most people in Boulder, Colorado are even
aware of the presence of Aim House, which is as it
should be. Certainly the program facilities already
blend into the community. Aim House residents live 2-4
roommates per apartment in a complex a few blocks away
from the Aim House offices and meeting rooms. Their
offices, housed in a second story converted loft above
one of the many storefronts in the downtown Boulder
community, are indistinguishable from any of the other
storefronts in that neighborhood, except possibly for
the red and white stripped awnings on their windows. Aim
House offices are entered from an iron stairway in the
alley that leads to an outdoor deck where residents can
sit, or can enter the community room through the French
doors.
When I arrived to attend a group meeting, residents were
cleaning up after the meal that they had cooked and
eaten together, and were arranging the chairs in a large
circle for their 18 community members. They meet in this
way at least twice a week, to discuss both personal and
group issues. A major goal of the Aim House program is
to mentor these young men to help them discover their
interests and abilities, and help them develop the
resources and life skills they need in order to maintain
a clear direction. Director, Daniel Conroy, was
unable to attend this particular meeting, however the
other Aim House counselor/mentors were well equipped to
guide the direction of these young men. After the
general meeting, the residents divided into smaller
groups to discuss the struggles they encounter as a
result of their interactions with each other, the
program, and maintaining their sober life style.
 The
group I attended took place in the nearby offices of
Bill Sell, L.P.C, C.G.P., Aim House program director
and faculty member at the nearby Naropa University.
During the walk to his office I was able to observe and
participate in the friendly interaction between the
residents. This carried over to the group session, in
which I was impressed with the level of honesty and
insight the residents possessed. After Bill gave each of
us a chance to introduce ourselves, he encouraged me to
ask them questions. When I asked what kind of person
would be successful in the Aim House environment, and
what characteristics would cause difficulties, what
ensued was a fairly frank discussion of the challenges
of maintaining a drug free community. Self-knowledge
seemed to be important; residents needed to be clear
about their intentions to remain sober and stay focused,
and their know their vulnerabilities. If someone was
delusional, especially if there were psychotic features
to their behavior, they would not be appropriate for the
Aim House community. After some descriptive examples of
past behaviors, at one point Bill asked them to ask me
whether their conversation shocked me. I responded that
I actually found the discussion to be refreshing, since
they were dealing honestly and openly with the kinds of
drug-seeking behaviors that are often kept underground.
Residents at Aim House require a good deal of support to
maintain their intention to remain drug-free, especially
in Boulder, Colorado, a community where drugs are
so readily available. At the same time, the availability
of drugs, unfortunately, is fairly widespread throughout
the country, and the lack of honesty about the true
challenges of drug seeking behavior can enable users to
maintain their surreptitious use of drugs. Being able to
speak openly about the variety of experiences leading to
drug use and abuse is what enables those who are
struggling, to receive help and support for remaining
drug-free. What also came out in our discussion that
evening was that some young men have learned from
relapsing, and the community can be quite supportive in
helping them confront and integrate that life lesson.
Yet others must adhere to a strict “no tolerance” policy
– one mistake and they are out of the community.
Actually, in those cases, it is a matter of not making
one more mistake, since they had earned the no tolerance
policy based on a previous relapse.
The Aim House residents have jobs or internships in
Boulder, and many of them attend classes in the area.
There are a variety of educational options, including
the University of Colorado at Boulder, Naropa
University, various community colleges, as well as
an adult education high school diploma program. At least
three have taken on the role of being a part time
assistant mentor, after first being an Aim House
resident.
The community had a feeling of commradery, even though
the residents I spoke with were open about the
challenges they experienced from time to time, since
there were definitely rules and expectations concerning
their behavior. I spoke to a number of residents, all of
whom had successfully completed from some form of
emotional growth education or psychiatric placement.
Some were more motivated than others, with some having
their main motivating force being the conditions their
parents had placed on their continued financial support.
Yet, as time went on they had accepted the situation,
and were finding ways to make it work for them. Of
course this level of freedom does not work for everyone,
and I heard stories of former residents who didn’t make
it there, due to continued relapse. Even so, some
continued to live in the Boulder area and were on
friendly terms with the current residents. At the same
time, the residents seemed pretty clear about why the
behavior of the former residents was not acceptable in
their environment.
Boulder, Colorado is definitely full of options and
temptations. The positive side of this is that there are
many classes, meditation groups, and social events that
are focused on providing alternatives ways to feel good
and interact socially with out drug and alcohol use. I
can see how the Aim House environment could be a
stimulating and helpful way to find a true direction for
one’s life, especially after leaving the enforced
structure of a more restrictive program. The Aim House
mentors and counselors have many skills and a strong
desire to see the young men become successful, which I
felt was appreciated by the residents, even though the
young men at times want more freedom. It seems the Aim
House environment is showing its residents that freedom
can be a state of mind, while at the same educating
these young men about the various kinds of obligations
that accompany the illusive concept of adulthood. |
