A few years ago, Elevations RTC started offering a specialty group called “Base Camp” for students. The main goal focuses on helping students get used to the treatment program set up by the residential treatment center. It’s also focused on helping build connections with other students.
The Base Camp works with a primary therapist leading the way for each student. A primary therapist at the facility can help things go smoothly while providing consistent evaluations.
They’ve put the base camp into three specific focus areas to help their students more efficiently.
“Get to Know You” Activities
Arriving on a new campus and not knowing anyone can be intimidating for people of any age. Teenagers already going through their struggles can find this very nerve-racking. The “Get to Know You” activities act as icebreakers to help teenagers feel more comfortable.
During this initial stage, students have a chance to form friendships with someone else in the program. While there are different teams during the program, there’s an opportunity to meet people across campus and feel united as part of a bigger group.
Helping each student transition to campus life is one of their goals when arriving at Elevations RTC. It can be quite different from what people are used to, but due to programs like these, they have found students transitioning more smoothly. Having this area of acceptance and getting everyone involved with activities helps tremendously.
Throughout a student’s time at Elevations RTC, they can learn of all the program’s opportunities. A lot of what they offer is focused on therapy.
Orientation
Once the initial activities are over, the next step is to go through an orientation into the program. This is a way for students to get to know the campus at Elevations RTC and what they have to offer. It’s more than just therapy and education, as this can be a time for guidance, support, and relief for students of every gender.
It’s a chance for students to become as informed as possible and feel like they have a decent idea of what to expect. Team members are there to help students get acquainted and answer any questions they may have.
The more students learn about Elevations RTC, the more they might become curious about other parts of campus. Orientation does a great job of providing a basic synopsis to get started.
Therapeutic Topics
Above all else, Elevations RTC provides therapy for students who need it most to turn their life around. This area of focus is about looking at what the first week of treatments looks like. Topics like being proactive vs. reactive are one talking point discussed during this time.
Generally speaking, students tend to be receptive to learning about any type of topic that can help them feel and perform better than they have lately. Contrary to some beliefs, students are pretty excited about getting a chance to see a change for the better.
During Base Camp, an initial plan goes into place for every teenager. There’s always the chance of those plans being altered as time goes on, as students are constantly being helped to ensure that the best therapy program works for them.
Elevations RTC seems to understand the importance of individual therapy, as each student has different needs.
How Big of a Difference Does Base Camp Make?
The overall goal for Base Camp is to provide the best landing point as possible for their students. It’s a chance for them to feel very comfortable when they first get to campus and feel like they belong.
Many students come into their program feeling like they are an outcast in the world, and Elevations RTC strives to help those students realize they are not alone. Giving a student at Elevations RTC a starting point is one of the best ways to go about it, as it is sometimes hard to know where to start when you are trying to heal.
Leaving Campus
It’s essential to arrive on campus and go through Base Camp but it’s also essential to have help with the transition back home so that everything learned is not thrown away.
There is a transition program for teenagers as they prepare to return home and leave the Utah campus behind. There’s always some level of fear that things won’t work perfectly, but the staff has been doing this for a long time.
They know that if teenagers respond well to their transition back home, they can have lifelong changes to look forward to. Elevations RTC has made sure that their programs provide the best results as possible.
It starts with Base Camp and ends with a transition back home that benefits family and friends.