Therapeutic Services

The Group Process

The group process problem-solving model is used to facilitate the student's positive development. The peer group is a natural phenomenon for this age group. Positive peer influence counters the effect of past negative group experiences. The natural setting of the Program allows for circumstances that stimulate positive actions and provide an immediate and unavoidable cause and effect relationship. The goal of the group is to help each member gain self-esteem, maturity, self-control, communication skills, and problem solving strategies needed in order to be successful in their family, school, and community. Students' problems in relating to others are dealt with as they occur. Groups meet at any time of the day to help the students express feelings, process their behavior, and learn appropriate alternative solutions. There is a strong supportive environment based upon honest relationships where students learn to confront each other about how their behaviors affect an individual or the group.

Adventure Based Activities

New Dominion School provides a number of adventure based activities that enhance education and provide significant experiences that build self-confidence, esteem, deeper relationships and trust. Adventure based activities include participation on the Alpine Tower and low ropes course as well as undertaking backpacking, canoeing and bicycling trips.

The sense of success that youths experience as they complete a group project or finish an extended hiking, bicycling, or canoeing trip serves as an important stepping stone towards building self-confidence and self-esteem.

Groups complete the comprehensive planning necessary to take a major trip. The plan is then submitted to the Director of Experiential Education for approval. When the plan gains approval, the group begins training by undertaking a series of skill development activities and exercises. When skill proficiency has been demonstrated, the group will be allowed to put its plan into action. Extensive adventure trips may include backpacking on the Appalachian Trail, canoeing the Suwannee River in Florida or Current River in Missouri, or biking the C&O Canal Tow Path between Cumberland, Maryland and Washington DC. Adventure trips are a significant component of the overall program as they provide highly beneficial experiences for emotional growth.

Family Services

Each group has a Family Worker who acts as the liaison between the family and the program. The Family Worker also functions as the case manager and is responsible for generating regular written reports and service planning. Students are not allowed to use the phone; however, parents are encouraged to check in with their Family Worker each week to evaluate the progress of their child and discuss family related matters. It is important for parents and students to establish and maintain routine correspondence throughout the placement. Regular on-campus conferences are scheduled with families to evaluate a student's progress and to facilitate parent-child communications. Periodic parent workshop group/parent/child days are held to share and explore common family related issues. Parental support groups are developed in geographical areas in which significant numbers of families reside.

Home visits are earned by students to help them gradually re-enter their family and community. Home visits are viewed as an opportunity for the students and family to develop better communications, and learn to problem solve more effectively. They also allow students to apply what they have learned at the Program and begin to manage their lives better.

Recovery Dynamics

Recovery Dynamics is a systematic program that instructs specific students in applying the twelve step model of recovery found in the Alcoholics Anonymous. Students having histories of drug and alcohol problems are welcome to join the Recovery Dynamics program on a voluntary basis. The Recovery Dynamics group is designed to help students accept the solutions that treat addiction and begin their journey of recovery.

Sexual Awareness GroupS

Some youths with emotional and behavior problems have experienced sexual abuse or have certain sexual issues. Recognizing the tremendous impact that such experiences can have on a youth's subsequent emotional development and behavioral stability, the Programs offer services to address the particular needs of youths with sexual issues.

Transition Group

The transition group is a weekly educational/support group available to students as they begin their last two months of enrollment. It provides a forum for students to focus on issues related to home and community as they prepare for their discharge. The group also facilitates the leave taking process as students prepare to depart from the their New Dominion community.