While most Educational Consultants have known me as the Assistant Headmaster at Hidden Lake Academy for the past four years, I am excited to announce that I have taken the Executive Director position at our sister program, Ridge Creek. Over the last 6 years Ridge Creek has been setting the standards for therapeutic wilderness programs while exceeding our JCAHO standards. I am excited to join this team and help take them to the next level.

While Ridge Creek has always utilized masters level clinicians for daily groups, we decided to expand the therapy to include weekly individual and family sessions. Wilderness programs are great tools to get a child grounded and begin the therapeutic process, but being many miles away from family makes it difficult to work on systemic issues and prepare for reintegration back into the family unit. The leaps and bounds in the technology field now allow people to keep in contact via video cameras to any computer; we are currently in the process of adding these cameras to our clinicians’ computers so they can do video conferencing with those families that also have the technology. This technology will also be beneficial for consultants to see and speak with the clients as they prepare for their post-Ridge Creek placement.

I am excited about the freedom I have been given to take Ridge Creek to the next level and implement many innovative changes in the arena of wilderness therapy, including mid and long term placements for those adolescents that need more of a residential setting beyond their wilderness experience. I have a wonderful group of staff that are also excited about the enhancements who are also ready for the upcoming busy season. Please feel free to contact me via email or phone if you have any questions regarding our program. I look forward to seeing many of you at NATSAP this month and hope we have an opportunity to sit and talk.