Family Involvement

Family involvement is critical to a student’s success at Montana Academy. The individual therapy session is the occasion for family contact in the form of brief initial phone calls and then serious family therapy. The clinical supervisor also uses this time to form an alliance with parents to help them become an active part of the treatment team. Parent Workshops are offered twice a year to increase understanding of the program model, build relationships with other parents and aid in transition home. Visits occur during established academic breaks. In the beginning visits occur on campus. As students progress, they are able to return home for visits, usually 9-12 months into the program. Parents are also encouraged to participate in special wilderness trips.

Montana Academy anticipates that most of its students will return home to their own families within 16-18 months. For this reason the Academy staff work with families to resolve conflicts that must be settled prior to a safe homecoming.  Such homecomings are predicated upon successful family negotiations with straight talk under the guidance of trained therapists, so that a student returns to a family that is changed for the better.