| A True Transitional Environment: Personal Success Skills |
| A Healthy Milieu Supported by a Peer-Based Philosophy |
| Therapeutic Staff |
| Therapeutic Philosophy, Approaches & Interventions: |
- NSA's full time milieu therapists are a part of the family community and participate in
everything from classes to cookouts to experiential education trips, creating a rich, intensive,
therapeutic milieu. This creates a mentoring- and relationship-based approach instead of
an institutionalized office approach. - Therapists focus on helping students problem-solve, learn how to use surrounding
resources, and "own" their own process, choices, and lives. - They meet regularly with students individually as well as in groups and keep notes regarding
personal growth goals, progress, and strategies. - Therapists communicate with guardians through emails & weekly phone calls.
- New Summit Academy is a community where students gain motivation to continue their process of change and to live a healthy
lifestyle, embracing new social and learning skills. The therapeutic component of the community is substance-free, cross-
cultural, and incorporates a system of psychotherapy and self-help techniques inspired in the Transtheoretical Model of
Change and Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT) in a milieu primarily supported our student-empowered & positive
peer influenced philosophy. - Through our own model of peer-centered Honor Council Meetings, 3 weekly community meetings, team-building recreational
activities, and therapeutic Aventuras, students use their individual strengths to support each other and create the kind of home
and family in which they grow and mature into healthy young men.
1. Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy approaches provide staff at NSA with a practical approach to help the students
change dysfunctional emotions and behaviors by showing them how to become aware of and modify the beliefs and
attitudes that create these unwanted states.
2. Through community wrap-up meetings 3 times a week, peers problem-solve as a group about issues that affect
the entire community. Students are encouraged to be proactive & resourceful in writing & presenting proposals for
changes & improvements to their community living agreements, including issues such as study halls, dorm
cleanliness, dish chores, weekend recreational activities, internet use, etc.. This initiative is encouraged & rewarded
as part of the process of learning to "own" one's life & community.
3. Individual therapy not only happens in the one-on-one interactions with the student's personal therapist, but it also
happens in our unique peer/staff Honor Council Meetings. These meetings consist of 3 peers and 3 staff members
who give feedback & discuss issues with the student before reaching a consensus of what consequences (including
therapeutic tasks, restrictions, privileges, recommendations, etc.) will apply to that particular student & situation. This
is a forum that takes advantage of a non-reactive, peer-influenced, problem-solving approach to an individual
student's situation & natural consequences (both positive & negative).
4. Our licensed therapists are from Costa Rica and the cultural infusion of their culture's non-confrontational, warm,
peace-loving values are one of the most unique aspects to our therapeutic program. Students feel therapeutically
disoriented away from the high levels of energy & stress in American lifestyles, and the natural lifestyle of the Ticos
provides a calm and non-threatening environment in which to grow and change.
change dysfunctional emotions and behaviors by showing them how to become aware of and modify the beliefs and
attitudes that create these unwanted states.
2. Through community wrap-up meetings 3 times a week, peers problem-solve as a group about issues that affect
the entire community. Students are encouraged to be proactive & resourceful in writing & presenting proposals for
changes & improvements to their community living agreements, including issues such as study halls, dorm
cleanliness, dish chores, weekend recreational activities, internet use, etc.. This initiative is encouraged & rewarded
as part of the process of learning to "own" one's life & community.
3. Individual therapy not only happens in the one-on-one interactions with the student's personal therapist, but it also
happens in our unique peer/staff Honor Council Meetings. These meetings consist of 3 peers and 3 staff members
who give feedback & discuss issues with the student before reaching a consensus of what consequences (including
therapeutic tasks, restrictions, privileges, recommendations, etc.) will apply to that particular student & situation. This
is a forum that takes advantage of a non-reactive, peer-influenced, problem-solving approach to an individual
student's situation & natural consequences (both positive & negative).
4. Our licensed therapists are from Costa Rica and the cultural infusion of their culture's non-confrontational, warm,
peace-loving values are one of the most unique aspects to our therapeutic program. Students feel therapeutically
disoriented away from the high levels of energy & stress in American lifestyles, and the natural lifestyle of the Ticos
provides a calm and non-threatening environment in which to grow and change.
- 1. All of our difficulties arise and are expressed in our relationships with other people.
By focusing on interpersonal relationships and cooperation within a social community, students have an infinite number of
opportunities to gain insight into how their thinking and behavior may be self-defeating, and to develop and practice new
ways of relating to the world around them. A boarding school environment provides the ideal canvas to create a structured
and carefully defined social system, free from many of the pressures of the larger social milieu, while reflecting the realities
of young adult social interaction.
2. Healthy and open relationships are crucial in milieu therapy as all members of the community must be open to personal
examination and growth.
Faculty and staff model patience, flexibility in thought, and a willingness to continually work to solve problems and grow. This
self-reflective teaching model recognizes that all human beings share similar psychological processes, and by doing so,
creates a therapeutic environment that allows students to let go of emotional defenses and experiment with new ways of
thinking and behaving. The development of a strong, positive peer culture is the community goal of milieu therapy while the
goal of milieu therapy for an individual student always focuses on helping him to gain insight and practice more adaptive
ways of engaging the world.
Research and studies have proven that peers have a greater impact on each other than anyone else. A positive peer culture
is the most powerful component in the equation for effective change as peers live and attend classes together, share living
spaces and daily living activities, participate in therapy and give constant feedback to each other.
As the peer culture is based in mutual respect, support and care, the strong influence that adolescents and young adults
have on each other will provide a healthy milieu where:
- Students will exercise empathy, care and compassion for the best interest of the community above self –centered
and egocentric behaviors. - Students are encouraged to seek help and support from each other.
- Students will learn and practice skills to be able to work together effectively and develop pro-social values.
- Students develop academic, vocational, social and personal potential effectively when their social needs are met and
those needs are address periodically. - Students create and maintain a constructive environment to become productive, contributing members of society.
- A relaxed, happy, supportive and safe campus makes it possible for students to feel comfortable, embrace change,
open up and develop self - acceptance. - Every student is expected to become a positive role model, willing to help and support his peers to recognize negative
influences, irrational beliefs, unhelpful thoughts and inappropriate behaviors - Students develop self-discipline, problem solving and decision making skills and healthy coping strategies.
- Students understand and enforce healthy living standards through good communication and assertiveness.
- Students are the primary source of support to replace inappropriate living standards.
Through interdependence with other peers, staff members, the community and the culture each student is ensured to learn
personal success skills, enabling older adolescents and young adults to achieve independence and self-sufficiency regarding
their independence: nutrition skills training, basic money management, time their household organization, wellness and
physical fitness, job finding skills management, household organization, wellness and physical fitness, job finding skills -
resumes, interviews, and travel planning.
Milieu therapy with a peer-based philosophy and a cross cultural learning component will provide a unique platform for
personal growth and emotional development. The integration of educational and therapeutic services through experiential
education in a multicultural environment is an ideal combination for a transitional environment and to develop real success
skills, supervised and instructed by trained professionals.
personal success skills, enabling older adolescents and young adults to achieve independence and self-sufficiency regarding
their independence: nutrition skills training, basic money management, time their household organization, wellness and
physical fitness, job finding skills management, household organization, wellness and physical fitness, job finding skills -
resumes, interviews, and travel planning.
Milieu therapy with a peer-based philosophy and a cross cultural learning component will provide a unique platform for
personal growth and emotional development. The integration of educational and therapeutic services through experiential
education in a multicultural environment is an ideal combination for a transitional environment and to develop real success
skills, supervised and instructed by trained professionals.
| ...changing challenges into adventures! |
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| Personal Growth The therapeutic components of NSA stem not only from the experiences we offer but also from the relationships that are built between students and other students and staff. Therapists work evenings and weekends, recreation and Aventuras, as well as student life activities so that there is a strong sense of relationship, trust, and advocacy for each individual student. Families are a key part of the process with weekly phone calls, family workshops, and other opportunities for growth. Our model is based on a philosophy that is truly specialized and holistic to provide maximum growth for each young man. |
Therapeutic License Member of: until 2012 from: |
