The Family Foundation School

In my life before The Family School I was extremely self-centered. I hurt everyone around me to get what I wanted and got a lot of negative attention by acting like a psycho. I had no interest in God because he probably didn't want me to steal, lie, cheat, or use substances.

A.C.

My life became unmanageable early on. I was kicked out of 8th grade for drinking and drugging, and a year later was thrown out of 9th grade for the same reasons. I also owed thousands of dollars in gambling debt and spent my life running from those I owed money to.

A.H.

Before FFS, my life was unmanageable and out of control. I was shooting heroin, selling drugs, stealing, and lying to my parents. I did anything to blind me from reality because I hated who I had become.

C.B.

At home I was an overeater and extremely overweight. Going to school was the last thing on my mind. I stayed home and slept all day, then got up and stayed out all night. I was rude and disrespectful and had fits of temper.

D.W.

At home I perfected the art of quitting. My attempts at sports, school, and relationships amounted to nothing but pathetic stories because I never followed through. I did not like myself and wanted to escape the judgment of others.

J.C.

My life at home was full of lies and deceit. I became part of the tough crowd in middle school, and in high school I was in and out of detention, got into bad relationships, ran away and was sent to a psych ward.

J.G.

To put it bluntly, I was a drunk. I didn't care about my family, or God, just drinking and smoking. I was drug-tested for the first time at 12, at 13 I was in outpatient rehab, and at 15 I was sent to wilderness and then to The Family School.

J.M.

I was 15 and my mother was driving me to the hospital. She was crying, but all I could think of was what a good job I had done not eating. I felt no remorse, only the desire to leave and continue killing myself.

M.R.

I am an alcoholic and a drug addict who couldn't live life on life's terms, so I drank. When my dad was diagnosed with cancer, I was introduced to heavier drugs and started stealing and selling his pain medication.

R.B.

I was empty, angry, miserable, and lonely at home, and used any means possible to numb my feelings. I dropped out of school. Nothing really mattered, and I was quickly using up my friends and family.

V.K.

Parent and Family Counseling

The problems of a troubled teen invariably affect his or her family, so parent and family counseling is a major part of The Family School experience. Our commitment to healing families means providing the help and encouragement parents and siblings need as they examine their own attitudes and emotions and make positive changes in themselves while their troubled teen is with us.

Family Group Counseling

Family Group Counseling is provided for all students and their families and is conducted by one of our house counselors. The concurrent education and counseling of family members is a very important component of each student's development. Family therapy at the school views the family as a system, each part being affected by the others in some way. Therefore, the whole system needs to change to maximize the chance for a long-lasting improvement in a student's relationship to his or her family.

In these family groups, the counselor observes family dynamics and explores various family issues. Students may "clean house" with their families and hopefully take responsibility for the hurt they have caused. The family group also provides a forum to work out problems with siblings and stepparents, to improve communication, and to define goals for the future. Family group sessions are scheduled throughout a student's stay at the school.

Parent Seminars

A Parent Seminar is scheduled approximately six weeks after a student has been enrolled. This is an all-day orientation covering the philosophy, practices, goals, and rules of school, as well as its academic program, extracurricular activities, student life, counseling and disciplinary procedures. It is also the first of many opportunities we'll have to help parents develop or improve techniques to deal with their troubled child. The group is informal and open; new parents may ask questions, express concerns, and share experiences. Parents have the opportunity to visit with their child for one hour before the seminar begins and forty-five minutes after the seminar ends. Although most students eagerly anticipate the event, we occasionally have to reschedule a parent's seminar if the student hasn't settled in, or curtail or cancel the visiting time if the student's behavior warrants it.

Parent Workshops

After parents have attended two Family Group sessions with their child, they are invited to attend Parent Workshop sessions with other parents, usually four to six couples per session. Parent Workshops are always held on Saturday and is two hours long: a morning session (9:30-11:30) or an afternoon session (1:30-3:30). This counseling is required for all parents and is essential for continued progress--but this time, the focus is on the parents' progress, which may include changes that have taken place in the home since the enrollment of their teen in the school, i.e., changes in relationships between the parents and with other children in the household.

Parent Workshops at the school incorporate the ideas and even the questionnaires of Families Anonymous, a self-help, 12-Step organization for families in crisis, but covers much more. Parents participate actively and assist each other with insight, suggestions, and empathy. Counselors and staff help parents to identify enabling behavior, improve parenting skills, and to relate to their child in healthier ways as they recover. Parents are also encouraged to connect with outside support groups.

Outside Support Groups

Support groups are essential for parents of troubled teens, and we encourage them to attend 12-Step meetings regularly while their child is a student with us. Families Anonymous, Al-Anon, and Parents Anonymous all utilize the 12-Step approach to solving life's problems. We require parents to attend at least six 12-Step meetings before they take their child off campus. Nothing conveys support for a child like working the same program and sharing the vocabulary and experience of recovery.

Parents' Online Support Group

The 12&12 is an online support group started by two Family School parents. The list-serve is monitored by and available only to parents of alumni and parents of current students. We cannot say enough about how helpful this group has been, especially to new parents. To ensure privacy and foster trust among parents, the staff of The Family Foundation School cannot visit or monitor the 12&12 site.

The Family Foundation School is just that—a school founded on the structure, ideals, relationships and lessons of family life. Our program is simple: rigorous academics, daily counseling, and the principles of 12-Step living.