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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Communicating with Your Child and the School

A major part of the program at The Family Foundation School involves developing the healthy parent-child communication vital to our students' long-term success. Old communication patterns need to be broken and new ones established. The policies and procedures outlined below have evolved over the years with that goal in mind.

Parents' primary contact with the school is through their House Contact Person. Parents may call their House Contact Person weekly to discuss their child's progress.

Parents also may need to communicate with the principal about academics, the health office, the counseling department, and the business office. All can be reached through our main phone number: 845-887-5213.

First Visits

The first time parents see their child is at the Parents' Initial Seminar, approximately 4-6 weeks after admission. Parents can spend time before and after the seminar visiting with their child on campus in a public setting. The parents' next visit to campus is for the first Family Group. Timing on the group depends upon student progress. Most family groups are scheduled 4-6 weeks after the Initial Seminar.

Off-campus visits

If these first two visits are successful, a short day trip off campus may be approved. After about six months, students became eligible for overnight visits. We ask that the first overnight be taken in a motel or resort and not at home where students may be tempted to contact old friends and resume old habits.

Home Visits

Home visits are part of the transition process and should be put off until the student is ready to be reintegrated into the family.

Some exceptions to this home visit policy are made during the winter holiday season. However, most students do not go home for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years or for any other holiday during their first year at the school. After that, holiday visits are limited.

Other Visits

Parents and other family members are welcome to visit the school for spring and fall graduation, for our three student performances throughout the year, and for other specially scheduled events.

Letters and Phone Calls

Parents and students are encouraged to exchange letters once a week beginning on the day of enrollment. The first phone call for most students to their parents occurs 30 days after enrollment. Based on the student's particular situation, an exception can be made to allow for an earlier first phone call. No communication from old friends is allowed, and communication with siblings and extended family members is handled on a case-by-case basis. Our first goal is to reestablish healthy communication with parents.

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.