Home-based Aftercare
Having worked in wilderness programs and residential treatment centers, I have seen the transforming impact that a mentor can have on a teenager's life and I am passionate about extending that impact to the home environment. In the Collaborative Coaching Program we offer our students continuing support as they navigate the transition back home. What makes the Collaborative Coaching Program truly special is that we also offer parents the support they need to re-build strained relationships and take on new roles with their children. Our goal is not only to help students experience success, but to help families experience success.
Benjamin Wahl, MSW
Program Coordinator
The Collaborative Coaching Program is a community-based program, providing services in the home and office settings to help families during the post-program transition. We are the first home-based aftercare program in this field to receive national accreditation. By focusing our work on families in Puget Sound and Portland, we are able to provide face-to-face contact, responsive support and a cost-effective model.
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We customize our services to fit each family’s unique needs, drawing from the following program components:
Mentor meetings. Individual meetings with Master's level mentors provide a supportive environment for clients to continue the goal-based work that was initiated in program. The individual meetings empower the client to work on areas such as family communication, positive self-identity, organizational skills and healthy decision making. Many of our mentors previously worked in programs and the meetings are also a time for the young person to receive understanding and support from a trusted source.
Parent Coaching sessions. The parents we work with have taken the difficult step to intervene against problem behaviors. Our professionally trained parent coaches help parents build a new relationship with their son or daughter. Building upon the work the parents have done with the wilderness program or boarding school, the parent coaches provide a forum for continued growth. In instances where there are setbacks, the parent coaches offer input and help the parents stay grounded.
Solutions-focused family meetings. Open family communication is perhaps the most important component in the post-program transition. Utilizing a parent-teen mediation model, we facilitate family meetings to address key areas in the family’s transition plan. Co-facilitated by our family coordinator and the client’s program mentor, the meetings help families work together to find practical solutions.
Aftercare groups. Teens returning from wilderness programs or boarding schools benefit greatly from a connection to positive peers. Our groups are not therapy- intensive, but are instead focused on building self-esteem and healthy living through activities such as indoor rock climbing, art and yoga.
Volunteer Opportunities. Program graduates have gained the value of service, leadership and work ethic. Our program mentors help clients find volunteer and work opportunities to help clients continue this momentum and build long-term career goals. In many instances, our clients work with our Aspiring Youth groups and summer camps.
Case Management. We offer after-hours phone based support. We also consult extensively with the family’s support system: therapists, psychiatrists, residential program therapists and school professionals. Additionally we provide referral options to an extensive network of local and national resources.