Christian Counseling and Therapeutic Program
- Behavior Modification Based on Christian Principles
We believe teens need to be taught to make good decisions, and to face natural and logical consequences. This allows them to choose to be a Godly, responsible young adult. It will be our hope that the ability to choose what is right for the right reasons will follow your daughter beyond our program. We see it as our job to create a structure in which your daughter can practice choices, and then face the results of those choices. We attempt to make the program environment a microcosm of real life. We strive to create an environment in which she can succeed or fail, within a safe learning environment. The key is holding your daughter accountable for her actions. For your daughter to learn personal responsibility, she will need to face both positive and negative consequences for choices she makes.
We have created a privilege level system at our center based on sound psychological principles. It incorporates five natural stages of progress that we have identified through our years of experience. We believe this system holds teens accountable, yet allows for freedom of choice when it comes to behavior. The structure of the program keeps those choices within safe limits. The biblical focus serves as a guideline for proper attitudes and behaviors. The spiritual focus of our program encourages residents to develop their own relationship with Christ. The supportive environment we create at our center encourages your daughter to overcome limiting beliefs, controlling problems, and negativity though a series of educational assignments incorporated into each level.
Privilege Levels 1-5 have Levels are a way to set goals and measure progress through the course of the 12 month Evangel House™ program. Levels are not punishment in any way, but privileges are associated with each level. The purpose of the levels system is to encourage each girl to take responsibility for her recovery and behavioral change process. Using levels to measure progress brings clarity to what needs to be worked on, while acknowledging positive accomplishments across the 12 months of the program. We’ve defined five natural stages of progress for the program. Levels 1-5 outline a natural course of progress for girls and corresponding steps for parents. The levels are outlined in both the parent handbook and the student handbook, but are not posted on the website.
Each level has:
- A tasks to complete in the academic, therapeutic, social, physical, and spiritual aspects of the program
- A series of tasks to complete appropriate to the progress expected.
- Readings with reports.
- Parent involvement at each level.
The Levels system incorporates a week to week measurement of goals. Staff meets weekly to determine privilege zones for all of the residents, and your daughter’s privilege zone will be in effect for seven days. Zones are not arbitrarily given out. The staff as a team makes the decisions based on the choices we see your daughter make throughout the week. Staff members give encouragement and informal counsel to teach your daughter to make good decisions as opportunities present themselves. The goal is to encourage her to act appropriately, but the choice to change is given to them. It will always be explained to your daughter what the reason for the zone is, and what can be done to improve or correct the situation. We make a special effort to focus on the positive aspects of your daughter’s behavior at our center. Yet as her level is determined, we will hold her accountable to her choices.
Our weekly privilege zones are similar to a traffic light with “Green Zone”, “Yellow Zone”, and “Red Zone” levels. Privileges and consequences fluctuate somewhat to fit the needs of the group, but the general guidelines are as follows:
Green Zone – “Green Zone” is the highest privilege level. Your daughter will be given both consistent rewards and spur of the moment rewards. Examples of consistent rewards are the ability to go outside around the property in free time, full visitation privileges, more telephone time, etc. For the most part, your daughter will know that if she is in “Green Zone”, then she will get a list of privileges. Spur of the moment rewards are those that are given when the opportunity arises. There is no way to know for sure what the reward may be, but special privileges await your daughter in “Green Zone.”
Yellow Zone – “Yellow Zone” is a warning level. It allows your daughter the opportunity to make mistakes without loosing all of her privileges at once. For example, she will still be given privileges, but they will not be full privileges. She will not be allowed to go as freely around the property during free time, her visitation on Saturday will be restricted to supervised on-site visits, and her telephone time will be cut in half. She will be given a chance to make the right decisions about her behavior and correct the problem when she is in this zone.
Red Zone – “Red Zone” is the most serious of consequences. There is usually an important issue being dealt with when on this level. Girls are not allowed to go outside without staff, their telephone time is greatly reduced, visitation is restricted for that week, and packages and mail are held until the crisis is resolved. This zone is a consequence for poor choices, but it also functions as a safety measure. Sometimes, a resident cannot go back to “Green Zone” from this level without first going through “Yellow Zone.” It is normal for girls to end up in this zone as they face difficult issues in their life and use old patterns of dealing with them. You may expect to see her even linger there in an attempt to evoke that pity or rescue response mentioned earlier. Don’t be discouraged if your daughter ends up in Red Zone at our center, as this needs to happen for her to learn. Remember, the purpose is to create a corrective experience from which your daughter will learn new coping and choice making skills. All residents are given opportunities to talk about what went wrong and how to correct the situation.
