The Story of My Life: Troubled Teens Write Autobiographies

Autobiographies and Parent Narratives:  A vital Part of the Treatment Process

An important aspect of the therapeutic process for students at RedCliff Ascent is the compilation of an autobiography.  Students write a 40 page autobiography while in the program as part of completing the phase work.  This exercise affords students the opportunity to reflect on the issues that have led to their need to be in treatment. Students share this writing with their therapist and with their treatment group.  Students find confidence to be open and genuine about their lives as they share their writings.  Students find healing as they authentically share their life experience with others.

 Parents also have the opportunity to participate in this process as they draft writing assignments that correlate with the autobiography called parent narratives.  These narratives provide parents  with the chance to share their perspective on their child’s life and brings the parent voice into the therapy sessions.  Therapists read the parent narratives together with the students in the therapy sessions. 

Many families have found healing through the process of the autobiographies and parent narratives.   Students leave the program with a 40 page written story of their life along with their parents’ written version of their life.  These documents become even more valuable over time as students look back on their process of growth and how their wilderness experience has impacted the path they choose for the future. By Matt Bulkley, Clinical Director, RedCliff Ascent

Watch the video: Matt explains the significance of these therapy assignments.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOaeTZ8zlOs&list=UUSV01eMoC2Y5UHbBA4p-fmw&index=5&feature=plcp

The Perks of Perspective and Teen Wilderness Therapy

As Executive Director, I can find gobs of reasons as to why I need to stay in the office, sit at my desk, talk on the phone and get that growing pile of paperwork done.  The problem is there are always phone calls to be made, paperwork to be done and any number of tasks to complete to keep Redcliff Ascent on track.  All of it important and necessary. 

Going to the field is a perk – I get to see students in various stages of treatment, mood and progression.  How is the gear working that we provide?  How has the weather affected the students and staff?  How creative are they with the food?  How are staff interacting with students?   Oh, the things I can learn by observing, chatting and being a part of the group  – evn for just a short time. 

Students often inquire as to what it is I “do” here at RCA.  I just tell them I work in the office and consider it a treat to be out in the field with them. 

I always come back to the office rejuvinated, in a better mood and with an even better appreciation of what it is we really do here at RCA.    We have the opportunity to shape young lives, to present other ideas and ways of looking at the world and, in particular, their situation. by Andrea Burgess, Executive Director, RedCliff Ascent

Christmas in the Wilderness

The month of December can be a treacherous one at Red Cliff Ascent.  It is often the first month of truly wintry weather and the stress of being away from family and friends during the holidays can take its toll on staff and students alike.  While we can’t control the weather we do like to show a little Christmas Spirit by holding a “shin-dig” at our Outpost facility.

The Christmas festivities start off on December 24th when our support staff make an evening visit to each group with hot chocolate and candy canes.  This year the night skies were clear of snow, but the temperature dropped into the low teens and single digits.  Having a hot cup of peppermint and chocolate, along with the chance to sing some Christmas Carols around a juniper and pine campfire, made the night a little more special and helped the cold air bite just a little bit less.

The morning of the 25th was an early one for everyone involved in the making of a wilderness Christmas.  This year Leslie Bishop, our Director of Human Resources, brought her family out to the field to serve breakfast to the staff and students.  The Bishops woke up early, ignored the presents under the tree, and drove the 90 minutes to Outpost to help our backup driver, Shadow, and myself create a Christmas breakfast that would be special for all of our students.

 
As the students hiked towards Outpost our staff and volunteers diced up mushrooms, onions, and bell peppers, they crumbled bacon, fried hash browns, and stirred up gallons of hot chocolate.  By 9:30AM, when all the groups arrived, there was a a decorated juniper tree, a stack of six Dutch ovens, and a roaring fire to greet them.  

Breakfast was a heaping serving of “mountain man breakfast” for everyone involved; fluffy eggs, bacon, potatoes, and vegetables topped off with melted cheese and salsa.  Orange juice and hot chocolate washed it all down.  And then we got started on the presents!

The weeks before Christmas our office turns into a miniature North Pole as presents arrive from all over for our students.  Parents are asked to limit their gift-giving to items that will prove useful in the wilderness; light fleece jackets, gloves, mittens, beanies, and scarves are all popular gifts.  

The unwrapping of presents and trying on of new gear is always exciting, but the most touching part of the day for me is listening to students read over the letters from their family and talk about how much the notes of love and cheer mean to them.  

As I snap photos of the students for our Parent Portal I can’t help but think of all the families that are attending to their holiday traditions, but are missing an important member.  This absence is never easy and it is certainly felt by our students and staff.  Still, there is a knowledge that all of us involved in this celebration are here for a reason and out at Outpost there is a happy spirit.   by Ryan Hill, Weekend Director

To see a video of our Thanksgiving celebration, visit www.redcliffascent.com/videos

Thanksgiving at RedCliff Ascent

Holidays such as Thanksgiving will be a very different experience for a student at Redcliff Ascent.  Instead of gathering at Grandma’s house for dinner with extended family, RCA students will spend the day with their group in a camp in the remote southern Utah wilderness. 

The group will have a layover day on Thanksgiving, which means they will relax and not have to hike.  The staff will help the students prepare a fabulous meal consisting of turkey with the fixings cooked in a dutch oven. There will be rolls, cranberry sauce and green beans as well.  To top off this fine meal, the students will be treated to pumpkin pie!

Even though it will be hard for our students to be away from their families during this holiday season, the memories they will make in the wilderness will last a lifetime and hopefully always be a cherished memory.

Redcliff Ascent is thankful for the opportunity to serve all of the families we are privileged to work with each year.  Happy Holidays from our family to yours! Phyllis Cooper, Office Manager

Here’s a look at this year’s celebration: http://youtu.be/oHHvk5G0XBk

Medicine Wheel Gets New Website

     Our new Medicine Wheel at Redcliff website is up and running.  A special thanks to everyone who worked so hard to make it happen. 

     Medicine Wheel is a wilderness program designed for young adults ages 18-26. We have always been proud of what we do here, it is nice to finally have a website that accurately reflects all of those efforts. 

    Take some time to navigate through its pages, and let us know what you think.    www.rcmedicinewheel.com

Safe Wilderness Therapy Demands Winter Prepration

Field staff at RedCliff Ascent have a difficult occupation and are expected to maintain high standards of operation all year. Occasionally, extreme weather conditions can make their jobs even tougher.

Because safety is our #1 priority, RedCliff’s Field Director, Scott Schill, recently held a special winter training seminar for all field staff. Here are some of the highlights of that presentation:

Shelters:  Shelter from harsh weather does much to comfort those living outside during the winter. We’ve seen as much as 30+ inches of snow in one storm and temperatures that have dropped to below 0 for a ten day stretch. The two most used winter shelters in the field are the “Shuttle” shelter and the “Circus Tent”.

The “Shuttle” is a completely enclosed shelter built fairly low to the ground to keep in warmth. It is difficult to get a large group of students into a shuttle shelter but if you’re successful, body warmth can keep the shelter at a reasonable sleeping temperature. In addition to the shuttle, a fire shelter is necessary to keep a group safe during hours you’re not in the sleeping shelter. It is meant to be large enough to carry out program expectations including hard skills and written assignments.

The “Circus Tent” is designed to accomplish the function of the sleeping shelter and the fire shelter combined. It is more difficult to construct but is made using two group tarps in a sort of teepee configuration, with a high peak propped open for a smoke hole. The doorway can be closed at night to keep warmth in. A fire can be stoked occasionally during the night to fend off some of the bitter cold. 

Sleeping: There are several sleeping arrangements that are acceptable and they are outlined in the staff manual. The point that needs to be made in this instruction is the need to keep and maintain body warmth during the night. This can be achieved by several means.

A.      Sleep close together. Hoho’s (sleeping pads) should be touching in the winter. Keep genders separated as usual.

B.      Pay attention to sleeping bag loft. If you see a student whose sleeping bag has noticeably less loft than others, please call it in. We’ll replace it as soon as possible.

C.      Make sure students have adequate padding to insulate them from the ground. Extra clothing can be used on top of their Hoho.

D.     Students may use their personal tarp as a bivy or “burrito”. If students sleep in a line, a group burrito will keep in additional warmth.

E.      See that students are dry when they get in their “wiggys” (sleeping bags). Make sure their wiggys are dry. It may take some extra time to get the bags dried. It is good practice to hang them on tree branches in the morning sun to dry them out. Even on bitter cold mornings, moisture can evaporate from the bags.

F.       Clothing – Students should sleep in their blacks (polypropolene long johns) or reds (fleece tops and bottom) or both. More than this will be less effective. Make sure students have a beanie or their hoodie to sleep in. This allows them to keep their face out of their wiggy while they sleep keeping additional moisture from accumulating in their bag during the night. If students have a pair of socks to use in their wiggy, they should fit loose. Otherwise, it’s better to sleep without them. One of their red fleece tops can be used to put their feet in and will serve much better than tight socks.

G.     Food – Make sure students have eaten a hot meal before going to bed. A few slices of salt pork in their pot will help them sleep much warmer. Butter on a scoobie helps as well. A former RedCliff staff took a job in Antarctica. She claimed they ate a stick of butter before going to bed each day to help them generate heat while they slept.

H.     If students need additional warmth, they may heat water in a Kleen canteen and drop it in a sock. This can be placed in their wiggy, which slowly gives off heat during the night. This water can be used for hygiene in the morning.

I.        Peeing – Students should go to bed with an empty bladder. They should also be encouraged to get up and pee if they have to during the night. Getting out of a warm wiggy can be excruciating on a bitter cold night but they will fall back asleep almost immediately after getting back in their cocoon. Make sure there is an adequate place to pee close to camp. Encourage students to wake you up in the night if they are too cold. You may have a suggestion that could help.

Advance Camps: During the winter months, the days are shorter and the nights longer. Sometimes this provides a challenge getting from one camp to another in time to get it set up before dark. Staff may decide to have what is referred to as an “advance camp”. This is a day hike for up to two miles. Students bring with them everything they will need to gather a wood supply, dig a sump and a latrine, select a shelter site and work on curriculum if they have extra time. When these activities are finished, the group heads back to camp and begins dinner. The next day, the group takes down camp and moves to the new site. The only things they have to do are set up the shelter and start the fire and camp is set up. This accomplishes several things. It breaks up some of the funk created by staying in the same camp for too long. It also provides needed structure without the drudgery of the full pack saga.

Cold related injuries: This refers to hypothermia, frostbite, frostnip, or chilblains. Human tissue can be subject to some extremely cold conditions for short periods of time without sustaining injury as long as it stays dry. Hands and feet are the most susceptible to damage. Here are some ways to prevent that damage:

A.      Identify the student(s) in the group that are most likely candidates. High risk students are: 

1.     High maintenance kids that can’t or won’t take care of themselves.

2.      Students with dark skin (Black, Hispanic, Arabic, Polynesian, etc.)

3.      Self destructive students.

4.     Students that just won’t follow instructions.

B.      Make sure feet are dry. Foot checks are required two times a day by state regulations and more than that by our own standards if we deem it necessary. Look at the feet. Use latex gloves and touch them if you need to. See how the toes appear and feel. We issue merino wool sock during the coldest winter months. These socks are a great blend of wool and polyester and other materials. Wool insulates even when it’s wet. Students will also be issued boots rated to 40 below zero (again, as long as they are dry). It is crucial that dry feet go into the boots dry. “Unholey Soles” will be issued in the winter months. This will keep their socks somewhat dry while the students frolic around camp in the snow. Unholey Soles can be removed as long as the students are warm by the fire and sitting on a hoho. DRY, DRY, DRY…

C.      Hands should not be exposed to wind and bitter cold for long periods of time without protection. Have the students use wool liners and or mittens especially when working in the snow or wet conditions. We will be using a 6 mil cord instead of the small black pack cord for tying packs. This cord can be used to construct a very secure shelter, haul piles of wood, tie a clothes line, built camp gadgets, roll a pack etc. It is much more functional than the black cord we’ve been using and more importantly, it can be tied and untied with mittens on. Don’t use hand sanitizer away from the fire. It evaporates so quickly it could cause tissue to freeze. Pot cleaning can be another potential danger for hands on those bitter cold days. Be sure students aren’t using bare hands to clean pots on those days unless they can do it safely by the fire.

Fire: Even if you have no shelter in extreme condition, fire can be the key to not only survival but to good spirits. There will be situations that make fire extremely difficult to start. Here are some tips.

A.      Dry out some tinder and double bag it. That goes for staff and students alike. We only made it a requirement to have nesting material for one fire. Make sure it’s dry and it will save a great deal of stress and frustration. When looking for tinder in the winter, the best place to find relatively dry cedar bark is from the “armpit” of the larger branches.

B.      Set up a fire shelter to protect the fire from falling rain or snow.

C.      Clear the ground. In some cases the ground may be frozen solid and digging a pit may not be an option initially. If the ground is soaked…

D.     Use the group saw and cut four small logs (3 to 4” in diameter) about 10 to 14”.

E.      Using a Bushman knife and a baton, split the logs in half and lay them in a parallel pattern with the flat, dry sides up. This creates a dry platform for your fire. Split another log in a similar matter only in fourths. With the Bushman or another sharp knife, whittle shavings from what would have been the center of the log. These dry shavings can be piled up and lit with a lighter or a signal flare (provided to each HI). Even if logs dead wood has been soaked in rain for days, dry tinder can be found in the center. Water only penetrates about the first ¼ inch then the wood fibers swell and seal out the moisture.

F.       If you do all this and still can’t get a fire, call base. We will have a supply of 3 hour logs at outpost and we’ll get you some asap.

G.     When you have a fire going, be less concerned about burning wood smaller than your wrist than you would be in the summer. Larger diameter wood puts out more heat for longer. Keep this in mind in extreme weather. Low impact takes a back seat to safety. Ideally we can accomplish both. H.     Stack wet wood up on one end of the fire pit or around it. It can dry out as the fire burns. Stacked wood or even rocks at one end of the fire pit can also reflect heat making the fire more efficient. This can only be done with smaller groups as most space around fire pits is occupied by bodies.

Communication:  By adding more solar panels and turning off the main channel for the winter, we think we should have a drama free winter but, follow the SPOT protocol if we lose the repeater. Make sure you hit your spot the minute you realize the repeater is down. Do it again at call-in time. You may use the SPOT to signal base that you need radio batteries or could use some other non emergency assistance by hitting the help button. If the repeater goes down during a hike, it would relieve a great deal of stress on the part of Support Staff if you would set your SPOT on track mode.

Accessibility:  Be near major roads. As usual, camp far enough off the roads that your camp can’t be seen. If you have a question about accessibility, ask base at call-in. We have a smowmobile and a snowcat. We’ll be able to get to you. Don’t worry about getting socked in with a snow storm. Just stock up on wood and stay put. We’ll get to you. If the storm hits just before therapy, we’ll break trail with the snowcat for the other vehicles. The snowcat will be stocked with 3 hour logs and other pertinent gear to assist you in case of extreme conditions. We want you to feel like you can still use the field in winter. However, keep in mind that if there’s snow, it will be deeper in the higher benches and the lowest part of the valley is a sump at night and can be considerably colder than the lower benches away from Pine Valley Rd.

 Hiking:  Hiking is probably the safest activity that we can do at RCA during the winter. It doesn’t take long before the blood is pumping and extremities are warmed up. Layers can be shed in order to prevent getting too sweaty. We can’t identify one case of a cold related injury that occurred while hiking. Snow can be problematic for hiking and will definitely slow the progress of the hike. While hiking in deep snow, you may have the lead person hike for five minutes, then step off the trail and fall in at the rear. Then the next person breaks trail for five and so on. You will need to deviate from hiking with Staff in front /Staff in back in order to pull this off. Otherwise staff will be hiking together in the line most of the time. Keep the group close together for better supervision. Think DRY. If Neos are required to keep snow out of boots, then make those arrangements.

Between on-going safety training and RedCliff’s commitment to make sure students have the best gear for any weather condition, RedCliff parents can sleep better themselves knowing their children are safe regardless of the season.

University Visitors Get First-Hand Look at Troubled Teen Therapy

Constantly Improving Wilderness Camp

The leaves are barely beginning to turn colors in Southern Utah but Milton Hatt, warehouse manager for RedCliff Ascent, is already prepared for winter.

Part of the preparation means making sure the warehouse is filled with everything students may need to keep warm and dry – especially when it comes to their feet.

This year Milt is swapping out last year’s model hiking boots for a style that is waterproof and insulated. It costs the company about $30 more per pair but Milt says it’s worth it.

“We’re constantly improving,” he says about the products he stocks. His job not only includes warehousing and distributing equipment but shopping for the best gear at the best price.

The new hiking books are waterproof and insultated to well below zero. Combined with a pair of NEOS overshoes, students’ feet not only stay dry but they also stay warm.

Milt took shoe improvements an additional step. He shopped for, and found, camp sandals without holes in the uppers. Students typically change into these “Croc”-like shoes at night as they gather around the fire. ”No holes means stockings stay dry at night. That makes a big difference in whether or not feet stay warm,” Milt says. 

Therapy is hard work but Milt and the rest of the RedCliff Ascent staff work hard to make sure students stay safe, warm and dry as they re-build family relationships.

Wilderness Therapy Gear

As the warehouse manager for RedCliff Ascent wilderness therapy program, it is my responsibility to make sure that our students are outfitted in the best outdoor products available for the best price.  For that reason, I attend the Outdoor Retailers Show in Salt Lake City, Utah twice a year.

This show is one of the largest in the country.  There are more than a thousand different vendors showcasing their products. Attending it allows me to meet with companies on a regular basis to get updates on their products.  There are also new companies that attend the show each year.  I am able to see their products before they are available to the public.  Most of the products we use are found at the Outdoor Retailers Show. – By Milt Hatt, RedCliff Warehouse Manager

Vendors display their products at the Outdoor Retailers show in Salt Lake City, Utah

 

Where Do We Sleep? Wilderness Therapy at Work

To a RedCliff wilderness therapy staff member there are few things more invigorating than waking up in the wilderness. Whether it has rained, dumped snow through the night, or is a perfect fall morning, there is something special to us about waking up in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by nothing more than miles of desert. This should be no surprise though. After all, we chose to be out here.

For the new student, however, nothing about the experience seems enjoyable and the completion of the most basic tasks can seem difficult. First comes the question of using the bathroom….find a tree. Then it is water…hike to fill up from a stream and chemically treat the water. Then heat for comfort and cooking. A variety of sticks, stones, cord, and skill provide all the fire we need. And when the dishes from that first dinner have been cleaned and the sun starts to set, without fail the students ask, “So, where do we sleep?”

On the best nights RCA staff and students lay their heads down on the soft desert sand. It is cool to the touch and above them is a black sky that is littered with stars. A cool breeze rustles the juniper trees, providing the perfect excuse to curl deeper into your sleeping bag. And yet it is difficult to pull your eyes away from the sky above.

Other nights, when the temperature drops and water threatens to fall from the sky in every possible form, the students are required to put a roof over their heads. Group tarps are broken out, cord is unraveled, a pair of sturdy trees is found, and rocks are moved to provide a comfortable spot to sleep. Students must work together at this time, ensuring that everyone will stay dry and warm through the night.

The typical shelter at RedCliff is made up of a large blue tarp strung between two or more sturdy juniper or pinon pine trees. It is attached to the trees and pulled tight with the parachute cord or lengths of 2-inch webbing that the students also use to make their survival packs. An A-frame, or shuttle, is made using rocks, sand, logs, or snow weighing the sides down ensuring that rain and snow will run off easily and that the wind won’t blow the sides loose. In bad weather the open ends are tied shut, keeping body heat in and rain or snow out. In these simple shelters hundreds of RCA staff and students have laid down to sleep in all sorts of weather.

When the hike ends and camp has been found, it is up to the students to assign and complete camp chores. They ensure that the group with have a comfortable, if temporary, home out of their spot in the wilderness. Those students on shelter duty are responsible for the group’s comfort during the night. A poorly made shelter will put the group at the mercy of the wind, rain, and snow, creating a situation in which a good night’s sleep is nearly impossible. A well made shelter can stay dry and warm, even when temperatures dip below zero and snow fall is measured in feet, not inches.

In the morning, or sometimes the middle of the night, the quality of the student’s work will become clear. The weather and the students will make comments on the shelter, exposing a student’s laziness and carelessness or congratulating their ingenuity and hard work. 

Each student at Red Cliff is expected to learn the skills necessary to live in the wilderness. While the staff ensure that the students are safe and work hard to teach these skills, it is ultimately up to the student to ensure his or her own comfort at RCA. While each student is given the tools to thrive, it is their own choice to use these skills and it is often this choice that sets the groundwork for therapeutic breakthroughs during a student’s stay at RedCliff.

So, as the day ends and camp is set the students must find it in themselves to create a home in the wilderness. Whether it is their first shelter or their thirtieth, each student knows the importance of the work they are doing. If the job is done poorly the group may be cold and miserable. If it is done well, the group will stay warm and dry, and whatever the outcome is each student knows that they wereresponsible for it. -By Ryan Hill, Weekend Director