A new DVD series lets RedCliff parents learn along with their students as they view “The Parents Seminar.”
Presented by Dr. Dan Sanderson, RedCliff Clinical Director, the seminar is designed to coordinate with phase work students are completing in the field. While students work on their field assignments, parents watch the seminar and complete written narratives.
“The Parents Seminar” is divided into five, one hour chapters. In it, “Doc Dan” teaches parents how to measure the effectiveness of the wilderness experience for their child and how to build on that momentum.
Topics include Developmental Vacation, Negotiation vs. Manipulation, Your Psychological Basement, and The Extinction Burst.
The DVD series is available at no charge to families currently enrolled. Alumni families may purchase the five disc set at a reduced rate. Please call Cheryl Bennett at (800) 898-1244 to request your copy.
It sits majestically in the middle of sage brush and cedar trees, 160 acres of wilderness known as Outpost. Delicately carved into the land, Outpost is both a sanctuary and celebration venue for RedCliff Ascent students and staff.
“It’s basically an outdoor learning center,” explains RedCliff Field Director Scott Schill. “It was designed with separate camps so students and staff could go there and learn specific skills.” But grad camps and shindig celebrations are also held at Outpost.
Built four years ago, Schill designed and help construct most of Outpost. The facility is located about 45 minutes south of RedCliff’s headquarters in Enterprise, Utah. It’s comprised of five different learning areas, as well as a pavilion, amphitheater, and kiva.
“The kiva is definitely the coolest aspect of Outpost,” Schill says. He measured sketches of Native American ruins at Mesa Verde, Arizona and designed the Outpost kiva about one and a half times larger than the ancient dwellings.
Entering the kiva at Outpost is like stepping into the past. In its quiet dimness, it is easy to imagine ancient truth seekers gathered near a small fire, listening to and learning from their elders in the sacred underground room.
As students and staff worked on the project, Schill would explain the sacred significance of the structure to Native Americans. Students developed a reverent appreciation for a culture most knew little, if anything, about.
Each Outpost learning camp teaches students a specific skill. The stone camp is where students learn how to make tools that help them notch their fire boards. The iron camp is similar to a blacksmith’s shop. Here students make knives and strikers for flint and steel fires. At the willow camp they learn to weave baskets.
The teepee camp is for advanced students who have earned what Schill calls the “red hand” experience. At Outpost these students perform a service project and demonstrate a skill they have learned from one of the camps. Their red-dyed hand-prints on the teepee canvas are a symbol of their status. “Red hand” students then return to their own groups or are transferred to groups of newer students where they serve as peer mentors.
Besides being a learning facility, Outpost can also double as an emergency shelter in extreme weather conditions. It is always stocked with water and firewood. A small cabin on-site contains other emergency supplies like food, clothing and sleeping bags.
Outpost offers a few comfort features as well. There are showers with solar heated water and composting toilets similar to those in national parks. Both are a welcome break from the sparse conditions of wilderness camping.
Whether it’s celebration or shelter, Outpost is the staging area for growth and change at RedCliff Ascent.
Part of what makes the RedCliff experience so exceptional are the men and women who work with our students. This month we are pleased to introduce you to three members of our field staff.
Tana and James Frey
Head Instructors
“I’ve been wanting to work here ever since I was 11,” says Tana Frey. “It’s my dream job.”
Tana’s been part of the RedCliff family ever since she was a child. Her father, Clinical Director Dr. Dan Sanderson, used to take her out into the field with him. She came to work formally for the company in 2004. Two years later she met fellow field staff member, James Frey, who would become her husband.
“Some of the kids know we’re married. Some don’t,” she says. “We try not to talk about it too much.”
James began working at RedCliff in 2006. “I’ve wanted to work here since my brother (a former field staffer) started working here.”
He says a mutual friend introduced him to Tana after they had finished a shift. “I thought she seemed really cool,” he recalls. “I got to know her and she was cool,” he says.
“I was out of water and he had all the water,” Tana jokes.
Dating was difficult. The pair never worked together in the field and had only off-shift time to be together. They were married in December, 2006.
These days they generally share the same field assignment but, since both are head instructors, they sometimes split to work with junior field staff.
Both agree there are challenges and rewards to working with your spouse in the rugged Utah wilderness. “We understand each other really well,” Tana notes. “But at the same time we spend all of our work week together and all of our off week together. There’s not a lot of alone time,” she says.
“You know how the other person ticks,” James says, “But in the field I have to distance myself from her.”
Tana admits they occasionally disagree on student conduct. “I will jump in and try and take control. James is better at just letting it happen and then talking about it afterwards.”
Both agree their favorite assignment has been working at grad camp. “It’s so cool to see the kids run to their parents crying and hugging,” James says. “It’s great to see them come back together and be able to start over.”
Tana says the best part of her job is watching students that have been struggling with behavior finally “get it.” “The light goes on and they finally understand how their behavior affects their life,” she says. “It doesn’t mean that they’re going to change right away. But it means they get it.”
Tana will leave RedCliff this fall to return to Southern Utah University where she plans to study psychology. She hopes to earn a doctorate degree and one day return to RedCliff.
James plans to wait another year before he returns to school, also to study psychology. He wants to work with autistic children.
Lila Gasink
Head Instructor
She was born in Chicago, spent her early childhood in Switzerland, and graduated from high school in Puerto Rico. Now Lila Gasink calls Utah home.
She’s been working with RedCliff students since 2005. Lila first heard about RedCliff years earlier when a friend became a student in the program.
Lila was job hunting on the Internet when she recognized the name and decided to apply. A recent graduate of Wells College in central New York, she wanted to put her psychology degree to work.
“Professors and other contacts spoke highly of RedCliff and knew of the program,” she recalls. “It had a good reputation.”
Lila says although she was in great shape from playing college sports, the work at RedCliff is exhausting, mentally and physically. But she loves seeing positive changes in her students.
During her off-shift time she enjoys skiing and snowboarding. In the summer she likes getting together with friends or taking road trips to national parks.
Welcome to new quarterly newsletter for parents and alumni of RedCliff Ascent. We’re pleased to offer news and information to enhance your family’s RedCliff experience. In the coming months you’ll see updates on programs, information about our staff, relationship helps and parenting tips from respected authors and speakers. We welcome your contributions as well. Please give us your feedback at editor@redcliffascent.com. You may also visit our blog at www.redcliffascent.com/blog/.
By Andrea Burgess, Executive Director
RedCliff has designed nine essential steps to make sure your child is safe while in our care. In our last newsletter, I explained how our student to staff ratio is lower than required by law. I also discussed the years of experience and depth of training required by RedCliff staff.
Our medical staff, both in-house and contracted, carefully monitors our students to make certain their health and well-being are not being compromised.
New students are assigned to a Pollywog group while they acclimate to the weather, altitude and rigors of the program.
And our outpost puts extra food, clothing, and shelter within range of every field group should weather or other conditions warrant emergency precautions.
This month we’ll discuss four other steps RedCliff takes as standard operating procedure to make certain students and staff have the safest field experience possible.
Diet
The rigors of the RedCliff experience demand students get plenty of healthy calories. In consultation with a nutritionist, RedCliff has developed a meal plan of primarily whole grains. Dehydrated fruits and vegetables and occasional fresh fruits and veggies compliment the rice and lentils. In addition, students eat tuna fish, peanut butter, and cheese.
The RedCliff diet is designed to be between 3-4,000 calories a day. In the cold weather we supplement those calories with butter and salt pork to help students stay warm. Students also receive a daily multi-vitamin.
Unlike some boot camp programs where children look thin and sickly, RedCliff students typically make some remarkable improvements to their bodies during the program.
Girls usually lose about 10 lbs. of fat and gain 7 lbs. of muscle during their wilderness experience. Their average weight is about 133 pounds when they leave.
On average, boys lose 7 lbs. of fat and 2 lbs. of muscle. Our medical team says the muscle loss is typical. That’s because the physical work of RedCliff is not “bulking up” exercise. Boys generally weigh about 151 lbs. when they leave the program.
Clothing
Seasonal temperature extremes have caused us to carefully research and test the best outdoor gear available. Students’ sleeping bags are exchanged three times yearly to provide the most warmth for current conditions. Bags range from 20 degrees below zero to 20 degrees above.
We know students stay warmer dressed in several layers that alternately provide warmth and protection from rain and snow. Summer and winter hats, as well as gloves, gators, and scarves keep students protected from the changing weather.
Sturdy hiking boots for summer are easily converted into waterproof snow boots thanks to a pull-on overshoe.
IRC
The Incident Review Committee is also known as the IRC. Each week this team of industry veterans meets to discuss any safety concerns and to make certain procedures are being correctly followed. There is no armchair quarterbacking in this group. These individuals have extensive field experience. They understand the dynamics and the potential dangers firsthand. They use that background to monitor and improve RedCliff’s safety systems.
Clinicians
Finally, our experienced team of clinicians allows us to individualize the program to meet students’ needs. RedCliff is not a “one size fits all” approach to therapy. Our clinicians are extremely involved with our students, conducting weekly therapy sessions in the field and passing this information on to parents.
Our clinical staff consists of Master’s and PhD level practitioners who specialize in social work, marriage and family therapy and counseling. They meet weekly with one another to discuss their caseload and strategize together on effective, individualized interventions.
The RedCliff experience is deliberately designed to be difficult for your child. But it is also carefully coordinated to make certain he or she is safe while undertaking what can become a life-changing journey.
The men and women who comprise our staff are highly trained and equipped with the best tools and best protocols for any given condition. We are constantly monitoring and improving our practices to make sure your child’s safety is never in doubt.
The best singers. The best dancers. A coveted first prize. It’s not “American Idol.” It’s Shindig!
About once a quarter RedCliff students, staff and administration meet at Outpost for the mother of all wilderness parties. Shindig is a way of celebrating what’s unique about RedCliff’s students and the therapeutic program itself.
“All of the groups in the field come together for competitions and games and good food,” explains Scott Schill, Field Director.
Schill continues, “We put a lot on our students as far as getting through the program. Memorizing rules, setting up and taking down camp, and passing off phases. It’s easy to forget they’re still kids. It’s important for them to play and have fun too.”
The Shindig is essentially a half-day vacation. Students are not required to set up or tear down their camp, or do any of the cooking. All of that is done for them. The food is one of the best aspects of the party.
“We have things like taco salad or soup bowls from rolls with chili and cheese,” Schill says. “In the summer we have watermelon and strawberry shortcake.” For teens that’ve been living on rice and lentils and vegetables, the menu alone makes the party a hit.
Then there are the competitions. Pack tying, spoon carving, bow/drill fire making. And, of course, the group with the best song and dance. “It seems like ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’ and ‘I Will Survive’ are always favorites,” Scott says with a chuckle. The group that wins the performance category walks away with the coveted case of Pop Tarts. Schill says the students love having an audience to play to. “You would be amazed at the costumes they can make out of tree bark,” he says.
Pack tying becomes a test of skill and speed. Contestants are required to take all their gear and tie it up in a survival pack made from a plastic tarp as quickly as possible. Staff will test the durability of the makeshift pack by shaking and thumping it. The student with the fastest time and the best pack wins.
The bow/drill fire making is another test of skill. Scott says it usually takes just 45 seconds for the most adept students to get a flame.
Staff get in on the fun as well. They also participate in fire making and pack tying. And it’s a rare opportunity for the staff coming on shift and the group going off shift to be together for any length of time.
Shindig is the setting for what Schill calls the Senior Council. The most experienced staff members get together to swap ideas and experiences and share the camaraderie of the meal. Schill says some of the best ideas for program improvements come from these councils.
Aside from the food and the fun, Schill’s favorite Shindig event is the poetry reading. The staff pick two students from each group to share two poems that represent their group. “The person that’s telling the poem stands while everyone is circled around them,” he explains. “Some of the most powerful poetry I have ever heard comes from those Shindigs.”
For students who are new to RedCliff, Shindig is no big deal. “They don’t appreciate the food, the company or the humor,” Schill notes. “They’re still thinking, ‘my life sucks.’ But once they’ve been here about ten days or more they really, really appreciate it. Kids talk about Shindig for weeks. It’s an infusion, a shot in the arm for the program for the next three months.”
by Linda Kavelin-Popov
The Maori of New Zealand have an expression: “I see you.” The first time I heard it, a Maori elder was looking deep into my eyes. That gaze felt life-changing. I felt that she was seeing my soul and knew me as a good person.
I remember longing for that personal recognition from my mother, even when I wore an adolescent scowl and snarled at everything she said. Underneath, I wanted to be known as a good girl, a worthy person.
Each one of us has far more personal power to see and bring out the best in others than we realize. It takes a discerning eye, and a willingness to look for virtues, even in the most troubled and aggressive child. The tools we need are vision, language, boundaries, and love.
1. Hold a Vision of their Best Possibilities
Notice what children are good at and see it as an asset that can be used in a positive way. An aggressive child is a potential leader. A rebellious person has a spirit of independence and often can be creative and original. If a child is failing to be responsible, hold fast to the knowledge that he or she can be, and call them to it. “I know you can be responsible. When I come back in fifteen minutes, I trust you to have this done.” If you know they are lying, tell them, “I know you are truthful most of the time. Please tell the truth now.” Look for any glimmer of goodness and name it. It gives them hope and incentive to keep trying.
2. Speak the Language of Virtues
Language is one of the most powerful ways to shape character and to give children a sense of who they are. Identity forms around the words we hear about ourselves and the way we are treated, as well as the unique characteristics and circumstances of our lives. It is easy to call a child a name that can put them in a box forever. Words like lazy, stupid, mean, or curse words are a script for behavior.
We can change the script by banishing negative words and replacing them with qualities of character, which tell someone that we expect the best from them. There are four ways to use this language: First, to acknowledge: “I see your courage.” Second to prepare: “You’ll need your courage for this.” Third for correction: “You need to use your patience. What will help you right now?” Fourth, to thank: “Thank you for your patience. You really called on your self-discipline.”
3. Set Clear Boundaries based on Restorative Justice
Be a strong, assertive leader. Create boundaries that you communicate clearly, and enforce them consistently, every single time. Word them positively and use one or more virtues to describe them. “We use only respectful language in this program.” “In our house we speak, act and treat each other with respect at all times.” Post the boundaries on a poster. Model the virtues and boundaries you expect of children. Just as you expect children to make amends and not excuses, when you make a mistake, clean it up and make amends. Have consequences that are educative, not punitive. If a child calls a sibling a name, have them replace it with three virtues acknowledgments. If you have a boundary that everyone does chores, when they fail to be reliable, they get more chores. When they are late for curfew, they lose freedom or hours the next time they want to go out. This living example of justice removes constant power struggles. It makes children feel safe.
4. Show Your Love
Everyone, no matter what behavior they are showing on the outside, longs to be loved. Find something you like or respect about each child, and speak it out loud. And when you feel love, show it in the way you smile, the way you look at them, and the words you speak to them. Love, above all, can do wonders.
Children need people in their lives who hold a positive vision of what is possible for them. Be a vision keeper. Your positive thoughts, words, and feelings are the best investment in their future.
Linda Kavelin Popov is author of The Family Virtues Guide and The Virtues Project Educator’s Guide, co-founder of The Virtues Project ™ , and an international speaker on personal and global transformation. www.virtuesproject.com. See www.paceofgrace.net for a list of virtues definitions.
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