 The Open Sky growth stages are based on the medicine wheel concept and its directions: North, South, East and West. Each growth stage corresponds to specific therapeutic goals and learning objectives. As students complete various activities and master certain tasks they advance through the stages. Students’ movement through the stages is based on individual issues, efforts, and length of stay in the program. As students move through the stages, they earn increased privileges and responsibilities. Moreover, our team works with students to tailor assignments to individual needs and issues. The Open Sky stages are designed to challenge students as well as provide opportunities to experience success.
Stage 1: Gateway
Theme: Welcome and Orientation
Purpose: The main goal of the Gateway stage is for the student to begin to build relationships and trust with field guides and therapists. The new student works through feelings about being at Open Sky by talking with staff and completing reflective assignments. The student observes the peer group doing chores, having process groups, and participating in the daily routine. By the end of the Gateway stage, the student has an idea of expectations for him or her being a functional member of the team and has reflected on why he/she is at Open Sky.
Structure: In Gateway stage, the new student interacts with field guides and peer mentors. This stage allows for more focused supervision, assessment, and rapport building. The new student is introduced to the Open Sky program and expectations.
Objectives:
- Learn basics of self care in the outdoors
- Observe group process, routine, chores
- Complete initial program assignments
- Show basic understanding of rules, follows basic rules
- Learn to find Cygnus/Swan constellation in sky, complete assignment about own transformational journey
Stage 2: South
Theme: Focus on Self
Purpose: In the South students focus on themselves: their issues, strengths, and goals. They also focus on learning the fundamentals of self care, group chores, and wilderness skills. Being in the South is a time of stretching to meet new challenges while beginning to assess unhealthy habits and patterns.
Structure: The student becomes a member of the peer group. With this comes more responsibilities such as group chores and communicating in a healthy way with peers and staff. The student develops trust and rapport with field guides, therapists and peers. He or she begins to participate in treatment planning.
Objectives:
- Learn basics of self-care, group chores, and wilderness skills
- Follow directions, rules and expectations
- Learn and begin to practice communication skills and learning about “I Feel” statements through usage
- Begin to open lines of communication with family via letters
- Show basic level of openness to learning from others
- Learn and participate in some personal wellness practices
- Participate in individual therapy, group sessions
- Able to receive feedback
- Read Impact Letters from family
- Begin to write Life Story outline
- Learn to find Delphinius/Dolphin constellation in sky and complete assignment on setting and reaching goals for self
Stage 3: West
Theme: Focus on Self and Group
Purpose: In the West students look beyond the self and begin to see their place in relation to the people close to them: in this case, the Open Sky peer group and staff team. Feedback and assignments are focused on the students’ actions and how they affect others. Students begin to practice peer mentoring skills.
Structure: The student in the West is earning more trust through demonstrating consistency and growth in behaviors and attitude. Students take on increasing challenges, such as mentoring a Gateway student. They take a more active and involved role in identifying issues, strengths and needs as well as treatment planning.
Objectives:
- Success with self-care basics and wilderness fundamentals
- Follow rules and directions without prompting
- Practice positive communication skills with more frequency
- Learn validation/reflective listening skills
- Demonstrate more open communication with family through letters
- Develop and further apply personal wellness practices
- Give and receive feedback appropriately with staff/peers
- Begin to demonstrate leadership/role modeling in peer group
- Write responses to Impact Letters
- Share Life Story with group
- Learn to find Pegasus/Horse constellation in sky and complete assignment regarding how actions affect those around them
Stage 4: North
Theme: Focus on Self, Group and Family
Purpose: In the North students demonstrate their ability to focus on the self, the peer group at Open Sky, and the family system at home. The quality of introspection and ability to take responsibility deepens. Student demonstrates ability to make positive choices and behaviors regarding both self and others.
Structure: Student acts as a peer mentor and continues to develop leadership skills. Therapy assignments focus more deeply on role in relation to family. Student starts to actively develop relapse prevention and personal wellness plans.
Objectives:
- Teach self care and wilderness fundamentals to new students
- Role model to new students the ability to follow rules and taking ownership of behavior
- Regularly utilize positive communication skills
- Take a more active role in treatment planning/personal growth
- Start to identify and acknowledge personal strengths, and areas for growth
- Take more ownership and initiative with personal wellness practices
- Begin personal vision project
- Show proficiency with map and compass skills
- Write Impact Letters to parents
- Facilitate a group session and/or group wellness activity
- Begin to plan for leaving Open Sky wilderness and returning to or entering their lives at home or boarding school
- Learn to find Ursa/Bear constellation in sky and complete assignment identifying personal power and strengths
Stage 5: East
Theme: Focus on Self, Group, Family and Community
Purpose: The focus in the East is on multiple directions, specifically self, group, family and larger community.
Structure: The student shows consistency in ability to focus on both self and others. Goal setting is more self-directed. The student demonstrates strength and readiness to transition out of Open Sky to home or boarding school.
Objectives:
- Proficiency in teaching and role modeling self care and wilderness fundamentals
- Excellence in role modeling ability to take responsibility and be self directed
- Excellence in role modeling positive communication skills
- Demonstrate significant growth in ability to identify strengths and areas for growth
- Take consistent initiative and motivation with personal wellness practices
- Lead the group in meaningful activities such as hikes and process groups
- Mastery of map and compass skills
- Complete more advanced personal vision projects
- Demonstrate maturity in planning and preparing for the transition from the wilderness to home or boarding school
- Learn to find Aguila/Eagle constellation in sky and complete assignment regarding future vision for self, group, family and community
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