Open Sky assists teens, young adults and families struggling with difficult challenges and life circumstances. We provide a life-changing opportunity to discover and create a healthy life that is an intelligent and authentic expression of one’s true nature as capable, worthy, honorable people.
Highlights
Admissions
- Adolescents (males and females), ages 13 to 17
- Transition-age young adults (males and females), ages 18-20
- Young adults (males and females), ages 21 to 30
Integrative Care and Whole Person Wellness
- Interdisciplinary team of therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, medical doctors, field guides, and family counselors
- Individual, group, and family therapy
- Mindfulness techniques encompassing basic breathing and meditation techniques, yoga, and other anxiety-reduction practices
- Wellness-based curriculum with emphasis on daily exercise, hiking, healthy food, self-care, and quality sleep
Family-Centered
- A fully integrated Family Services Department exclusively dedicated to supporting parents
- Weekly conference calls with therapists to discuss student progress and provide support and education
- Wellness Weekend for parents to participate in a parallel, enriching experience that complements the student’s program
- Family Quests, which provide intensive, 3-day interventions facilitated by therapists and wilderness guides
- Parent Portal for access to parenting resources, curriculum, assignments, pictures, letters, and webinars
- Graduation transition ceremony and family reunion
- Dedicated Transition Mentors who support families through the post-graduation period
Academic Credit
- Open Sky students have the opportunity to earn up to 3.5 academic credits in six high school subject areas: Environmental Science, Character Education, English, Psychology of Daily Living, Health Education, and Physical Education.
Why Wilderness Works
- Separation from technology creates space to form authentic relationships
- Patterns seen at home emerge in the field; through these insights, therapists help students move through the stages of change
- Living with the basics requires a self-reliance to build confidence that lasts a lifetime
- Living under the open sky develops resiliency, resourcefulness, and accountability
- Experiential lessons involve students in the therapeutic process and assist them in developing appropriate tools to cope with stress
Industry-Leading, Outcomes-Based Research
- Open Sky is the only wilderness therapy program that conducts outcome research on every student
- Research uses the well-accepted Youth Outcome Questionnaire (Y-OQ)
- Our data show that students (1) make behavioral, interpersonal, and mental health gains while at Open Sky and (2) maintain gains after graduating
- Students arrive with mental health scores equivalent to those in psychiatric and residential treatment facilities, depart with scores equivalent to the general functioning population in same age group
