We are licensed to treat 12 to 17 year olds, males and females. Genders do not intermingle except for certain special occasions and mealtimes.
We anticipate most students working the program for about a year and that depends on the progress of the student and family. We do not use points and levels to assess progress; we assess relationships with self, family, the treatment team, and the students' peers, as well as progress on the treatment plan, to assess readiness to graduate from the program.
It depends on the goals of the student and family. We are prepared to assist the student in pursuing a number of options.
Three Points Academy is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) educational program. Three Points Academy contracts the services of Three Points Center, which is a fully-licensed residential treatment center, to provide residential treatment and clinical services to youth enrolled in Three Points Academy. Three Points Ranch is a property owned by Three Points Center, in beautiful Apple Valley, Utah, where our students care for and work with our horses, chickens, pot-bellied pigs, and goats.
Three Points Center will not have groups larger than 9. Typically, we have three persons per bedroom and up to three bedrooms will comprise a group.
Our therapists are systems-trained with an emphasis in attachment-focused family therapy and in treating complex trauma. In addition, we are very adoption-knowledgeable and take pride in the emphasis we place on adoption culture. We conduct weekly individual sessions, weekly Skype Sessions with the family, four-group sessions weekly, three Equine Therapy sessions monthly, and at least one Therapy Wilderness Hike monthly.
When healthy and available, we encourage working with birth parents but do not require it. We have found that for many adopted adolescents, having a connection with birth parents can alleviate some anxiety and acting-out behaviors. We are also very cognizant of the need for appropriate boundaries and structure within the family system and will work closely with adoptive parents and the adopted child to make sure their concerns are addressed if/when working with birth parents. If birth parents are not available for any reason, part of our treatment milieu concerns itself with dealing with this loss.
Because of Three Points Academy's non-profit 501 (c) (3) status, we are eligible for Title IV funding and can accept post-adoption assistance from states that offer such. In California, we would be considered a Level 14 facility.
Weekdays: Students will wake up at 7AM and after doing basic hygiene, will participate in a custom-designed exercise routine. After exercise, the students go up to Three Points Ranch, where they take care of the animals and basic ranch duties. After returning to the facility, they will then shower, clean their rooms and prepare for school. Typically, students will begin school about 10 AM and will have six hours of school per day. They have frequent breaks and will have lunch at 1PM. They will return to school at 2PM and continue until 6PM. During this time, they will often have their individual or family therapy, along with a group session. After school, they have dinner and then return to the ranch to again feed and water the animals. Upon returning, they are allowed some down time to write family, read books, watch selected television shows, or play games. They return to their bedrooms at 9PM and lights out is 10PM.
Weekends: Students arise about 8AM on the weekends. On Saturdays, after eating breakfast and going to the ranch, they will spend a few hours volunteering at the local animal shelter, cleaning cages and walking dogs. After lunch, students participate in a fun activity which will usually last a few hours. Previous activities have included skim-boarding, playing in the river, picnics, movies, bowling, and baking classes. After returning the facility, students clean up and then participate in Positive Character Development and focus on a particular positive trait for that month. These classes are taught by Meg Thibault, who has a Bachelor's Degree in Family Science. They will then have dinner and again enjoy leisure time prior to going to bed. Sunday is similar with the exception of serving at the animal shelter and the leisure activity. This time is typically filled with extended repairs or cleanup at the ranch and a hike in one of our local National Parks.
Current research indicates that approximately 30% of the population of most residential treatment centers and wilderness programs nation-wide are adopted youth. That is an astounding number. We also know there can be issues around loss, identity, and attachment that non-adopted youth usually do not address, and therefore are oftentimes not adequately being treated in typical residential treatment. The reality is that most mental health clinicians are not adoption-knowledgeable. This is why we created a facility geared to address these very important concerns.
There are a number of types of adoption - domestic vs. international, private vs. public, transracial, foster care, post-institution, and others. We believe that each of these offers the opportunity to engage with an immense variety of wonderful students and families, each bringing their own uniqueness to treatment.
Three Points has partnered with ICI Billing, which is a specialized insurance billing service for Residential Treatment. Parents/Guardians may elect to utilize their services if they wish; their fee is 8% of what they recoup for you, so they are only paid if they are able to garner reimbursements for you. They are usually quite successful at obtaining maximum reimbursements for families, depending, of course, on your particular insurance coverage. We are happy to conduct an inquiry of benefits for you to give you some idea of your particular coverage for our level of treatment.
Three Points has an initial enrollment fee and monthly tuition. We have sought to bundle all of our services as one so as to not to have to charge parents supplemental fees beyond the monthly tuition. Our fees include all therapy, including family, group, and equine therapy, an intake psychological assessment (if there's not current testing), weekly nurse visits, hiking gear, and other items. Very little services are not covered by tuition. And, despite this all-inclusive model, Three Points Center's tuition is at the very lowest-end of the financial scale for facilities that offer the clinical and other services we provide. Please feel free contact us with further questions about our fees.