Why Our Christian Therapeutic Program is Different

Positive Peer Culture:

There are hundreds of therapeutic boarding schools for troubled teens throughout the country. Approximately 85% of current schools practice a programmatic approach known as Behavior Modification. Used frequently, due to society’s natural inclination toward this method, behavior modification follows the use of rewards and punishment to reduce or eliminate problematic behavior. “Behavior mod”, as it is often referred to, teaches new responses to environmental stimuli and reinforces desired behavior while attempting to eliminate undesired behavior. The goal of behavioral modification programs is to change and adjust behavior that is inappropriate or undesirable in some way. Behavior mod does have its place and certainly has value based on the high number of programs that implement it. However, at Abundant Life Academy, we do not implement any form of behavior modification in our approach to individual growth.

As an alternative to behavior modification, Abundant Life Academy implements what is known as the Positive Peer Culture model. In its most basic form, Positive Peer Culture (or PPC as it is often referred to) relies on the central position that young people can develop self-worth, significance, dignity, and responsibility only as they become committed to the positive values of helping and caring for others. As most parents of troubled teens are well aware, youth are more apt to take advice from, be influenced by, and look for acceptance from, their peers than they are their own family, educators, youth pastors, or others in positions of authority. Positive Peer Culture takes this principle and applies it in a day-to-day therapeutic setting. The driving force behind PPC is this basic concept of self-awareness and confrontation of individual and family challenges through service to others. Positive Peer Culture naturally moves a student from being self-focused to others centered. This concept is central to God’s design for us and is replete throughout Scripture. The most famous scripture in the world, John 3:16, states that God loved the world so intently that he “gave.” Matthew 20:28 reinforces this by declaring that, “the son of man came not to be served, but to serve…” Again in Matthew 23:11, we are told that the greatest among us will be a servant to others. Positive Peer Culture helps each student move from being self-focused to becoming others centered. As each student moves away from self-focus to serving others, he or she ultimately discovers that his or her own needs are met in the process. PPC gives each student a sense of personal and community empowerment by removing the power struggle; thus enabling them to have ownership in not only their own personal growth but also in the growth of their community as well.

Additionally, Positive Peer Culture focuses on taking accountability and responsibility, not only individually, but also in holding peers accountable to their own behavior and choices. This method allows our students to see their peer group not as a liability to their personal growth amidst challenges, but as a resource to them. It is the concept of making care fashionable in an environment where adults still maintain control (however, without being controlling) yet placing the onus on the youth to maintain the responsibility of helping one another.

Although the basic concepts of Positive Peer Culture can be easily understood, it is no simple matter to produce a truly positive culture of young people. Careful planning and organization are necessary, with attention given to many different variables. An effective program also requires properly trained staff that is committed to the task of developing the positive potentials of youth.

Emotional Growth: a three-phase approach

Abundant Life Academy is broken down into three separate phases, each taking approximately four months to effectively complete. They are: Know Yourself, Choose Yourself, & Give Yourself.

In the “Know Yourself” phase, each student’s primary focus is on coming to an appropriate understanding of the behaviors & choices that were the primary contributing factors in their participation at ALA. The emphasis here is on personal accountability, taking responsibility for their choices, and recognizing and admitting that there were negative issues in their lives prior to enrollment, that are a direct result of these choices. The majority of a student’s concentration during this phase is on recognizing and defining what the two or three core issues are that he or she may deal with. Spiritually, our desire is that each student during this phase begins to connect, or reconnect, with who they are in Christ. This is based on Ephesians 2:10 which states that we are God’s “masterpiece” created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which He prepared in advance for us to do. Near the completion of Phase I, the goal is for students to begin to identify the specific triggers to those core issues.

“Choose Yourself,” emphasizes the possibility of achieving a different outcome based on knowledge of one’s issues and a commitment to change. During this phase, youth focus on recognizing patterns, acknowledging the triggers to those patterns, and having appreciation for the role that individual issues play in the construction of our character. Each student learns to distinguish issues that they experience prior to falling “into pattern.” In addition, they identify tools that can be implemented upon realization that they are already in pattern and have the opportunity to choose a direction different from what they previously have elected. The final emphasis of Phase II is to begin recognizing problems as opportunities rather than seeing problems as troubles. This is based on the Biblical principle that it is in our weakness that Christ can perfect his strength and, only in surrender, can we truly find peace. Phase II students are taught that it is not important to learn how to “not fail” but to learn how to “fail well.”

The third phase of each teen’s process is primarily focused on service to others. By the time a teen enters the “Give Yourself” phase, they have completed the majority of their personal emotional growth work. This last phase centers around fine-tuning individual issues while placing a strong emphasis on giving back by serving those students who are coming up behind them. Each child in Third Phase is assigned two “raise ups” or, lower phase students in whom they can serve and pour their life into. Advancement from Phase III to graduation is contingent upon the forward progression of this “raise up.” Additionally, our Third Phase students are all on Leadership and thus, are responsible for the daily implementation and execution of program elements. Every Phase III student is required to participate in Community Service, Mercy Missions Trips, as well as completing a Third Phase project with the intention of leaving behind a legacy to up and coming students. It is during Phase III that great importance is placed on developing an effective “re-entry” plan. This plan is fashioned to ensure an operative transition back into their home environment with emphasis placed on creating longevity in their success upon graduation.

Advanced Leadership Training

Abundant Life Academy is not just a boarding school for teenagers who are facing personal and family challenges. ALA is a Leadership Training Center where we provide the same advanced level leadership training found in many Fortune 500 companies. We serve teenagers who are in one of two categories. The first, are those who attain tremendous leadership skills and are natural-born leaders who have misdirected their leadership abilities toward anti-social, negative values. The second are those who appear (most often to their parents) to be followers and, as a result, are making poor choices, choosing inappropriate peers, or doing things that are harming their family relationship. Abundant Life Academy invests into each student we serve to help them understand and develop the leadership traits that they are naturally born with.

Our main method of Leadership training is through the use of personality quadrants. Each of us has one of four primary personality traits. As we begin to understand the strengths and challenges of our primary personality attributes, we are better able to effectively communicate, identify why we experience certain emotions, and how we interact with others both environmentally and behaviorally. Additionally, we educate students on the personality characteristics that complement their own and assist them in effective ways to interact with others in relation to this. Understanding the personality quadrant system allows our students to enhance their interpersonal relationships and, through the consideration of differing personas, communicate in the most effective manner.

An additional component of our advanced level leadership training is the instruction in the area of emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence (EI) refers to the ability to perceive, control and evaluate emotions. Leaders in the field of emotional intelligence state that EI is "the subset of social intelligence that involves the ability to monitor one's own and others' feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them and to use this information to guide one's thinking and actions” At Abundant Life Academy, we combine these principles with our three-phase approach to emotional growth through the following: concentrating on enhancing emotional literacy and recognizing patterns (Phase I), consequential thinking, navigating emotions, intrinsic motivation, and optimism (Phase II), and increasing empathy and pursuing noble goals (Phase III).

Our Leadership Training Program was developed to provide each and every student with a forum for personal growth while strengthening the foundation of the core principles upon which personal and family restoration occurs.