Why Trails Carolina Provides Support and a Community for Alumni Families

With years of offering a wilderness therapy program in western North Carolina, Trails Carolina has always found great value in providing an Alumni Program for families and supporters.

Success in providing an effective treatment option for teenagers that provides proven results. With an Alumni Program, graduates are never forgotten. Current and future families have the opportunity to connect with the Alumni Program, making Trails Carolina one of the leading therapeutic wilderness programs in the country.

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How the Alumni Program Helps Alums

Every alum and their parents will have the opportunity to stay connected with the alumni program. The goal is to help as much as possible after the wilderness. Twice a month Trails Carolina’s family coaches host alumni support calls, this seminar series throughout the year will only help to continue the growth of families.

Alumni Support Series

The Alumni Support Series will be led by a team of family coaches and therapists from Trails Carolina. Their goal is to address the needs of alumni and their families. There will be four pieces of training scheduled throughout 2022.

“Tips to Finishing The School Year Strong” will take place on March 2. Keeping Engaged During the Summer is scheduled for May 4. Creating Healthy Habits Around School will be the topic on August 10. Finally, Presence Over Perfection is lined up for November 2. All will be opportunities for families to get that level of support and other options already available.

The Alumni Support Series will work together with the bi-monthly alumni support call. These calls have always been favorites for those wanting to stay engaged with the Trails Carolina community and support team. The Alumni Support Series will complement and be a  natural extension of the alumni support call.

How the Alumni Program Impacts Current/Future Students

Not only is the Alumni Program designed to help out alums, but it will also serve as a resource for current and future teenagers in the program.  Seeing how the alumni program supports future teenagers and their families is beneficial to understand the overall goals of the program, to help families heal.

Hope

With so many different therapy options these days, it is hard to identify what options will create success.  Part of the way teenagers can know that this wilderness experience works is to connect with the Alumni Program who’ve been there in the same shoes.

Information hits just a little bit differently when it’s coming from people who have thrived from that particular experience. Some of the best indicators of how well a program will work are to speak directly to families who have gone through the process of attending wilderness therapy.

Some alumni even have a chance to connect with potential families at Trails Carolina. It’s not required for alums to take this time, but many are more than willing to help. If they make an impact on just one teenager, they’ve succeeded.

Families likely have additional hope that Trails Carolina works thanks to the additional support. Knowing there is an alumni community to support after Trails Carolina is comforting to families.

Improvement in Outcome Data From Alums

Staff at Trails Carolina felt an independent study was needed. A five-year outcome study gives everyone a better opportunity to see the positive impact of a program. It can then compare to other options meant to help teenagers with mental health and additional issues they might face.

The University of Arkansas conducted a five-year study with  Trails Carolina. They ensured that the study occurred without bias to dive deep into seeing what graduates have accomplished during the rest of their teenage years, going into their adult life.

Some of the most extensive results included 98% of students reporting a decrease in suicidal thoughts, 96% of students experiencing a decrease in substance abuse, and 93% of students showing improvement in depression symptoms.

These statistics lead to positivity all around, most notably in academics. One of the primary reasons families look into Trails Carolina, and other options for that matter comes down to struggles in school or outright refusal to attend. More than 87% in the study said they felt more excited to attend school after their time at Trails Carolina. That means a reduction in school function issues and a significant reduction in school refusal.

As great as these numbers look, the Alumni Program aims to make them even better. There’s very little reason to think that additional resources for families won’t help out tremendously. The program has consistently received high marks for what they do with teenagers, and the increase in support post-graduation is crucial.

The Future of Trails Carolina and the Alumni Support Series

With the Parent Alumni Support Series this year, 2022 will prove to be an exciting year of expansion. . It’s something that many families have been excited to participate in.

With resources readily available, any questions should be easy to answer during these sessions. There’s a chance that, in future years, additional training sessions will take place.

Check out: Students’ opinion on Permanent Online Education System