Our Program

“...I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for showing such respect for and caring to my daughter and just wanted to take a moment to add a note to what I'm sure is a chorus of compliments for all that you do... ”

Lisa, Parent

Second Nature Footsteps is a licensed, clinically driven wilderness intervention designed to meet the needs of younger teens, ages 11-14. The treatment team uses a variety of wilderness and experiential interventions to assist students along their individual path towards personal awareness, responsibility, improved communication and healthy relationship skills, and strengthened self-esteem. We further assist the child and family with supportive stabilization and assessment for students whose behavior has reached crisis level. A strong parent component encourages families to explore their relationships and seek solutions together.

Young adolescents have a more concrete understanding of the world, which makes abstract concepts and internal motivation something to be taught, not relied upon for therapeutic interventions, a factor which makes traditional wilderness programs a stretch for pre and early adolescent students to grasp. Footsteps recognizes the specific developmental assets of this population and factors them into every program component. These assets and resiliencies, indicated by research, include:

Externally

  • Supportive environment
  • Constructive use of time
  • Clear boundaries and expectations
  • Empowerment

Internally

  • Desire to learn
  • Positive values
  • Social skills
  • Positive self-esteem

Because latency age students are living in a more concrete world, and need more structure and attention from adult role models, Second Nature Footsteps' staff members pay particular attention to creating an environment and structuring daily programming so that students have an appropriate balance of activity, persona time, therapy, teamwork, support from staff, and fun. Taking advantage of the inherent curiosity and openness of pre-teens, and using resources such as metaphor, nature and play, Footsteps creates an environment where a young adolescent can safely work on troubles in a way that makes sense to him/her.

Students follow a therapeutic curriculum anchored in a Hero's Journey metaphor. They learn to identify the "armor" they wear and how to face the hurts and disappointments in their lives. In recognizing the inherent strengths of individual students, as well as capturing the dynamic strengths of this age group, Footsteps students experience growth through an individually tailored treatment plan along with a series of experiential activities, such as:

Drama/Role Playing

  • Successful mastery of wilderness skills
  • Outdoor Education
  • Pro-social games and initiatives
  • Music
  • Group ceremonies
  • Care of therapeutically-certified dog