What makes the English, well English ? This week I feel I found an answer in the combined intelligence and warmth of those born and bred in the mother country, as well as those coming to the UK from other countries. To learn the manners and ways of the English and to become “truly English” takes time. So why wait? Come study abroad with one of my partners and find out for yourself. Do it for the summer. Come as a student, executive or retiree. We can make it happen.

Happily, I accepted an invitation to visit Canaan CT the home of Mountainside treatment program. At the foot of the Berkshires, there isn’t really much to take away from personal commitment to treatment —just beautiful scenery. And that’s only the beginning. The physical plant is tasteful and well designed. New construction is starting for additional housing and activity centers, and the designs is attractive. But what makes Mountainside most attractive is the staff. Professional, yet friendly. Humble, yet informative. My client is doing terrific, and the program communicates with me, making it easy to keep parents informed as treatment is progressing. If you need the “right choice” for your son or daughter, and you need a professional to help manage to increase the success, don’t hesitate to call and ask questions.

It isn’t a matter of luck, it’s a matter of 30 years of experience that makes for success in designing the individual therapeutic goal with the right therapist’s skills and approach. After conducting our own psychological assessment analysis, this individual was not prepared for a more physically rigorous wilderness expedition making the Hawaii choice the right one. Dr Burdick never sends an individual out to a setting he hasn’t visited or plans to visit in the immediate future. The staff are those with whom he is always familiar, and generally long standing secure relationships are the norm. In the case of Hawaii, he has known the owners since day one, and in fact helped engineer the cultural therapeutic approach used today by the program. In using native culture motifs, vocabulary, philosophy, and values the Pacific Quest program has thrived on the south end of the Big Island of Hawaii since it’s inception. Mike and Suzanne McKinney have done outstanding work, and have allowed us to even have a voice in the hiring of therapists for the program. This is what collaboration is all about to bring about success for families in ways unseen in the private therapy world in working with adolescents and young adults.

In speaking with the audience at the first CRC professional’s luncheon in San Jose, I was touched by the enthusiasm of collaborative spirit between practitioners & program people. I believe it is this exact spirit that we can embrace to find the best help for clients who suffer from mental health and substance abuse issues. The room was filled with faces that were both emotive and intelligent, and spoke to me. So many of our young people suffer from confusion in identity with difficulty in transition to adulthood. Thank you CRC, and Steve Brugge in particular in bringing the best of the industry together together today at Maggiano’s Little Italy. Plus the food was great.

Of course Orlando is the home of Disney family entertainment, and having fun is important to a family’s overall mental health. With that spirit in mind, my participation at both of these outstanding conferences is to find school / program solutions for families who need the choose the best options to keep them positively moving forward. In continually sharpening my clinical and programming skills by attending outstanding workshops and meeting with staff from programs (a few shown in the group photo) where I have successfully placed youth, I can guarantee the selection of programs and schools is the best “fit” for my concerned families.