 Program Advancement
Part of the structure of La Europa Academy is that the girls work through a level system. This system is designed to help them work consistently through the program, generally starting on a more superficial level and moving toward deeper, lasting change. Instead of working with a specified, general list of objectives for each level, the levels are individualized to each student. Each level has a specified general goal (listed below), and each student works with her therapist at the beginning of each level to determine her therapeutic, educational, and residential goals. Using these goals, a series of objectives is laid out for each girl to accomplish before moving on to the next level. In addition to therapeutic, educational, and residential goals, they also set specific medical, recreational therapy, and family goals for each level.
The level system is laid out as follows:
Safety level
Safety level is used for the first week that a student is at La Europa and at any time during her program when she is very unsafe (i.e. cutting, engaging in eating disordered behaviors, trying to run away, feeling actively suicidal). During Safety level, the focus is on returning to a feeling of being able to stay safe. They are within 5 feet of staff at all times on this level.
Level 1: Trust
Trust level is designed to work on building trust. This includes the staff trusting the student as well as the student trusting the staff. During this level, the student is generally beginning to build trusting relationships with her therapist, her parents, the staff, and her peers.
Level 2: Realization
Realization level is about looking at the different problems that have been going on and identifying some of the underlying issues involved. This level focuses on identification of the issues that have resulted in the student being in residential treatment, and then making some realizations about why that has happened. Objectives on this level are designed to help students look at themselves, their relationships, and their patterns. They are not expected to be able to change these things on this level—just to identify and understand them.
Level 3: Accountability
Accountability level tends to be the major turning point for our students. At this level, they start to move from realization about the issues in their lives to accountability for those issues. This includes recognizing the ways that their thoughts and emotions contribute to their behaviors, and the way those patterns and behaviors contribute to the problems in their lives. It also includes allowing others to take responsibility for their actions. Many of our students fluctuate between blame (everything is someone else’s fault) and shame (everything is my fault). Accountability level requires them to take a closer look at the issues in their lives and place appropriate responsibility where it belongs.
Level 4: Self-Actualization
Self-Actualization level is about taking the accountability one step deeper. This level invites students to identify their core issues and look at the ways that those issues have contributed to their thoughts, emotions, patterns, and behaviors. On level 4, the students are working on addressing those core issues to begin their preparations for their next step. We have found that students who do not address these deeper issues tend to revert to old behaviors and/or start new, equally dysfunctional behaviors upon returning home more regularly than those who are able to do so. Level 4 objectives are intended to explore these deeper levels.
Level 5: Proactivity and Empowerment
Proactivity and Empowerment level focuses on taking all of the things the students have learned on the previous 4 levels and finding a way to use them in making positive changes in their lives. On this level, many of the objectives surround leadership opportunities. Students are expected to be taking initiative in their process and to be working on a post-treatment plan. They are given opportunities to practice and apply the skills they have learned during their time at La Europa Academy.
Level 6: Wholeness and Balance
Wholeness and Balance level is focused on incorporating the full experience from La Europa into finding balance. This level is also focused on transitioning to the next step for each student, so there is an understanding encompassed in the goals that even with graduation from the program, their work will continue beyond La Europa. They will need to use the skills that they have acquired as they go forward. Level 6 is about preparing them for that.
Each level is also associated with certain privileges. Throughout the stay at La Europa, we place a high priority on students being safe and accounted for. This means that they are expected to check in with staff at specified intervals and let them know where they are at all times. However, once a student reaches level 2, she is able to be out of the line of sight of staff at certain times. Another example of a level privilege is that once a student is on level 3, she is allowed the opportunity for home passes and off campus visits with family. The amount of time that students are able to use the telephone for communication with family and friends is also determined through the level system.
When a student believes that she has accomplished the goals for a specified level, she submits an application for level to the Treatment Team. The application includes a letter explaining what she feels she has accomplished, a form with signatures from the different department heads indicating completion of goals, and forms with feedback and voting from her peers. The members of the Treatment Team then discuss the application and vote on whether she should advance a level. If she doesn’t advance, she is given very specific feedback from the Treatment Team about what they would expect to see in order for her to advance.
The level system also corresponds with education goals in the Citizenship Rubric, which allows for a comprehensive progress through the program. |
