Family Involvement in Transition

Research demonstrates that one of the keys to the success of adolescent treatment is parental involvement.  We want to gradually ease each family out of full therapeutic support and into a developmentally appropriate and effective family system before a student returns home.  Transition time gives parents the opportunity to step back into the role of supporting their child on a more frequent basis while responding to the inevitable missteps of early recovery.  We ask that parents partner with us in order to send a consistent and uniform message that successful completion of the program is a family goal.

As La Europa, we see our relations with parents as one of "co-parenting" while their student is in our care.  We invite parents to participate in the treatment process in a number of ways:

• Parent workshops for two days each quarter (dates are established well in advance).  These workshops include a day-long multi-family group with experiential therapy, a parent support group, and a parent-teacher conference.
• Case review calls with the La Europa Treatment Team.  These are usually held every eight to ten weeks to keep parents informed of treatment progress and allow for collaboration on treatment goals.
• DBT Webinars and Parent Coaching Support Group for parents to learn, practice and integrate the same skills their student is learning.  
• Regular webinars on a wide variety of topics in which parents can participate if interested.
• Transition Parent Support Group for parents who are getting close to transitioning their student from the program.
• Seek individual, family or marital counseling at home to process new information and integrate new skills.

We want our parents to feel ready to have their student return home.  The transition period can provide a place for our students to practice new skills they have learned as a family unit.  During home visits, the family will also work on finding a therapist, community group, and school or job so that transition back home is as smooth as possible.  They will also work on holding boundaries and practicing new skills when conflicts arise.  

We want our students to feel ready to return home.  We work with them to strengthen their tolerance level and ability to accept when their parents hold boundaries with them.  We understand it is merely impossible for parents to maintain the level of structure their student experienced at La Europa.  For this reason, a transition period is vital before graduation.