At ASCENT, families are part of the solution. When your child is acting out, your whole family system is challenged. In order help you rebuild a healthy family, we ask you to actively participate throughout the ASCENT program.

Parent participation includes:

• Parent and child written communication
• Scheduled weekly calls with your child's clinician
• Three-day family workshop

Parent and child written communication

Parent letters are part of the therapeutic process for teens. Your letters allow your son or daughter to hear what you have to say without the usual emotional responses that often are tied to face-to-face contact. Written communication gives your child an opportunity to revisit and reflect on your words. Our professionally trained staff helps them deal with any emotional responses for your correspondence.

Letter writing gives you an opportunity to vent your feelings, express concerns, and share your love. Letter writing offers a safe way for you and your son or daughter to reopen communication and begin to redevelop a more meaningful relationship.

Scheduled weekly calls with your child's clinician

Parent communication with our clinicians is part of the family education process. Talking weekly with your child's clinician keeps you abreast of your son or daughter's progress and aids our staff in better meeting your child's needs.

Three-day Family Workshop

During the transitional phase of the student's ASCENT experience, you are reunited with your child in an intensive celebration of family. Our Family Workshop creates an emotionally safe environment for reconciliation and reunification and provides:

• Shared commitment to next steps for healing
• Support for parents and connection with other parents
• Specific tools to assist teens in their relationships with all family members
• Mechanisms for parents to improve communication and strengthen boundaries

The cost of the Family Workshop is included in our tuition. Please ask your admissions counselor for more information about this powerful learning experience.

Read what other parents are saying about our family workshop