Over the past 20 years, I have worked with many families who have desperately sought out-of-home treatment for their child after many failed attempts to do it alone. They come in exhausted, and their child has had every diagnosis and form of treatment available. Nothing seems to have worked. Parents are grieving intensely for the loss of what they thought raising their child would look like, and their child is resentful and drained. If this is not your exact story, I would assume it takes on some version of this. I’ve seen it too many times to count.
As a clinician to these families, and as someone who engaged in my own healing as an adolescent, my heart would hurt for them. With the knowledge that the journey ahead was a difficult one, I did my best to guide them, so they did not have to experience another failed attempt at getting their child the help they deserved. I’ve participated in endless trauma trainings and implementing cutting-edge treatment to those I’ve treated. It has been my dream to have my own program, where people can join together on this mission to find healing for our wounds and stop running from Our Truth with our behavior.
ROOTs (Reclaiming Our Original Truth) Transition is just that- the program I have been dreaming of since that day I decided to embark on my own healing. The vision will always be:
- To create a place of healing for families, students and staff alike.
- To provide the most ethical and sophisticated trauma-informed approach.
- To utilize the outdoors as a catalyst for self-regulation and confidence.
- To create a place of safety for our students to do their deepest work.
- To reunite families with their loved ones.
The hybrid approach came from an understanding that our students need more than just a container for their behavior. They need the ability to try on new skills. They need the consistency of relationships. They need the opportunity to return home to more support. They need to engage in life when they are ready. We cannot fear the struggle that healing creates. We must make space for it and understand that the struggle creates resiliency.
The journey of healing is not meant to be done alone; we need each other. Join ROOTs on your path to healing, and trust the process will guide you.
Kami Black, MSW, LCSW
Founder/ Executive Director
