Admissions — we only enroll clients we think can succeed here
The initial step to enrolling at Elements is to speak with our Admissions team. We want to hear why you are seeking treatment and learn about your unique situation. We will then share how Elements could be a fit for you, or if we don't think we're the best option for you, we will tell you that as well. We only enroll clients who we think can be successful here at Elements. Every application is subject to a thorough review by our clinical and medical teams, and we work hard to complete the review process in 24 hours.
Adventure programming — AMGA-certified instructors, activities every 7–14 days
Every 7-14 days, Elements clients will have the opportunity to participate in an adventure activity facilitated by our adventure program staff. Adventure activities include: rock climbing, rappelling, slacklining, team building, yoga & mindfulness practices, leather working & drum making, and mountain biking. In the summer, fly fishing and stand-up paddle boarding are also offered. Elements requires adventure program staff to obtain, at a minimum, a Single Pitch Instructor certification through the American Mountain Guide Association (AMGA), an international industry leader in training and certification for climbing and mountaineering.
Daily life — weekly schedule of hiking, therapy days, and adventure
Three to five days a week, our clients backpack from campsite to campsite. Every other week, there is a day or two of adventure activity. Regardless of the week's hiking or adventure schedule, there is personal time built in for clients to work on therapeutic assignments, letter writing, reading, as well as time for games, conversations, and group processing of different therapeutic topics. Two days a week, the therapist visits the group wherever they are in the field area. Individual and group therapy sessions happen on these days. The therapist also brings out mail for clients from family and loved ones.
Therapist camps with clients — extended clinical contact
Picture this: therapy sessions unfold while the therapist joins the group each week, camping together, immersed in the client's world for up to 36 hours. This in vivo method allows therapy to occur systematically in dedicated individual sessions, but also organically through real-time interaction and quality time spent together. By blurring the lines which traditionally have divided therapy and real-life experiences, we exponentially increase clinical contact hours beyond the confines of a traditional brick and mortar setting.
Elements clinical team — licensed therapists and leadership
Our team of experienced therapists combines a love for the wilderness with the highest level of clinical sophistication under the clinical leadership of JJ Freedlund, LCSW, Clinical Director, and Associate Clinical Director, Tara Stireman, LCSW. Elements has a credentialed, licensed, and board-certified psychiatric team. Elements' psychiatric team can meet remotely with the client via Zoom, conduct an assessment, help answer questions, and explore medication intervention.
Psychological testing — independent testers travel to the client in the field
Elements links families with outside psychological testers who specialize in conducting testing in outdoor therapy programs. Once the tester is hired by the family or client, we will coordinate with them on logistics, timing, and any paperwork the tester needs in advance. In efforts to provide minimal disruption to our clients' experience, the tester will then travel out to wherever the client is camped on the day of testing. The testing will take place away from other clients so there is privacy for the client.
If your loved one is not a fit for Elements, I will tell you why so that you can be even better equipped to find an excellent treatment option for them. Good luck as you search for solutions for your loved one. Having done this work for many years, I can tell you with confidence — there is hope. — Kate Lierd, Admissions Director
Choose Your Challenge — no client is ever forced into an activity
While the expectation in adventure programming is for every client to challenge themselves at some point during the activity, no client is ever forced to do an activity. Rather, clients get the opportunity to define what challenge looks like for them in any given activity and then to embrace that challenge. For example, the challenge for one client might be to make it halfway up a rock climb, while for another client the challenge might be for them to put on a harness and belay one of their peers.
Family involvement — visits, calls, letters, parent coaching
At Elements we use every opportunity available to us to incorporate the entire family system wherever possible. As such, each family will have a host of opportunities to engage with their loved one in the program, be it via therapeutically driven letters and phone calls and embedded in the group for one or more visits. Most of our parents engage in all aspects of family communication and visits. Parents and guardians are involved via support groups, psychoeducational seminars, individual calls with the therapist, with their own parent guides (coaches), and of course with direct communication through calls and letters with their child.
Grievance process and confidential communication for clients
We recognize that clients are in a vulnerable position, and therefore, we actively work to create a culture of accountability, ethics, and communication amongst our staff. Additionally, we have a grievance procedure for clients to communicate their concerns directly to Senior Management and Elements' owners. Our clients also have the opportunity every week to send confidential letters to their families.
Nutrition — dietitian-designed meals with fresh food
We collaborate closely with a dietitian to design meal plans tailored to the needs of our active young clientele. At Elements, we prioritize providing wholesome and nutritious meals that not only meet the caloric requirements of our clients but also nourish their bodies with essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Fresh fruits and vegetables are incorporated daily, while fresh meats are featured in multiple meals each week.
Outcomes data — 97% of parents satisfied at discharge
97% of Parents and 92% of Students reported being Satisfied or Very Satisfied with their treatment when asked at discharge. 93% of parents and 92% of students reported experiencing between some improvement and very much improvement when asked to rate their or their child's problems compared to when they entered the program.
