GIRLS RESIDENTIAL PROGRAM

       A large portion of Waterfall Canyon Academy's (WCA) programming is built around our Skills Development Services (SDS) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), specifically for our Girls Residential Program. Below are the major components of our SDS: Social Skills Groups, Daily/Independent Living Skills Groups and Anger Management Groups. These services are facilitated by our trained staff and conducted within each home. These groups are highly focused on supporting the exploration of needs, motivations, desires, skills, abilities and thought processes to assist the students in making real and lasting changes. We use techniques to facilitate student's thoughts in order to identify solutions and actions, support the students in setting appropriate goals, observe each individual within the group, and evaluate outcomes or patterns. The skills learned in these groups are incorporated into their daily programming with feedback given on an immediate basis.

Social Skills Groups:

These groups are designed to assist our students in developing personal social skills that will help them navigate relationships throughout their lives. Our students will have the opportunity to learn specific social skills, role play situations and then discuss with others more choices and/or more appropriate ways to deal with the situation. They will also participate in team building activities in the group, in an effort to assist teaching each of them how to build healthy relationships, deal with problems and cope with an uncomfortable or difficult situation.

Daily/Independent Living Skills Groups:

WCA is highly focused on each students ability to take care of themselves and/or help their families once they have completed the program. Daily Living Skills groups are conducted each week in an effort to provide the students with the hands-on experience to take care of their personal hygiene, laundry/clothing care, ability to cook and move through the kitchen successfully, take care of basic maintenance around their homes, manage their money and utilize good time management skills.

Anger Management Groups:

WCA uses a comprehensive approach called Aggression Replacement Training (ART). ART is made up of three components. The first component is called skill-streaming. In these skill-streaming groups, the students have the opportunity to learn, observe, and role play appropriate social skills. Anger management is the second component of ART. The students will identify triggers or cues in relation to their anger and learn "reducers" which help them cope with angry feelings. The third component of ART is moral reasoning. In these groups, the students are given a scenario and then asked what they would do if in that situation. The group then shares and discusses the decision.

Gender Specific Groups for WCA Girls:

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a system of therapy originally developed by Marsha Linehan. Linehan is an American Psychologist who has devoted much of her career to developing this form of psychotherapy.

In our DBT groups the girls learn cognitive-behavioral techniques as well as concepts on mindfulness. This form of therapy targets common issues that our students share such distress, emotional dysregulation and impulsivity. This form of therapy teaches them the skills they need to know in order to deal with these issues in a healthy manner. For example, a few important topics discussed are Internet Safety as well as Relationship Safety. These groups are conducted by one of our licensed Therapists.

In addition to our SDS and DBT components, our students participate daily in recreational and social activities. Please take a look below for detailed information.

Recreational Therapy:

WCA involves the students in daily recreational therapy including but not limited to; hiking, swimming, weight lifting, cardiovascular and endurance training, running, biking, and organized sports. We encourage our students to live a healthy lifestyle and taking care of themselves, as well as spending an appropriate amount of time each day outside rather than indoors with electronics. During the Summer, our students participate in a yearly softball tournament against our other WCA programs that they really enjoy! Each student is also able to earn the ability to participate in an extracurricular activity of their choice once on the appropriate step in the program. We have students that play for the local high school sport teams, take swimming lessons, play recreation sports, run in local marathons, etc.

Social Activities:

WCA is dedicated to our community and therefore, we love to get our students out and enjoying what Utah has to offer! The beautiful mountains and lakes allow us to take part in several outdoor/volunteer activities. Fishing, boating, camping, skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing are just a few of the social activities here in Ogden. We also enjoy going to the movies, plays, museums, skateboarding, rollerblading and local sporting events. Students are welcome to take advantage of these activities at least once per week and get some time out in the community to explore, learn and socialize! As of late, we have volunteered at the Ogden Rodeo, Habitat for Humanity, Ogden Bike Rodeo and the Animal Sanctuary.

Please take a look at our BLOG for some wonderful photos of these activities!!