Therapeutic Boarding School for Boys in Idaho

Cherry Gulch:
Cherry Gulch is an accredited therapeutic boarding school for boys ages 10 to 14 with various difficulties including ADHD, learning differences, oppositional-defiance, depression, low self-esteem, poor motivation, anger, anxiety, family conflict, and other behavioral and emotional problems. Located beneath the western slope of the Rocky Mountains near Boise, Idaho, in the North West Pacific region of the United States (east of Washington State), we are equipped to handle very difficult students as well as "softer" students with more internalizing behaviors.

Academics:
At Cherry Gulch, we believe that education is the cornerstone of our lives. We offer an outstanding curriculum that covers all core subject areas including English, Math, History and Science.

We also offer other elective programs including Art and Computers and even Wilderness Survival and Judo. Lessons are designed to be fun and engaging and are tailored to each student's needs. Our low student to teacher ratio allows us to give each student what he needs to succeed.

Therapeutics:
We offer approximately 10 hours per week of structured therapeutic services as directed by the Clinical Director, the child’s primary therapist, and his individualized treatment plan. The entire program is designed to be therapeutic and therapy continues throughout the day and through many of the child’s daily activities and as there is an opportunity for a therapeutic moment. Listed below is an example of the structured weekly therapeutic services offered at Cherry Gulch.
- 2 hours of Group Psychotherapy
- 2 hours of Equine Assisted Psychotherapy
- 1 hour of Family Therapy
- 2 to 4 hours of Experiential
- 1 to 2 hours of individual therapy generally broken up into half hour sessions
- Additional time as needed or as therapeutic moments occur

Level System:
The level system at Cherry Gulch reinforces the concepts that students are learning and interconnects the components of the program. Our approach is unique among schools for troubled teens. The levels are cumulative and students are required to continue to practice the habits they have learned from the lower levels before advancing to the higher levels.

The level system can be expanded and/or individualized as needed since each level includes one or more target behaviors or attitudes This gives the student's therapists, teachers, and other staff members the opportunity to individualize the tasks and assignments of that level to fit with the identified needs of the student.

Daily Schedule:
Cherry Gulch is unique in the field of therapeutic schools. We have placed all our core classes in the Monday through Thursday schedule which gives us flexibility on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays to go on weekend trips.

Therapy takes place as life unfolds but we also have 10 hours of scheduled therapy per week which is not necessarily listed on the schedule. Some of the planned activities are experiential therapies like equine assisted psychotherapy initiatives and therapeutic games or recreation therapy.

Students generally have the opportunity to ride horses three times a week but some students will choose other activities instead.

Spirituality:
Students are not required to attend church services or activities but they are encouraged to. Spirituality has been shown to be an important aspect of mental health and, for many people, it is an important coping skill as well as an additional support system for struggling students. Students who would like to attend religious services can go to church with staff members.

Equine Program:
Cherry Gulch has six friendly horses, and 220 acres for the horses to roam. Students feed and groom the horeses, take riding lessons, go on trail rides, and participate in equine therapy. Cherry Gulch is bordered by 540 acres of public land which gives us lots of room to go on trail rides.

Extracurricular Activities:
Athletics: Basketball, volleyball, bad mitten, judo, flag football, ultimate frisbee, golf, cross-country, skiing/snowboarding, and rodeo are just some of the sports our students enjoy. Some of our teams will compete against other middle schools in the area.

Other Activities: Horseback riding, rafting, 4H, Boy Scouts, Corporate Kids CyberKlub, Electronics Club, hiking/camping, fishing, gardening, weekend trips, various games, building projects, drag racing (spectator), work study program, field trips, mentoring program to teach younger children to read, elderly visitation program, movies, museums, and other activities in Boise.

Camp Stanley (Summer Camp):
Camp Stanley is a “base camp to adventure” for Cherry Gulch students. Groups of students spend three to four weeks at Camp Stanley during the summer. It is a fully equipped base camp located in the breathtakingly beautiful Sawtooth Mountains.

There are numerous activities and opportunities available to students at Camp Stanley including horseback rides, backpacking, whitewater rafting, fishing, boating, swimming, hiking, biking, photography, soaking in natural hot springs, scenic back road drives, trips to the ghost town, museum, gold dredge, or a day trip to Sun Valley.