Therapeutic Boarding School for Girls in Oregon

The Academy at Sisters, Bend:
Located just south of Bend, Oregon at the base of the Three Sisters Mountains, The Academy at Sisters is a small and exclusive therapeutic boarding school for at risk young women ages 13-18.

Academy Personal Growth Treatment Program:The typical student for the Academy at Sisters is an at-risk adolescent girl between the ages of 13-18. Some have run away, chosen poor peer relationships, have no boundaries, are receiving bad grades in school, are truant, have drug and alcohol issues, continually put themselves in dangerous situations, and are beyond parental control.

The Academy operates a cognitive behavioral therapy model which follows evidence-based validated best practices. The Academy follows the constellational characteristics of successful programs as described by the National Institute of Health.

Each student has an individualized treatment plan and a Case Manager to guide them through the process. We do not believe that labeling students as disabled or disordered is helpful in achieving the ultimate goal of self-efficacy.

We believe short-term use of medication to control behavior may be necessary, but is not a healthy long-term solution to behavioral problems. We utilize the services of a clinical psychologist, board certified psychiatrist, doctor of counseling, autism specialist, therapist, as well as other specialists as needed for our population of at-risk girls.

Successful programs for preventing violence and health-risking social behaviors have the following elements as per the NIH:

- Derived from sound theoretical rationales
- Address strong risk factors
- Involve long term treatments lasting a year and sometimes longer
- They follow a cognitive/behavioral strategy
- They work intensively with those targeted for treatment using a clinical (individualized) approach
- Are multimodal/multicontextual (address peripheral issues that surround problems)
- Focus on improving social competency and other skill development strategies for targeted youth and families
- Are developmentally appropriate
- Not delivered in coercive institutional settings
- Delivery of services with fidelity (consistency)

Equine Assisted Therapy Program:
The program is designed to compliment our Personal Growth Program and often provides metaphors of therapeutic value for our at-risk girls. Equine activities have been proven to improve communication skills and build confidence and character.

Our equine partners are chosen for their gentle nature and sound training that makes them perfect teachers for our at-risk students. We see bonds created, fears overcome, and a chance to be independent and responsible.

Students progress through four units of curriculum: ground lessons, beginning riding, intermediate riding, and advanced riding. Each unit contains hands-on and written work covering English and Western riding and basic equine care.

Benefits of participation in this program are: Improved cognitive, emotional, physical and social functioning.

Academics:
J Bar J Learning Center at the Academy of Sisters is dedicated to providing an environment that supports high level learning for at-risk teenage girls. We believe that focused effort inspires successes and enhances achievement for all. This focused effort will develop the love of learning and be the basis of personal commitment to life-long learning.
Key subjects include math, English, science, social studies, arts, physical education.

Course offerings are extensive and are designed to meet the needs of each student. Teaching methods are innovative and address the diverse learning styles of our students. Life skills are integrated into curricula content.

J Bar J Learning Center requires completion of 27 units to complete the High School Diploma, exceeding the State of Oregon requirements. All students must demonstrate progress in meeting state content standards and complete an individual program of Personal Growth. Competency is determined through a structured level system.

Learning Support:
Learning Support Services including SAT exam preparation, accelerated reading, accelerated math, active learning, learning styles, authentic assessment, career planning, emotional intelligence, independent study.