As director of business development, I do a fair amount of traveling across the country connecting with educational consultants, therapeutic programs, and other referents.  My hope is to educate the industry about Cascade Academy and our specialty approach to treatment for anxiety and OCD related issues.  During these meetings there are several relevant questions that are frequently asked including, “Where do your Cascade Academy students typically come from prior to treatment?”

For two years Cascade Academy has been accepting students into our program from a variety of sources.  We have recently aggregated enrollment data to provide detailed information about where our students were prior to enrollment.  You may be asking yourself why this information is relevant.  The answer is simple; understanding the level of care our students required prior to treatment helps define the general acuity of our students prior to treatment. This helps to determine fit at Cascade Academy to ensure we are working with the appropriate students within our milieu model.

So here it is…

• 39.5% of students enroll from a wilderness program – Students enrolling from wilderness programs are generally motivated to participate in treatment, they are invested in their clinical progress and have likely overcome some unsafe behaviors that may have been problematic at home including school refusal, social avoidance, isolation and excessive technology use.  At Cascade Academy we are incredibly appreciative for the hard work that students, families, and wilderness programs do to prepare students for our program.

• 36.8% of students enroll directly from home – Often times parents recognize the unhealthy path that their child is on and choose to intervene early before more serious behavioral issues begin.  In these cases, Cascade Academy is eager to participate in the clinical intervention of students with less acute behavioral issues.

• 18.4% of students enroll from another treatment center – Cascade Academy is at times considered a step-down in treatment.  Students who have successfully navigated treatment at another more acute treatment facility or achieved stabilization at a short-term intensive treatment facility will at times step down to the level of care offered at Cascade Academy and continue to receive intense clinical support in an environment with less acute behavioral and safety issues.  We also include in this category a number of students who have not been successful in non-therapeutic environments such as boarding schools and have come to Cascade Academy in search of a more supportive clinical environment.

• 5.3% of students enrolling from a hospital – At times students and families need the support of hospitals to provide safety and stabilization.  Anxiety can lead to depression and depression can lead to self-harming and even suicidal ideations.  Occasionally Cascade Academy will enroll students directly from a hospital stabilization when it is determined that the necessary commitment to safety and health has been achieved and the environment of care provided is sufficient to ensure the safety of our students.

January 6, 2022 officially marks two years that Cascade Academy is providing students, staff and families with the opportunities to embrace life with courage and joy.  We are honored to be trusted with this privilege and appreciate the support, collaboration, and professional curtesy that we have received.  Regardless of where students are coming from, we are eager to provide the best adolescent residential treatment for girls struggling with anxiety and OCD related issues.  Looking forward to another great year!