The first quarter of the year has closed, bringing a new momentum and energy to our campus. While we impatiently wait for the snow to subside and usher in a true spring, positive transformation abounds within our departments. I am proud to highlight several of our many accomplishments your internal teams have orchestrated. As always, the most important accomplishment and the goal we all share, is the continuation of providing the best care for our students and their families; helping them embrace life with courage and joy. However seemingly small, each task contributes to this larger outcome.
Supervision, shift notes, chores, therapy sessions, outings, screening potential admissions, marketing, payroll, medication management, managing credits and academic interventions all matter in treating the whole person and their system of support. Nothing is unimportant.
One day a master builder asked a mason what he was doing as he was laying bricks. “Well laying bricks of course” responded the mason. The master builder went to another mason and asked him what he was doing, “building a cathedral” he replied. Our tasks can be bricks, or integral parts of a master plan that will last generations to come. You are cathedral builders.
In January, we hosted 8 students traveling to Guatemala for a service, adventure, as a leadership trip. They jumped off cliffs, played soccer with local families, helped in the gardens, learned about internal vs. external poverty, and had an opportunity to reflect on their own place in the global community.
In February, a Cascade Team attended the annual NATSAP conference in Texas, joining 800 other professionals who also work in therapeutic programs to share best practices, learn about legislative and industry trends, and support an organization that is designed to help programs deliver quality care.
In March, we accepted and enrolled 5 new students, bringing a wave of new dynamics and demands to the daily milieu. Mentors, including the addition of 7 talented professionals, have gracefully managed the needs of incoming students. Our mentors bring support and hope. We also hosted our annual State Licensing visit, yielding 100% in compliance with all requirements. March was a time to be flexible with the weather, changing plans, supporting one another in shift coverage. We relocated the ski capstone to a safe time. Students completed an overnight trip, generalizing their skills and knowledge of “flow theory” to a different environment.
Our first two students came to Cascade in April of 2020. I hope you will get a chance to meet them and hear how Cascade has always been a healing place. Our services continue to grow because you are the heart of what we do. You are excellent at your field, eager to learn, and have a strong desire for service. Thank you for continuing to be a part of our vision that will last generations.
