The New life Residential Treatment Program is multifaceted, combining various treatment modalities into an individual program for each residential student.  Recognizing that the primary population is comprised of adolescent males, court committed for behavioral and attitudinal difficulties manifested in problems in the home, school and community, it is felt that the basic treatment approach must be a fairly active, directive, confrontational one which stresses responsibility and accountability for each student for his own behavior and attitude.  While background material is reviewed to gain an understanding of how behavioral patterns have developed, the primary focus in all aspects of treatment is on present-day actions, thoughts, and feelings and how they need to be changed in the immediate future and how these changes can be solidified and internalized into more pro-social behavior over a span of time.

            In dealing with an adolescent population it is recognized that the negative patterns, which led to placement have in most cases been developing over a fairly lengthy period of time, often a number of years.  Although students remain in residential placement anywhere from a few months to a year or longer, the average individual stays in residential placement from six to nine months.  This time frame represents a relatively short period of time to change long-term, entrenched habit patterns and therefore necessitates a fairly consistent, intensive treatment approach.  It is therefore constantly necessary to bring to each boy’s awareness and attention any aspect of his behavior that needs to be altered, either through developing or strengthening more positive behaviors, or through weakening or eliminating negative behaviors.  The therapeutic milieu utilizes a reality based and cognitive approach emphasizing group dynamics, guided group interaction, values clarification of an individual and group-oriented nature, family counseling based on family systems theory (particularly stressing structural family therapy), a variety of psycho-educational activities designed to enhance confidence building and self-esteem, and behavior modification principles developed through psychological learning theory.  A program-wide emphasis of the principles of Balanced and Restorative Justice (BARJ) are foundational to preparing Juvenile Justice clients for their return to the community.