New Accreditation under AdvancED

Sorenson’s Ranch School will be going through the accreditation process during the next year. Our accreditation team visit is scheduled for April of 2014. During the last year, the Utah State Office of Education (USOE) has decided to have all schools accredited by AdvancED, an organization which, with the addition of the states in the old Northwest Association, currently accredits schools in forty of the fifty states. Under the old system, a school could earn a maximum term of six years if the visiting team felt that the school was doing a very good job, a 3 year term if the team felt somewhat less confident about the schools performance, or a one year term if the team had significant reservations about the academic environment. The new system allows for only two outcomes: either accreditation is renewed for a five year term, or accreditation is denied. The criteria for accreditation have changed somewhat under AdvancED, and as a result, we will be changing the ways that we do some things in our school. One third of our faculty attended a workshop sponsored by the USOE last fall which was designed to acquaint school personnel with the new standards and indicators. In addition, our principal was able to participate in three accreditation team visits during the month of April. He reported that this experience was very helpful, not only because he had the chance to go over the standards and indicators in depth with the other members of the visiting team, but also because he was able to see how other schools with a mission similar to ours are implementing reforms and gathering data to comply with the new standards. As part of this process, a new stakeholder survey will be conducted within the next few months which will give respondents an opportunity to give us feedback on our performance and make suggestions about how we can better serve our students and their families. Along with implementing suggestions from our stakeholder surveys, we will be setting up some new assessments to help us better measure where our students are academically when they come to us and how much learning has taken place while they attended our school. The visiting team consists of a representative from the USOE (representing AdvancED) and other education professionals from similar schools. Together, these members conduct classroom observations, faculty and support personnel interviews, stakeholder interviews, and a documentation review in an effort to accurately assess whether or not the school is adequately performing its stated mission and complying with the stated objectives of AdvancED and the USOE. This process allows the school to be commended for “powerful practices” and to be given “required actions” in those areas that the team feels need improvement. We welcome the chance to work our way through the process of self-evaluation and the formal team visit in the coming months.

Sorenson's Ranch School

Sorenson's Ranch School has been helping youth for over 50 years. Sorenson's Ranch is family owned and operated and was one of the first treatment programs for youth. The staff is dedicated to helping parents and teens better relationships and family bonds. The qualified staff consists of therapists, counselors, teachers and many other well qualified individuals. To learn more about Sorenson's Ranch School visit http://www.sorensonranchschool.com or visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7xa-3QmnNc to view a video on how Sorenson's Ranch School can assist students with depression.

Troubled Teens and Consequences

The problem with a lot of troubled teens is that they haven’t made the connection between their behavior and the outcomes of their behavior. Why is this so? For many it is because they have been rescued by their parents and not allowed to experience the consequences of their actions. This is usually not because their parents are over-indulgent, but because of their deep concern and care for their children. If a child does not learn to put the two together, though, when they are young, then they are heading for trouble by the time they reach adolescence.
There are two types of consequences that parents need to be aware of, natural and logical. In years past, when children grew up on farms natural consequences were an integral part of their lives. If a child was given the chore of feeding the chickens each morning before going to school and didn’t, the natural consequence would have been that the chickens would suffer and their egg production would dwindle, affecting the whole family. The child learned that their actions had consequences beyond just that of being disciplined for not doing a job.
Logical consequences are consequences that have been set in place by the parent or person in authority, such as, “If you don’t eat your dinner, you can’t have dessert.” Here at Sorenson’s Ranch School we have a program in place to teach troubled teens that their actions have consequences. The program is based on a point system. The students learn that certain behaviors lose points and certain behaviors gain points. Based on the number of points a student has, they can be on level one, two, three, four, or five. Each level, going up, has additional privileges for the students.
Initially, teens arriving at Sorenson’s Ranch School with little or no prior experience of connecting their actions to consequences struggle for a while. As they gain experience in managing their own behavior, they are able to gain privileges by moving up the levels. They are able to see the results of their good behavior as well as their bad behavior. Teaching a struggling teen that their actions have consequences not only for them but also for those who are concerned for their welfare is a process that takes some time and is not something that can be changed overnight.
Sorenson’s Ranch School augments its behavioral modification program with a quality education, excellent therapeutic services, and experiential learning opportunities that one can only get on a working cattle ranch. Troubled teens find a place away from the hustle and bustle of modern life where they can concentrate on learning and changing maladaptive behaviors.

Changing Negative Thought Patterns

Sorenson’s Ranch School helps troubled teens learn how to change negative thought patterns. We all have that little voice inside our heads that attempts to hold us back through the use of self-despairing statements. Whether the statements are about our looks, abilities, or the core of who we are, these statements become part of who we are and keeps us from becoming who we can be. These negative self-talk statements are worse for people who have depression and for those with low self-esteem, because these statements keep the person trapped and do not allow them to move forward easily.
Replacing negative thought patterns is addressed through the use of the DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) and in individual therapy. The Sorenson’s Ranch School DBT group addresses identifying negative thought patterns by introducing the idea of cognitive myths and teaching the students to challenge these myths that they say to themselves. An example of a myth that students learn to challenge is: “It will kill me if he does not talk to me.” A possible challenge is: “I won’t like it, but I will move on if he does not talk to me.” Other myths include, “It does not matter; I don’t really care.” This one is generally used to avoid sharing feelings and managing emotions. Many students challenge this one with “I really do care and this is why.” Students are then taught to identify their own myths and challenge these and use these challenges every time that myth comes to mind. They practice replacing that thought with the challenge.
The next step in the Sorenson’s Ranch School DBT group is to learn about cheerleading statements. Students are taught to make their own cheerleading statements to give themselves encouragement and to empower themselves. These statements are particularly helpful for overcoming fears and helping the student to feel better about their self and to build upon their strengths.
Learning to change negative thought patterns is a very powerful tool in learning to feel better about oneself and in turn change behaviors. Remember our thoughts are directly related to our behaviors.

Anger and Therapy

At Sorenson’s Ranch School we are finishing up another 10 week course of our anger management course. Do you have angry teenagers? Here at Sorenson’s Ranch we seem to have a lot of angry teens. Why are they angry? What is anger? Our goal is for our students to understand that anger is a normal feeling or emotion, to teach them that anger is often confused with aggression, and to help students identify when anger becomes a problem.
Students work as a group in workbook. We teach that conflict has three steps that we call the ABC’s of anger. People that express their anger inappropriately have “apparent” payoffs, but long-term negative consequences outweigh the short term gains. We discuss how anger can become a habit. We also teach the correct way to make a complaint, which is our first skill-streaming skill. Students are encouraged to use the skill during the week. Students are provided a forum where they identify and share with each other their own triggers. This helps them to begin to realize that they are responsible for how they respond to different situations.
Teens at Sorenson’s Ranch School are also taught how to recognize and listen to their own warning signs that they are becoming angry. They are encouraged to listen to their own warning signs and to become more aware of what other people might be feeling. Teens are learning to express anger through appropriate verbalization and healthy physical outlets. Our goal for the teens who attend Sorenson’s Ranch School is to understand and apply the basic concepts of anger management that have been presented in the group.







Session 2

OBJECTIVE: To identify general events, and red-flag events and situations that trigger anger for each individual student. To become aware of external triggers as well as internal triggers.

INTERVENTION: Students were provided a forum where they identified and shared with each other their own triggers. Helping them to begin to realize that they are responsible for how they respond to different situations. Also discussed how to recognize and listen to their own warning signs that they are becoming angry. Teaching the steps to understand the feelings of others. Which is the 2nd skill-streaming skill. They were encourage to listen to their own warning signs and to become more aware of what other people might be feeling this week.


Session 3

OBJECTIVE: To identify anger warning signs (cues) so that the students can start to make use of anger reduction techniques and increase self control and personal power when they notice that they are getting angry.

INTERVENTION: Learning to express anger through appropriate verbalization and healthy physical outlets.


Session 4

OBJECTIVE: For students to know reminders (self-instructional statements) that can be used to help increase success in pressure situations of all types. Also to learn skills that will help them deal with someone else’s anger and to learn relaxation through breathing.

INTERVENTION: Studying a list of reminders and encouraging the students to come up with their own personal reminders that would be effective in helping them to stay calm. Discussing different techniques that can be used in dealing with someone else’s anger and teaching them how to breathe in order to relax.


Session 5

OBJECTIVE: To understand that when someone violates your rights the best way to deal with that person is to be assertive, not aggressive or passive.

INTERVENTION: To read about the differences between being assertive, aggressive, or passive and fill out a worksheet. To read about and discuss the Conflict Resolution Model, which is one method of acting assertively.


Session 6

OBJECTIVE: For students to understand that self-evaluation is a way for them to (A) judge for themselves how well they have handled a conflict, (B) reward themselves for handling it well, or (C) help themselves find out how they could have handled it better.

INTERVENTION: Reading and explaining self-evaluation and filling out a worksheet. Discussing different aspects of self-evaluation and asking students to give some examples of how they can use it in their lives.


Session 7

OBJECTIVE: For students to understand and apply the basic concepts of anger management that have been presented in the group.

INTERVENTION: The basic concepts of anger management were reviewed and summarized. Students were able to ask questions concerning what we have learned so far.


Session 8



OBJECTIVE: For students to learn how anger and other emotions are expressed in their family and analyze how past family interactions affect current thoughts, feelings, and behavior.

INTERVENTION: Students filled out a worksheet asking them different questions such as: Describe your family? How was anger expressed in your family? How did each member of your family express anger? Where you ever threatened with physical violence? Was your father or mother abusive to you or each other? How were other emotions expressed? How were you disciplined? What role did you take in your family?



Students also drew a picture expressing how anger is shown in their family.






OBJECTIVE: Continued for students to learn how anger and other emotions are expressed in their family and analyze how past family interactions affect current thoughts, feelings, and behavior.

INTERVENTION: Students filled out a worksheet asking them different questions such as: Describe your family? How was anger expressed in your family? How did each member of your family express anger? Where you ever threatened with physical violence? Was your father or mother abusive to you or each other? How were other emotions expressed? How were you disciplined? And what role did you take in your family? Students also drew a picture expressing how anger is shown in their family.
They shared with the group and talked about seeing the cycle and unless they change could continue into their own families.

Session 9

OBJECTIVE: For students to understand that anger is a normal emotion and needs to be handled in appropriate ways. Mishandled anger includes: Displacement, Passive Aggressive, Suppression, Denial, and Repression. People with chronic anger are mad most of the time and are extremely unhappy. Violence is not a solution, it only compounds the problem. Ways of managing anger includes: Expressing your feelings, Cooling down, and Being constructive. Attack the problem, not the person. When you can acknowledge your anger without resorting to destructive or aggressive behavior, you can turn your anger into a positive experience that makes life better for others and yourself.

INTERVENTION: We watched anger management video. Students were able to identify the different types of behavior they use in expressing their anger.

Session 10

OBJECTIVE: To be able to recognize what we do or say that makes other people angry and try to change these problematic behaviors that could lead to conflicts.

INTERVENTION: Students shared three ways that they anger others and we discussed how they could change these behaviors.
Session 11

OBJECTIVE: For students to understand and remember all that we have learned in group and prepare for the test next week.

INTERVENTION: We reviewed all the basic concepts of anger management that have been presented in the group.


Session 12

OBJECTIVE: For students to remember everything they have learned in-group and be able to apply it in their own lives.

INTERVENTION: Students took a final test for the group. If they don’t pass the test, they may have to repeat the group.


Special Group

PARENT ORIENTATION TO SORENSON’S RANCH

The Treatment Team

Sorenson’s Ranch School has adolescent clients with a variety of presenting concerns including Oppositional Defiance, Substance Abuse, PTSD, behavioral problems, school problems, Attention Deficit Disorder, mental health problems, Bipolar Disorder, Depression, Borderline Personality Tendencies, and unresolved adoption issues, including Reactive Attachment Disorder. Because of the variety of presenting problems that our adolescent students display, it is important that we individualize their treatment. Each student has a treatment team that consists of their parent(s), their therapist, case manager, and her/himself.

The therapist is designated as the leader of the treatment team. The case manager will serve as the parents’ primary point of contact. They will speak to the parent(s) each week about their child in order to provide an update on how their child is doing in the program: including how they are doing following rules, interacting with staff and other authority figures, interacting with peers, performing in school and other extra curricular activities, and working in individual and group therapy. The case manager will be aware of how the student is doing in therapy due to the fact that the case manager and therapist “crossover” about how the student is doing in the program each week. However, the therapist will also contact the parents on an approximately every other week basis in addition, to provide some more detailed information regarding how the therapy process is going and to elicit useful relevant input from the parent(s) to assist in the therapeutic process.

There are times when students get caught up in comparing what their case manager, therapist, or parent(s) is/are doing. For example they may say “why is my case manager doing such and such when somebody else’s is not, or why is my therapist requiring this of me when someone else’s is not. It’s important that the treatment be individualized to the particular student. We encourage students not to worry about what any other case manager, therapist, or set of parents is doing, but to focus on their own work here at Sorenson’s Ranch. It should be noted that although the primary adolescent treatment team consists of the parent(s), therapist, case manager, and student, every staff member here at Sorenson’s Ranch is an important part of the student’s treatment. Group leaders, teachers, residential staff, cooks, ranch and maintenance workers, and administrative staff are all essential in playing their specific roles in assisting the students who have behavioral, substance abuse, and/or mental health problems.

It is natural for the student in treatment to want to know how long they will be in the program. Although parents are tempted to give their child a clear answer in hopes of motivating them, it has been our experience from working with thousands of troubled adolescents over more than two decades that how this question is answered can make or break the student’s motivation to actually engage and apply themselves fully to working on themselves and making real progress in the program. We feel strongly that the best answer to this question is to tell them that their length of stay is dependant on their actual progress in the program and that you are relying on their therapist to let you know when they have completed the program. The therapist will develop a treatment plan that includes treatment plan goals and objectives/interventions to assist in meeting those goals. It’s been our experience that if students do not believe that their discharge date is completely dependent on their actual progress, they will not work as hard, instead hoping that their parents will discharge them prematurely or at a designated point of time, or that their parents will “run out of money and discharge them regardless of their actual progress.” If you have any questions about what to tell your child about discharge, it is recommended that you talk to the child’s therapist about it before speaking to your child about it.

In addition to individual therapy, students receive group therapy weekly. We have groups on a variety of topics: including Teenage Substance Abuse Intervention/Prevention, Anger Management, Adolescent Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Adoption, Grief, Sexual Abuse and Rape Survivors, and Yoga/Meditation. Students may be participating in anywhere between two and five or more groups at a time depending on their specific needs and inclusion in the categories mentioned above, such as being adopted or being a sexual abuse or rape survivor. As therapists and case managers, we need and appreciate the participation and input from parents as one of the key members of our treatment team. We are open to questions and/or feedback regarding how we are working with your student and encourage you to work with us collaboratively on helping your child. Any questions or concerns are welcome.