Our daughter did well in high school, but her hard work created a lot of stress for her. She took a gap year before college, but the isolation of COVID made it a bad idea because she was alone at home and all of her friends were at college.
She was helped by an in-patient facility, but then she needed a place that would support her to live on her own.
As it turned out, she discovered Red Mountain herself.
She said, “I need something like this,” and we quickly found ourselves on a plane to Arizona. It was a perfect fit because it focused on becoming more responsible and independent. That was really what she needed and that’s why she chose it. She had been accepted for college, but was not ready for it.
Red Mountain focuses on independence, and once she was there, she liked the autonomy it gave her. Accountability is another value of great importance at RMS. As a result, she became confident and capable. Red Mountain provides a balance by saying, “This is what you need to do to succeed,” but they’re also flexible when that’s needed.
Everyone on staff was great; all of them are hopeful and optimistic. The therapy made a huge difference for her, and we would say that her Red Mountain therapist was the best she ever had. The therapist had a gentle touch, but got our daughter to really look at herself and that helped her grow. We got an update on her therapy progress every week, which really enhanced our experience of her time there. We realized that for the first time in years, we felt she was safe, and we could stop holding our breath!
We would say to any family considering RMS or another aftercare program, “Trust your gut. If something doesn’t feel right, don’t go there.” When we talked with Red Mountain, we just knew it was right for our daughter. As it turned out, RMS was transformative, and we don’t know where she would be without RMS. The experience was life-changing and life-saving.
-Parents