The Integral Role Of Families
Families play a vital role in Gateway’s treatment process. Parent and family involvement is crucial to ensure each youth's healing and growth is sustained well after treatment at Gateway is completed.
Gateway’s family interventions provide a foundation for parents to be more effective in reaching their child in a way they can best receive support and forgive, or work through, past grievances. We work with teens and their parents to identify underlying dynamics that contribute to conflict and to help establish new skills and family patterns of behavior that lead to better ways of relating. Additionally, Gateway’s developmental, skill-building approach gives parents a sense of focus, inspiration, and encouragement when times get tough.
In addition to weekly family therapy sessions, families may participate in weekly virtual Parent Support and Education groups. Individual parent coaching sessions are also available upon request. We encourage parents to call or email their therapist at any time to check on their child. When a student prepares to transition out of Gateway, parents receive transition support and coaching.
Parent visits are welcomed, with the timing coordinated through the youth’s therapist. Clinical support is available during these visits, as well as during home visits, and parents receive assistance in preparing for these visits. Additionally, to help parents stay in touch with their child’s lives, we regularly post pictures on the Gateway Parent Portal of their weekday activities and weekend forays into nature, cultural events, and service opportunities. Parents have contact with their teen through in-person visits, and weekly social calls, letters, faxes, and email.
Parent Workshops are offered every three months. Parent Workshops include a four-day experience (Thursday through Sunday) during which families participate in parent-teacher conferences, parent support, psycho-education and training sessions, family therapy groups, experiential family therapy sessions and initiatives, and individual time with their teen.
Academic progress and ongoing educational performance is available during individualized calls with the Academic Director, and via Power School's online tracking system, and regularly emailed "Teacher Notes".
