Northwest Academy Review
Northwest Academy is a therapeutic boarding school for teenagers 16 to 18 whose struggles with substance abuse have resulted in failing grades and trouble in other aspects of their lives. Northwest Academy is located in the small town of Naples, Idaho, just 30 miles from the Canadian border. The facility offers a curriculum of combined on-site education and drug and alcohol treatment that includes individual and group therapy, as well as recreational and experiential approaches. The implementation of evidence-based methods, like the 12 steps and Stages of Change, has resulted in approximately 98 percent of former clients going on to college.
Accommodations and Food
Northwest Academy is on 85 acres of the Selkirk Mountain Range, and has a main lodge that contains classrooms, staff offices, the dining hall and relaxation areas with couches, a television and a large stone fireplace. The clients live in dorms that are separated by gender on opposite sides of the campus. Each dorm is furnished with bunk beds and can sleep up to eight. They each have big bathrooms with stalls and showers, and adequate counter space with multiple sinks. Each client gets his or her own closet and small dresser as well.
The large dining hall has several long tables with benches to accommodate the student body and staff, and offers chef created meals three times a day. There is also a salad bar and end of the day snack offered. Clients are permitted to request alternative meal options to accommodate allergies or specific preferences.
Treatment and Staff
Once the client enters the school they are assigned a mentor. This is another student who can show them the ropes of the daily schedule. Each day will consist of classwork and therapeutic activities, which include at least one individual therapy session per week and up to four group sessions. These sessions focus on the different needs of each individual and offer elements of the 12-steps as well as CBT.
There is an educational element to all the substance abuse treatment offered at the facility, like identifying triggers and what role technology plays in addiction. There are psychoeducation classes, relapse prevention and psychiatric assistance. Co-occurring disorders are common amongst the students and medication management is offered.
There is also a character development component that is designed on a phase system. This is a technique that is used to acclimate the students into their daily routines at the facility, and then begin to acquire new skill sets that allow them to begin to make healthier choices and mend relationships with their family members. This program eventually involves having the clients participate in volunteering around the community or becoming a mentor to a younger student.
The multidisciplinary staff of Northwest Academy includes LCSWs, CADCs, Master’s and PhD-level educators, therapists and counselors with various specialties. A licensed MD psychiatrist oversees all dual diagnosis support and medication management.
Extras
There is a fitness room in the main lodge with machines and weights, and a regular schedule of group exercise, like yoga or hikes, a game room with a pool and ping pong table, and campus library. The week days are highly structured with academics, but on the weekend the students can enjoy outings like ski trips, going to sporting events or rock climbing.
Family visitation is a frequent occurrence as well and the staff provides excursions for the students and their loved ones several times a month. Northwest Academy offers family therapy sessions during visits to campus. There is an academic focus on helping the students move forward with their educations and offer college planning programs.
In Summary
Being a teenager is not easy, and getting drugs and alcohol is easier than ever. This facility offers the amenities and activities like a high-end summer camp in the mountains, but instead of the clients just walking away with the ability to make a lanyard, they acquire life-changing skills for sobriety and wellness. This is an excellent choice for affordable alternative school and treatment for teens.
Northwest Academy Location
139 Success Ln
Naples, ID 83847
Northwest Academy Cost
$7,900 (30 days). Reach Northwest Academy by phone at (208) 267-3524. Find Northwest Academy on Facebook
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Sponsored DISCLAIMER: This is a paid advertisement for California Behavioral Health, LLC, a CA licensed substance abuse treatment provider and not a service provided by The Fix. Calls to this number are answered by CBH, free and without obligation to the consumer. No one who answers the call receives a fee based upon the consumer’s choice to enter treatment. For additional info on other treatment providers and options visit www.samhsa.gov.
