At Blue Ridge Therapeutic Wilderness, every adolescent student begins their therapeutic journey with an intensive, multi-layered clinical assessment process within the first fourteen days of arrival. This comprehensive approach ensures that families and therapists start with a deeper understanding of the student’s needs, laying the foundation for stronger case conceptualization, more tailored treatment, and well-defined goals for discharge planning.
Early Psychological Assessments at Blue Ridge: Stronger Case Conceptualization, Tailored Treatment, and Clearer Goals
A Robust Initial Assessment
Incorporating the best of valid and reliable psychological measurements, licensed Clinical Psychologist Dr. Lorena Bradley administers an in-depth assessment for each adolescent student shortly after their arrival. Unless a student has undergone comprehensive testing within the past 12 months, Dr. Bradley conducts a detailed evaluation and provides an assessment report to the student’s Primary Therapist. This additional layer of insight allows the therapist to develop a highly individualized Master Treatment Plan, ensuring treatment begins with a clear and well-informed starting point.
Dr. Bradley has over a decade of experience conducting psychological testing in wilderness therapy programs. She collaborates closely with the Blue Ridge clinical team, participating in regular meetings and contributing her expertise to case conceptualizations.
"Blue Ridge provides an environment where distractions are cleared away, whether it is technology, social structures, the family system…. We are able to get a clear look at the student’s behaviors and see not just what, but why they are happening. We closely examine what is driving these behaviors so that we can help treat the student and give them skills, insight, and support for next steps.”
-Dr. Lorena Bradley
Key Components of the Assessment
The intake assessment conducted by Dr. Bradley includes the following components:
Clinical Interview: A thorough exploration of the student’s history, behaviors, and current challenges.
Mental Status Exam: An evaluation of the student’s psychological and cognitive functioning.
Brief Cognitive Assessment: A snapshot of the student’s cognitive abilities.
Risk Evaluation: An analysis to identify potential safety concerns or risk factors.
This comprehensive process ensures that treatment is as effective and individualized as possible, starting with the end goal in mind.
Ongoing Collaboration and Support
Dr. Bradley’s collaboration doesn’t end with the initial assessment. She remains accessible to the clinical team for interpreting prior testing, participating in group clinical supervision, and contributing to case conceptualizations. These services are included in the Blue Ridge tuition, ensuring all students benefit from this multidisciplinary approach. For students who require more detailed evaluations, Dr. Bradley also offers comprehensive psychological assessments for an additional fee.
Why the Nature-based Setting Works
The wilderness setting of Blue Ridge creates a distraction-free environment where students’ behaviors can be observed and understood in their most authentic forms. Without the interference of technology, complex social dynamics, or family system influences, therapists can better discern the root causes of behavioral patterns. This clarity allows for treatment that not only addresses immediate concerns but also equips students with the skills, insights, and support they need to navigate their next steps successfully.
By reinforcing the intake assessment process early in a student’s stay, Blue Ridge Therapeutic Wilderness ensures that every aspect of their treatment is grounded in a deep understanding of the individual. This holistic, data-driven approach ultimately leads to stronger outcomes, giving students and their families a clear path forward.
About Blue Ridge Therapeutic Wilderness
Families considering enrolling their teen at Blue Ridge have often reached a point of significant conflict and struggle in their home. Often, time and space from each other after such conflict is necessary in order for a family to rebuild an atmosphere of caring and support for one another.
Upon arrival at Blue Ridge, old patterns of blame shifting and conflict are disrupted. Not only are teens and young adults in a new environment where their ability to focus on their own responsibility is optimized, but parents also experience the space needed to break the patterns they have developed in reacting to their child. Introducing your child to the structure, emotional attunement, and therapeutic support at Blue Ridge is the first step in beginning the process of change.