Independent Living Program for Young Adults

Dear Parents, I highly recommend The Arise Society. I believe this program is literally saving my sons life and giving him hope for a future filled with happiness... read more and personal success. It’s worth seeing if it’s a fit for your young adult. In the hopes, Arise may also be your answered prayer, I’d like to share my experience..... Sending my first born child out of state at age 17 going on 18, was the hardest thing I’ve ever done as a Mom. Fear for his future made me cry a lot. He lived varying levels of misery for years, while many unfair things happened to him over his childhood. To make matters worse, his father and I are divorced and despite many attempts, cannot model a healthy relationship for him. Literally every thing tried at home was ineffective. My son was sinking rapidly and I knew something extreme needed to happen and VERY quickly. This decision ended up being the best decision I could have EVER made and an investment in his future. Now, my son has a peace and joy in his eyes and actually smiles in pictures!!! He laughs and has fun. He’s learning how to be a friend and have a friend, something his childhood stole from him. He is developing self confidence he IS capable of creating and deserving of a fulfilling future. Dr. Vaughn Heath, with his decades of expertise designed this program brilliantly. Your young adult will be immersed in an environment where they have access to 24 hour support. (I’ve also found the staff to be very responsive!) Vaughn has also designed the program to be a great blend of group, family and individual therapy, where your young adult will learn how to give and receive some tough feedback. This program design, which I view as a real world environment simulation in a controlled environment, works extremely well for my son. I am also learning what I need to change to be a better parent. Vaughn has helped me see where I am unintentionally part of the problem. As a parent, it’s important we model accountability and learn where we can improve and help our young adult get the most from the program. My relationship with my son is now the healthiest and strongest it’s ever been. As with any program, you want to be prepared for the growth journey. In my experience, the first months were filled with lots of huge strides forward followed by several discouraging setbacks. The setbacks have become less frequent and when they do happen, my sons recovery time seems to be much faster. I have learned this is a very challenging part of the growth process. It’s comforting to know there is a controlled environment and support team available to guide your young adult and YOU through this maze. My son has gone from feeling like a complete failure, consumed with anger and helplessness, fueling anxiety and depression, to a young man who believes in himself. He has proven he can succeed academically and have hope and belief for a happy future. My heart is more at peace. He now has a self awareness of negative relational patterns passed on from his families of origin. He’s learning how to remove emotion, analyze relationships and see where he can improve, including what he can and cannot control. His communication skills have increased exponentially. He now has a real shot at a functional, happy future. He can and will be the one to stop passing on the same dysfunctional patterns to generations ahead. I’m forever grateful to Vaughn, Alison and the greater team at Arise. They believe in the work they are doing and will genuinely care for your young adult, doing all they can to support them. If you’d like to ask me any questions, I’m more than happy to speak with you. The folks at Arise can put us in touch. Be encouraged! There is hope for your daughter or son. 😀

A lot of these reviews are from kids who are currently in the program, so here’s my honest experience 3 months after leaving. Before Arise, I dropped out of... read more college 4 times and moved back with my parents. After 5 months in the program, I am now paying my own college tuition as a full-time student with a steady job. Arise definitely helped me turn my life around, however, to succeed in this program, you have to be self-motivated. The Treatment Team: 8/10 Jeff deserves 10/10. He goes above and beyond for us always. He’s funny and badass, but he is really upfront and honest when you need it. Jeff helped me move and get my car fixed, and he is the ultimate homie. Vaughn is a genius, no doubt about that. However, due to personal reasons (which were my fault) that did not get resolved, he did not meet with me after the first month or so. I do wish I got to work with him more, because he’s brilliant. Jess: Jess is the personal trainer, and for me, he was a life-changer. I gained confidence in the gym that became part of every aspect of my life. The personal training is KEY to success in this program!!! Mentors: I loved some mentors (shoutout to Jeremiah Brett and Andrew!). But some mentors also perpetuated drama within the community. staff play favorites, which is supposed to be part of the reflection of “real life,” but I thought that some staff had inappropriate boundaries with students. But every one of them is a gifted individual and really helps the kids they work with. Mental Health: 7/10 I came into this program in one of the darkest times of my life, and after I left, I became a fully functioning independent adult. Productivity-wise, my life is completely changed. The workouts completely shifted my perspective, confidence, and mindset! However, I feel like I was built up and broken down a bit by this program. The kind of “narrative” that the community believed about me was both hurtful and damaging. I take responsibility for that, but I do wish I had more of an opportunity to be understood. I felt like I was treated unfairly at times. Because it is supposed to mimic real life, the drama does too. It’s important to be honest and really try to address your “patterns” in this program. I ended up pushing a lot of people away, and I wish I hadn’t. Also, I did ketamine therapy (Cedar Psychiatry) while I was at arise, which I think helped ! Social: 8/10 The trips are super fun and memorable. I was here during COVID, but Arise really tried to offer something for everyone. During the summer, they take you boating which was way cool. If I have one major regret, it’s that I didn’t spend enough time with the kids socially. I had really poor time management and was so focused on school that I missed out on being friends with some amazing people. Academics: At arise, I finally went back to college and finished two semesters with a 4.0. the academic team changed since I left so I can’t really speak to it, but I found that to succeed academically, you need to be the one to take charge of your education. At the end of the day, it’s up to you to do homework or click the “drop class” button. Thank you so much you beautiful people! I appreciate you all for getting me to where I am today :))

Amazing program and support and growth. We highly recommend the Arise Society