We hope to ease your mind and offer you assistance. The behavior of a teenage girl at risk can show up in many different ways: defiance, chemical use, promiscuity, eating issues, failing in school, choosing inappropriate friends — the list goes on.

These are all symptoms of a teenager who is struggling with her sense of self, her ability to cope, and her overwhelming emotions. Often these behaviors are desperate, misguided attempts to find some sense of control or escape in her life.

Unfortunately, these behaviors only bring more turmoil.
Yet it's a cycle she can't get herself out of.

Recognizing that there is a problem is the first step in working towards changes for you, your family and your daughter. In making the decision to send your teenage daughter to New Horizons for Young Women you have begun shifting the control from your daughter back to you as a parent. Congratulations!


Outcomes
Youth Outcome Questionnaire Effectiveness Measures 2003- 2005
Prompted by Keith Russell Ph.D.'s research at the University of Idaho (2002), NHYW chose to administer an industry wide accepted, outcome instrument; the Youth Outcome Questionnaire- Self Report (YOQ-SR ) and Youth Outcome Questionnaire (YOQ). read more

Please request a brochure.
Within our brochure, you'll find practical information that will make your family's experience with New Horizons for Young Women the best possible for everyone involved. We encourage you to read it carefully, and keep it handy as your daughter progresses through the program. Remember, the more you are involved in your daughter's program, the more your daughter will get out of it.

How Can I Contact My Daughter?

Family Emergencies
Our Parent Representative will provide you with phone numbers, email and mail addresses so you can contact our staff and our Field House. If there is a family emergency, it is up to you and your daughter's New Horizons therapist to decide whether your daughter should go home. We encourage her to come back to New Horizons when it is appropriate.

Phone reports
Your daughter's therapist will call once a week for a 30-minute consultation to update you on your daughter's progress. In addition, you are welcome and encouraged to call our Parent Representative, Director of Medical Resources and/or our Admission's Office any time with any questions.

Letters
During this important time, we ask that you contact your daughter only through letters. Letters allow you both the time to give thoughtful responses and non-judgmental feedback. Your daughter's therapist will discuss possible topics for the letters. To help your daughter gain the most from this process, her therapist will read the letters prior to sharing and discussing them with her. Your daughter is encouraged to respond to the letters you send, as well as any letters from the rest of her immediate family, including siblings and grandparents.

Birthdays and Holidays
If your daughter's birthday or a religious holiday occurs during her stay at New Horizons, we ask that you choose gifts that are helpful for her therapeutic work. Please send only one or two gifts and keep in mind that she will be carrying whatever you send to her in her backpack! Enclosed in our Program Guide is a list of some appropriate gifts.

Doctor Visits
If your daughter needs a doctor's appointment during her time at New Horizons, (i.e. orthodontist, psychiatrist to alter her medications etc.), we will facilitate this service. New Horizon's Director of Medical Resources and/or a therapist will contact you with and for any information needed. You will receive a follow up phone call after your daughter's appointment.

School Work
Most young women who arrive at New Horizons need time to work on their emotional behavior before they can concentrate on their academics. If you choose, however, New Horizons has tutors available for an additional fee who can work with your daughter's school to keep her school work up to date.

Why is your program "girls only"?

By specializing in the issues today's young women face — body image, power struggles, and self-esteem — we're able to help your daughter delve deeply into her emotions in a way that is difficult in a co-ed setting.

In New Horizons' "boy-free" environment, your daughter will be better able to concentrate on the issues that brought her to our program. She will be less self-conscious, better able to express her true feelings, and have a unique chance to develop healthy, supportive friendships with other girls her age — perhaps for the first time in years.

My daughter is not very "outdoorsy" or athletic... Is that a problem?

It's not unusual for girls to arrive at New Horizons hating the outdoors and physical activity — and then to leave with a new respect and love for the open air. Because our groups are very small with a high staff/student ratio, we are able to begin at your daughter's pace and comfort level, whatever that may be, and progress to longer or more rigorous outings.

While your daughter will be challenged, we will never attempt to "break her down" by grueling physical regimens. We want our wilderness expeditions to "build her up," and to be a powerful tool toward your daughter's growth and healing.

My daughter is currently taking medication. Will she be able to continue?

Yes. Our Director of Medical Resources will supervise the distribution of your daughter's prescribed medication and will help you arrange the delivery of enough of your daughter's medication for the duration of her stay at New Horizons.

How is misbehavior handled at New Horizons?

All confrontation is done on a foundation of mutual respect and responsibility. Our staff is trained in positive interventions for negative behavior. We do not use deprivation therapy, scare tactics or a point system. Our goal is to help your daughter decide on her own to break destructive patterns of acting and thinking, and discover the rewards of honesty and teamwork.

Do you have staff awake while my daughter is sleeping?

No. New Horizons is an outdoor therapy program; we are not a "locked facility" such as you would find in a hospital setting. During warm weather, instructors sleep in nearby tents. During the cold months, at least one female instructor is assigned to sleep in your daughter's bunkhouse. However, it is important to understand that we do not provide 24-hour-awake supervision or round-the-clock monitoring. If your daughter is a significant flight risk, she is not a suitable candidate for New Horizons for Young Women.

How long should my daughter stay?

New Horizons is a six to nine-week program, though to give your daughter time to reflect and become emotionally stronger, we recommend an eight to nine-week stay.

What happens after New Horizons ends?

Near the end of your daughter's stay, her New Horizons therapist will work with you, your family and your professional support team to help determine the best options for your daughter. Many young women need a structured setting, such as a therapeutic school, to continue making progress; others are able to transition back home with appropriate supports in place.

At the end of your daughter's stay, our Family Reunion with your daughter's New Horizons therapist enables you and your daughter to reunite. In a structured setting, you will set mutual goals and boundaries for your relationship with your daughter and learn how you can help her continue the growth she's achieved at New Horizons. Family Reunions are held on specific days throughout the year.

Will New Horizons help me get my daughter back?

It's important for parents to realize our program is not a panacea. Sometimes the young women who come here have very deep-seated issues that will take years, not weeks, to resolve. However, if your daughter chooses to engage completely in our program, she will learn the value of personal challenges, relationships and empowerment. We will encourage your daughter to embrace opportunities designed to enhance her personal strengths.

Your Daughter's Journal

During your daughter's stay at New Horizons, she will be doing self-exploration through journal writing. Your daughter's journal is a place for her to release feelings and thoughts openly and honestly. In addition to her free writing, your daughter's therapist will give her writing assignments that she is required to complete.

A teenager's privacy is an important factor in developing independence and a sense of boundaries. Privacy is also an earned privilege that goes hand- in-hand with responsible behavior. In general, your daughter will be asked to share assignments and writings she feels comfortable with. When she returns home, we ask that you respect her privacy by allowing her to determine what writings she shares with you.

The Next Step

While your daughter is at New Horizons, you will need to work with your daughter's therapist and your family therapist and/or educational consultant to determine what the next step is for your daughter. Sometimes coming back home is an option. Sometimes moving on to a boarding school or other program is the best option.

Staying in Touch

Aftercare is very important to New Horizons. Within three weeks after your daughter leaves New Horizons, her therapist will mail you her discharge summary, including recommendations and suggestions for the future. It is our hope that you will have started family therapy while your daughter was at New Horizons. Whether she goes home or on to a boarding school, continuing with therapy will make the transition easier and build better communication for the years to come. Your daughter is encouraged to stay in contact with New Horizons either by phone or letters for support.

Our Parent Representative will send out exit reviews for both you and your daughter to fill out. These exit reviews are very important to us and we would appreciate it if you could take the time to fill them out and send them to the Admissions Office. After about three months, our Parent Representative will conduct a follow-up phone interview to talk about your progress, find out how your daughter is doing at home or at another program and to obtain general feedback. We will also follow up with you annually for three years after your daughter leaves New Horizons.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I tell my daughter about my decision?
This isn't easy news to give. Even though your daughter may know in her heart that she needs a chance to re-examine her life, she may react with emotions ranging from sadness to fear to outright rage when you tell her you've decided to send her to New Horizons. Because you know your daughter best, you'll be able to choose the best time and place for this important discussion. Perhaps you can find a quiet time to talk directly with your daughter and share with her the information on the website and in our brochure. However, sometimes a direct approach isn't possible. If you're afraid of her reaction, and if she's seeing a therapist or you are using an educational consultant, we suggest speaking with one or both of them about how to introduce the idea. They may be able to help.

If you don't have any outside professional support, you may want to try an intervention. An intervention involves gathering a group of people that your daughter trusts (i.e. grandparents, a teacher, an aunt or uncle) who will sit down with you and your daughter and confront her about what's going on in her life. During the intervention, the group should express concern and caring for your daughter, explain what you have decided and what led you to that decision, and offer information about New Horizons.

How do I get my daughter to the program?
Once you've let your daughter know she is about to join us at New Horizons, the next step is getting her here. If you and your daughter are both comfortable with the idea, you can travel with your daughter and bring her to Bangor, Maine. You and your daughter may appreciate the private time together. You may find, however, that your daughter feels threatened by the idea of change. If your daughter has reacted to your decision by increasing the level of tension in the family, you may consider hiring a transport service to come to your home and transport her to the program. If this is your only option, your educational consultant or our links page can provide you with transport information.

Where will the New Horizons welcoming team meet her?
New students will be met at the most logical Bangor, Maine location, depending on the mode of transportation. If you are flying, you will be met at the Bangor International Airport. If you are arriving by car, you will be asked to bring your daughter to a medical facility called Healthworks for a pre-admission physical. Our admissions staff will provide detailed directions to either location. Upon arrival, a welcoming team will greet you and your daughter to ensure a timely transition from your care to ours. If you'll be traveling with your daughter, we ask that you exchange goodbyes at the airport or Healthworks. The welcoming team will accompany your daughter to her physical exam and then make the trek north by van to the Field House in Springfield. There she will meet the New Horizons staff and other students.

What does she need to bring?
We ask that your daughter arrive with only the travel clothes she has on. If needed, please provide us with glasses (no contacts), a retainer and a two-month supply of all her prescription medications. When your daughter arrives at New Horizons, she will be issued an entire set of new, weather-appropriate clothing, including undergarments, and everything else she will need for her stay.

We will also provide a toothbrush, deodorant, and all necessary toiletries. We ask that your daughter not bring any photos, stuffed animals, jewelry (including piercings) or other personal objects. CD players, MP3 players, pagers, cell phones and laptops should be left behind as well. If your daughter does arrive with personal belongings, they will be inventoried and mailed back to you within one week to ten days.

        Parents

    Testimonials

New Horizons for Young Women would like to thank the parents and students for sharing these testimonials and the most intimate part of their lives.

Your words offer help and hope to many others.

I'm doing great!

When you have exhausted all other avenues

A weekend with my daughter and a world of difference

A letter of thanks

Five amazing weeks

Your program meant so much

I'll never forget how hard you worked for my child

    Licensing

State of Maine's Department of Mental Health: Outpatient Therapeutic Facility

State of Maine's Department of Human Services: Recreational Youth Camp

    Accreditation

Daughter's Inc. d.b.a., New Horizons for Young Women, has been accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities Inc. (C.A.R.F.) for the following programs:

Residential Treatment: Mental Health (Adults)

Residential Treatment: Mental Health (Children and Adolescents)

Read more about C.A.R.F. accreditation