BOARDING SCHOOL FOR DEFIANT TEENAGE BOYS

Dear Professional:

We understand in your field of expertise you may come into contact with parents of struggling teens who need a structured environment as well as academic and educational opportunities. Please take a few minutes to learn more about us and our services. If you are interested in using White River Academy as a resource for your clients please contact me toll free at 1-866-679-8336 or by e-mail at info[at]whiteriveracademy.com.

• Why is White River Different than other therapeutic schools
• Program Overview
• Behavior Learning Component
• Academics
• Structure of White River Academy
• Daily Schedule
• Counseling and Communication for Family
• Lasting Success
• Criteria of Students at White River
• Length of Stay
• Cost of Services

WHY IS WHITE RIVER ACADEMY DIFFERENT FROM OTHER SCHOOLS

White River Academy is a therapeutic school which has a small environment of around 16-30 students, depending on the time of year. Students are in groups of no more than 12 students which provides for more individual involvement and assists our team of professionals to work on each students needs in a more effective manner. Service Plans are reviewed weekly by those working directly with the student and updates are made depending on how the student is progressing. Family involvement is key and important to the child’s progress. We work with families to assist them in making lasting changes in their home while the child is away at school. Parents and students are brought together every 90 days in which relationships can be worked on and parents can learn how to improve the quality of their home environment. We lead by example not by force. White River Academy has an environment which is based on helping and caring along with responsibility and accountability. Consequences are natural not created. Positive moral family values are modeled not just required. High academic performance is mandatory and individual assistance is available when needed.
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PROGRAM OVERVIEW

White River Academy begins working with a student by creating a service plan which involves all personnel working directly with the child including counselor, academic administrator, teacher, supervisor, group living supervisor, student and parent(s). The service plan provides a map of what needs to happen in assisting the youth to make lasting changes. The service plan includes where the student is starting based on the 12 problems identified by Positive Peer Culture, reasons for placement, Mental Health Goals (Substance Abuse, Coping Skills, Relationship Skills), Self-Governing Goals (Self governed Behavior, Family and Social Functioning), Physical Health Goals (Health and Hygiene Management and Improvement), and Independent Living Goals (Academic Progress, Vocational Planning, Life Management Skills). Service Plans are reviewed weekly and maintain flexible depending upon each student’s individual needs. Completion of the program is based on a student fulfilling all required level’s, achievements, trainings, service learning project, service plan and being trustworthy to return home to make long term positive decisions.
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BEHAVIOR LEARNING COMPONENT

White River Academy believes in teaching students the importance of trust and openness versus Invasion and Exposure, the importance of a climate of change versus a climate of security, discussing here and now versus then and there, problems as opportunity versus problems as trouble, values instead of rules, making caring fashionable, importance of understanding the displacement of responsibility, and the reversal of responsibility. Often times students believe it is easier to get you talking about your problems then to openly and honestly discuss their own. We believe by modeling the practices listed above youth become interested in helping and caring for others. As youth begin to understand these important principles their desire to change and improve their lives becomes critical to them. Information taken from Positive Peer Culture by Vorrath and Brendtro.
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ACADEMICS

White River Academy boasts an effective academic curriculum that covers grades 6 thru 12 as well as college preparation. The school is provisionally accredited by the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools. Each student, upon admission is evaluated based on their most current educational transcripts that is then reviewed by our Academic Administrator. The Academic Administrator then meets individually with the student to determine the appropriate level of study courses based on the student's strengths and weaknesses.

Students are grouped with other students with the same needs and attend classes taught by a certified Teacher/Tutor. Each student has daily goals and incentives to reach those educational target areas at their own pace depending on their willingness to focus and work hard. This has provided students with a chance to get caught up in their school work and prepare to graduate on time or ahead of schedule. Many students’ today struggle with basic reading, writing and arithmetic skills. We take students back to the basics of learning such as daily multiplication quizzes, grammar, spelling, and vocabulary. Our curriculum not only educates from an academic stand point but also mingles personal development and life skills as they further their education.
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STRUCTURE OF WHITE RIVER ACADEMY

Each student participates in a 24 hour structured environment and are part of a group of 9-12 other students which are together as close to 100% of the time as possible. This teaches them the importance of family and the basics of pulling their own weight. Each student learns to wash clothes and takes responsibility for cleaning and cooking. All students are required to take a food handlers course which teaches proper method of handling and preparing food. Hygiene is also very important and each student goes through a daily inspection for cleanliness of self and their personal areas. Students wear a full uniform and are inspected every morning for proper use. Our mentality is that students learn when they are challenged and all are capable of achieving greatness.

White River has program graduation achievements which put demands on each students personal intellect and are centered in service to others. We further believe that as a child learns how to put others before themselves they are able to build a desire which continues to motivate them throughout life. Students attend group sessions five days per week with a licensed counselor and through a Positive Peer Culture group format discuss problems and methods of resolving those problems. All students maintain a daily journal as a reflection of each day including daily goals and progress review. Educational Video is a one hour period where the student watches educational media that instructs but also provides a time for relaxation and social development.
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Students participate in a group session five days each week for an hour and a half each day.

White River also holds a “Parent Weekend” every 90 days allowing for training opportunities with parents and assisting students to work on issues face to face. The “Parent Weekend” trainings work with assisting parents to improve what they may be doing at home which will work to ensure long term success of the student upon there return.
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COUNSELING AND COMMUNICATION WITH FAMILY

All students visit with a licensed therapist on a regular basis and progress review is discussed with the parents up to weekly depending on the trust level of the student. Communication is a large part of this process. Many schools believe in depriving students of communication with their parents. White River believes that communication with parents is necessary and should begin immediately following the student’s entrance into the program. White River has a parent access website where parents can read letters from there teenager everyday. Parents are welcomed to write their student as often as possible and all letters are preferably done via e-mail. Letters are retrieved each night before bed by a staff member and are given to students in a printed form.

At no time do students have direct access to e-mail or Internet however they are able to communicate very efficiently. Once the student has been enrolled for approximately 30-45 days, allowing them to become orientated to the program and get their emotions in check, the counselor coordinates calls between parent(s) and child. This starts out twice per month and then will increase as the student gains more trust.

Students participate in a group session five days each week for an hour and a half each day. White River also holds a “Parent Weekend” every 90 days allowing for training opportunities with parents and assisting students to work on issues face to face. The “Parent Weekend” trainings work with assisting parents to improve what they may be doing at home which will work to ensure long term success of the student upon their return.
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LASTING SUCCESS

Lasting Success comes through parents realizing what destructive behaviors are occurring in the home and changing those behaviors while the child is enrolled at White River. Each time a parent attends a Parent Weekend they are educated on what and how to make lasting changes in the home so that when the student returns home these changes will have been ongoing for many months. This assists parents to understand the power and need for change. Often times parents, much like the child, require a constant reminder that they need to change also.
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CRITERIA OF STUDENTS AT WHITE RIVER

We are a therapeutic school for troubled teenage boy’s ages 13-17 who are struggling at home and or school with a negative peer group, truant or failing grades, authority problems, drug and alcohol, and a general lack of appreciation for their family and quality of life. Many students lack the inner compass they need to be successful. We maintain a student base that we are equipped to help.

STUDENTS WHO ARE NOT APPROPRIATE FOR OUR SETTING

Students who may struggle with major mental health issues such as turrets syndrome, schizophrenia, and suicidal attempts among other issues would not be appropriate.
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LENGTH OF STAY

On average students are enrolled at White River for 12 – 16 months. Each students stay at is based on the daily decisions they make. Students progress through four levels of trust and complete multiple achievements and service projects before program graduation
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COST OF SERVICES

• Long Term results based program First month Start Up $6,450 includes uniform fee. Each additional month $3,450 paid monthly

Learn more about our services please call us at 1-866-679-8336 or view our Question and Answer Page
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Detailed Explanations Section

GRADUATION ACHEIVMENTS

• The student successfully completes at least 4 trainings. (Parent Weekends)
• The student successfully progresses through each of the four levels.
• The student needs to have resolved to the satisfaction of his parents and Parent Liaison, any and all issues that would impede a successful return to the family. This means fulfilling all aspects of the Service Plan.
• The student demonstrates follow through, and that new habits have been formed.
• The student has successfully completed all criteria of the Levels, Project, and Achievement Program.

POSITIVE PEER CULTURE GROUP FORMAT

THE FORMAT FOR MEETINGS 

The Agenda 

PPC group meetings follow a clear agenda that systematically involves all members and yet provides wide latitude for spontaneous individual expression. The meeting is not operated in a laissez-faire manner but is structured for efficient problem solving. The meeting consists of four distinct parts, but an established group moves so smoothly through the meeting that an untrained observer perhaps would not notice the overall plan.

1. Reporting problems. During the first part of the meeting, every member reports on the problems he has had since the last session as well as on other problems he has not yet brought to the group's attention. Each member is responsible for bringing out all problems in a clear yet brief manner, and if he omits any, other group members may call this lapse to his attention. The problem session varies in length but typically lasts 15 minutes.

2. Awarding the meeting. After all members have reported their problems, the group must decide who will "have the meeting." This decision is based on who needs help most that day. After the members reach a consensus, they are ready to work with that one individual. Deciding who is to have the meeting generally takes about five minutes. .

3. Problem solving. Here the group members concentrate on understanding and resolving one member's problems. If the group has been able to cover earlier steps efficiently, considerable time is available to work on problems. The problem-solving session typically lasts almost an hour and constitutes the major portion of the meeting.

4. The summary. Here the group leader engages in his most active role of the meeting. His summary of what has occurred teaches group members to become more effective in operating their meetings. The leader allows approximately 10 minutes for his summary. 

Length of Meetings 

PPC meetings usually operate for 90 minutes in treatment settings and for one class period in school-based programs. Shorter meetings make it difficult to adequately cover the various stages. For example, if problem reporting were omitted, the group would have no systematic method for reviewing problems in a manner that involved each member. Some may wonder whether a 90-minute session is excessively long. Anyone who has witnessed PPC groups in action soon finds this question answered. No properly operated meeting is boring, and the 90 minutes usually pass quickly.  

Time of Meetings 

Group meetings are held five times a week in treatment settings. If the group does not meet this regularly, it is questionable whether sufficient momentum to build and maintain a positive peer culture can be established. A less frequent meeting schedule is sometimes necessary in public school and community-based programs.

The question has sometimes been asked, "Couldn't the group meet fewer times a week and meet for a longer period of time?" Meetings that run longer than 90 minutes usually are not productive.  

The Physical Layout 

The group leader seated behind a desk indicates nonverbally how he should be viewed and how he will interact in the meeting. The group is seated in a circle that joins at the corners of the leader’s desk. Members should sit in reasonably comfortable chairs (folding chairs are adequate) but not on couches, nor should they sprawl on the floor or meet outdoors on the grass; such postures detract from the serious, businesslike tone, and the members become overly comfortable. The appropriate tone is created as members sit in straight chairs, facing one another. 

The Tone of the Meeting 

The group meeting is the core of a PPC program and, as such, the single most intensive activity the students engage in. The group leader strives to create an aura of serious importance for the meeting. Effective groups frequently approach the meeting in an almost sacred manner; horseplay, flippant behavior, and humor are alien to the task at hand. In every way possible, the leader strives to communicate (and must himself believe) that the meeting is of the utmost importance. As one youth in a PPC group said, "It's like going into surgery. We have someone's life in our hands."

No interruptions should be tolerated in a group meeting. Telephones should not be ringing, messages should not be delivered, and people should not be moving in and out of the room.  

Confidentiality of the Group Meetings 

The group must be convinced of the confidentiality of their meetings, and the members must learn that they do not have the right to reveal information to persons outside the group. In the early stages of group development, members will consider the discussion of problems as informing on one another, and a strong emphasis on confidentiality will be necessary if they are to overcome their reluctance to tattle on one another. The group must learn that talking about problems is helping and not informing. When a group member reveals information in the meeting, he should not be punished for his revelation. For example, a student who reports that he has stolen something from the office should not be handled in a punitive manner. (If, however, a person failed to report this act "in group" and it was discovered through other sources, he would be subject to possible disciplinary measures.) Youth must be free to bring out their problems in the group without fear of social retribution from either staff or peers. They also should understand that as they talk about their problems they will be protected as much as possible from legal retribution.

Information derived from the meeting sometimes may be essential for treatment and thus may be available to other involved staff. The group leader himself must use considerable judgment in his dealings with other staff. He does not want to foster the impression that he is no longer a responsible colleague, but still, if he carries specific tales to others, he will soon undercut the group's trust in him. He has the considerable challenge of simultaneously building trust with both students and staff in a manner that is not dishonest to either. 

Visitors in the Group 

Periodically, it may be necessary to allow a visitor to observe a group meeting. The visitor usually will be a professional person with a serious interest in learning about the program.

The visitor should be oriented to the group procedures ahead of time. He should be instructed to sit at the back of the room and to avoid any interactions with the students (and the students are expected to regard the visitor as if he were not there). The visitor should not make eye contact with members of the group during the meeting, laugh, and whisper, show any nonverbal reaction, or look disinterested. The visitor must commit himself to stay for the entire session, for his walking out midway through a meeting could be disruptive.

Visiting a group is one of the best ways of learning how a PPC program operates. However, as with surgery in a hospital, the observers are never allowed to interfere with the proceedings, since training must always be secondary to treatment. 

REPORTING PROBLEMS 

Reporting problems constitutes the initial stage of a formal group meeting and is designed to serve several important purposes. Each member's participation is structured from the outset so that no one is ever totally left out of interactions. As each member states his problems, he receives feedback on how peers see his behavior. Each individual has an opportunity to bring out problems himself rather than facing an "accusation" from group members. However, if a person omits some of his problems, the other members may point them out.  Problem reporting removes the communication barriers and feelings of distrust that often exist. As individuals relate their problems and discover that they are not punished, they become more open about their difficulties. This problem session allows members to get everything on the table so that each knows how all the others are doing. After reviewing all the problems of the day, they are in a better position to decide who should receive the meeting. As the group reports problems, the leader can learn a great deal about the status of individual members. The problem session serves as an indicator of a student's honesty, commitment to solving problems, and concern for others. Since all members will speak up, the leader can quickly take the pulse of the entire group. 

Beginning the Meeting 

A mature group will be able to begin the meeting without any prompting or assistance from the group leader. The members will enter shortly before the scheduled meeting time and set their chairs in place. When everyone is present, including the leader, they begin to rotate around the group, reporting problems of the day. The group leader should not "start" the meeting, for this initiative conveys only that the members are there to perform for him.  

Concise Reporting 

Problems should be presented as plainly and concisely as possible, using the Problem-Solving List vernacular for purposes of labeling. Sometimes a problem is presented so vaguely that it is not clear what the person is talking about; so each individual is expected to state the problem and then describe a specific incident. For example: 

Student: I was easily angered [problem]. One of my group members tried to tell me to be quiet in class, and I swore at him [incident]. 

If students state the incident without the problem or the problem without the incident, the group should act to clarify what is wanted. Initially, the group leader may teach students how to obtain clarification by asking, 

AWARDING THE MEETING 

The Process 

After all group members have reported all their problems the group is ready to decide who will get the meeting. The process of decision making is as follows. 

1. Each member of the group in turn is given an opportunity to indicate whether or not he wants the meeting, and if he does he states his reasons (e.g., "I want the meeting to work on my authority problem"). The group then knows which members are requesting the meeting for that day.

2. Again in rotation around the group, each member makes a recommendation (not a vote) on the person he thinks needs the meeting most-possibly even someone who has not asked for the meeting. A typical interaction may be:

Student A: I think john should have the meeting to work on his authority problem.

Student B: I think Bill should have the meeting to work on his stealing problem.

Student C: I know Pete didn't ask for the meeting, but I think he should have it to work on his easily-angered problem.

3. After each member has made a nomination, several persons may be under consideration for the meeting. Group members continue the rotation process, giving tile name of the person they want to have the meeting or changing their recommendation ("I want to change from john to Bill to work on Bill's stealing problem.") As an individual changes, he has only to say why his new nomination should have the meeting.

4. Usually by continuing the process of rotation, a well-functioning group will soon reach a consensus of who needs the meeting most. The decision must be unanimous, since a group split on who should be helped will not function as a cohesive unit. All members must be committed to help the youth who is awarded the meeting. 

The Basis of Decisions 

One of the most important decisions a group makes is its choice of a person to receive the meeting, because that choice determines the course of the entire meeting. In reaching this decision, the group needs to keep in mind several questions.

1. Who seems to need the meeting most? In other words, who has the most serious problems, who have been showing the most problems, and what will be the effect on the person and others if he does not get the meeting?

2. Who will use the meeting best? If the group feels that a member will not effectively use the meeting and in fact resists getting it, they will have to consider these factors. Perhaps to give that member the meeting will not be a productive use of time. A group member should never expect, though, that just by his saying that he doesn't want the meeting, the group will back off and give it to someone else. If he is presenting clear problems, the group may well decide that they want to help him even if he is not asking for the meeting.

3. How long since the person has had the meeting? An individual may not have had a group meeting for a long period of time. Even though his problems may not be intense, he certainly should not be continually deprived of the meeting. Otherwise, persons with fewer problems or those whose problems are not so destructive would never get help. The group must realize that all members need opportunities to resolve their problems in a group meeting.

4. How hard is a person fighting to get the meeting? Even if an individual has requested a meeting the group will want to assess how much he really wants it. Sometimes members request the meeting with less than a total commitment to work on their problems.

Awarding a meeting can be a very difficult decision, since the group must choose to focus on one individual; hence, members must be aware of the consequences of their choice. They are also responsible for supporting persons who do not get the meeting until they have the opportunity of getting one.

It should be noted that just because a student has been creating difficulties all day long (and often not accepting help with these problems), there is no reason to assume he will use the meeting well, and he will not automatically get the meeting. However, there is no reason to say that he cannot use' the meeting, either. As the group often, decides to give the meeting to the person who is showing the most serious problems, one individual may monopolize many meetings. The group must avoid a pattern of giving meetings predominately to only one person. If a student with a serious problem does not get the meeting, the others often say, "We'll take care of it outside the group." While certainly they will need to help the student outside the group, if in fact he does have a serious problem, he must come to the group on another day to solve that problem. It is assumed that such a student will continue to ask until he is awarded the meeting.

There is no set limit on the frequency with which one person can get the meeting, and the group leader should not make arbitrary rules such as, "No two meetings in a row." The leader should also be aware of the tendency for groups to try to schedule who is to get the meeting in advance, which is not acceptable; a sound decision can be made only on the basis of thoughtful consideration of all available information. 

The Search for Consensus 

The struggle to reach a decision on who needs the meeting can be animated and at times frustrating. Group leaders may become upset at the difficulty a group sometimes has in reaching a consensus. They need not always be concerned, since having several members vie for a meeting can be a healthy process. There may be honest differences of opinion on who most needs the meeting, but differences can also cause a power struggle among individuals not really interested in deciding whose need for help is greatest. The new group leader tends to become anxious when a group bogs down and cannot agree on awarding the meeting, but he should view such an impasse as a good diagnostic tool that allows him to see what patterns of support emerge. The conflict need not be solved for them, because inabilities to decide who to help indicates they probably are not in very good shape to offer help. Occasionally, the leader may even let the group spend a whole meeting in trying to decide who should be helped, which may be a trying experience for a group but may also stimulate members to try to "get it together."

There is one exception to the expectation of unanimity of consensus on the part of the group. If one individual, acting out of negative stubbornness tries to sabotage the meeting by refusing to join with the others who have agreed to give the meeting to an individual, the group leader may neutralize him. The leader may ask: "Does the group feel they have sufficiently discussed all the reasons why john should have the meeting today?" When the group answers affirmatively, the group leader may then ask, "Is the holdout using his power to help or hurt?" "To hurt," is the answer. "Then why are you letting him hurt the person who needs the meeting?"

It should be added, however, that in some circumstances the group leader may choose not to intervene to rescue the group from one member who is holding out. Perhaps they need to learn to deal with his stubborn resistance. If one person is willing to keep others from getting help, then he may be showing (whether he realizes it or not) how much he needs the meeting himself.

The group leader must learn the subtle process of influencing the group without controlling it. In no case should he ever nominate a member to receive the meeting, because he then makes the meeting the leader's "property," which will undercut the group. The leader must hold the group accountable for making a good decision. When the group has reached consensus on who should receive the meeting, they are then able to begin work on problems. 

PROBLEM SOLVING 

When a group is strong and positive, the members demonstrate great skill in helping the student who gets the meeting to understand and work toward a resolution of his problems. However, working groups do not develop automatically. The group leader must do a great amount of teaching to develop and maintain the group as an effective helping agent. As in the problem session, the leader attempts to limit most of his participation to questions, avoiding authoritarian interventions. In a working group, the leader has to make only a few interventions during the Course of the meeting, and those he makes must not undercut the group's own responsibility to run the meeting.  

Giving the Meeting Away 

Mike turned from talking about his problems by claiming he was upset because nobody else in the group cared about him. Why should others tell him what he should do to solve his problems while they had worse problems? Everyone was prejudiced against him. He could not trust anybody. At this point the others became rather defensive, trying to disprove all of Mike's allegations. The group leader intervened, asking "What has Mike just done to the group?" One of the members was able to point out that Mike was trying to give the meeting away to someone else. If one of the students asks the group leader an irrelevant question, it should not be answered. The leader is responsible for teaching the group to deal with real and meaningful material. Some discussion of "dumb issues" is to be expected in the early stages of the group, since the students will not trust enough to get into serious matters. However, even established groups can become bogged down in "picky" discussions that inflate small and meaningless problems out of proportion.  

Detecting Rigged Meetings 

The group leader must never assume that what appears to be happening in the meeting is what really is happening. Rather, he must always be somewhat careful and even suspicious of his group. He must stay on top of the group and be continually alert to any signs of hidden processes at work. The most dramatic examples of group deception are rigged meetings, which are really fronts to cover up something. A member of the group may appear very angry with another member. If side glances and a smile accompany the anger, a con game probably is in process. Some of the signs of a rigged meeting are the following.

1. A student in the meeting suddenly becomes verbal after a long period of little or no interest in the group.

2. The attention of the group is placed on one or two scapegoats, and other students do not bring up their problems.

3. A student who has been "bad" for several months suddenly becomes "good." (A youth may feel that if he puts on a bad act for awhile and then follows with a good act, people will think he has changed.)

4. Students are playing up to either the group leader or other staff.

5. A student attempts to give information about other students on an individual basis rather than in a group.

6. Group members play it safe in the meeting, trying to keep anyone from getting angry. 

Sometimes group leaders play into the problem of rigged meetings by wanting continuously pleasant group meetings. However, a good leader knows that group meetings cannot be permanently harmonious, that peace is a phase in the group's cycle. It is not desirable for the group always to remain on an even keel. 
 

Protecting Members 

An important group leader task is the protection of individual members from hurt by the group process. The leader must assess the group's ability to use deeply personal and confidential information in a helpful way, and when, on occasion, he feels that the group is not capable of this help, he must act to prevent a youth from exposing himself to the group. Tony looked extremely tense and told the group he had something he had to get off his chest. He then began to describe what appeared to be an episode of incest with his mother, but when the group members became aware of his subject two or three of them exchanged glances and giggles. The group leader noted the exchanges, realized the group was not in a position to help Tony with this matter, and so shut off the very important material before the youth had opened himself up to a group not ready to help. The group leader's simple move was to ask, "Would Tony tell the group about how he got along in junior high school?"  

Life Story 

A variation of the usual problem-solving meeting is the life story. A student will tell his life story at a group meeting that he requests for this purpose. The life story is really a social history through the youth's eyes. Going back as far as he can recall, he recounts his relationship with family, peers, school, and community, and tells all the problems he has had, including those that others may not know about. He is allowed to bring out, without undue criticism from the group, what he thinks is important. A new youth relating his background often brags about his escapades and accomplishments. His peers watch and "diagnose" him, since many defense mechanisms are revealed in these first sessions. Particular emphasis is placed on the parts of a person's life story that relate directly to current problems. The group leader initially may have to prompt discussion, but with experience a group will be able to elicit the life story in a comprehensive fashion. If a person does not bring up all the important details the first time, the assumption is that he will talk more freely when he is ready. Generally, a student will not tell his life story until he has been in the group a couple of weeks or more and until other members have had the opportunity to relate their life stories to him.  

Discovering the Basic Problem 

Some counseling theories are based on the idea that given an opportunity to express real feelings, a person will reveal the truth. Experience with many young people suggests, however, that one cannot be totally nondirective and still hope to discover what is really troubling a person. Well-developed defenses will not always be lowered unless the helping agent takes an active role in the communication. A working group does not wait interminably for a person to abandon his excuses. Instead, once a basic climate of trust has been created, group members become active in pointing out the implausibility of the account the youth is advancing.

As a young person is able to abandon defensive explanations, he becomes free to express honest feelings.  
 

THE SUMMARY 

During the meeting the group leader unobtrusively keeps time, leaving perhaps 5-10 minutes at the end for summary. At a point of his choosing, he stops the discussion by saying, "Time for summary." The leader himself should always call summary time. Occasionally, one member, perhaps noting that the leader always terminates the meeting exactly 10 minutes early, might say, "Summary time." Here the leader would do well to ignore the comment for a couple of minutes and delay the beginning of his summary, and vary his future timing more to ensure that members are not watching the clock to see when the summary begins.

During the summary, the group leader should remain seated, conveying a friendly but serious, relaxed but controlled tone. The summary of the meeting is not meant to be a diagnostic statement of the member's problem; the overriding purpose is to provide feedback to the group on how they performed in helping one another so they may become even more effective in the future. 

THE VERNACULAR OF PROBLEMS 

PPC uses as little "profession" jargon as possible. In place of "psychologies," a set standard, straightforward universal language of problems has been developed for use by all youth and adults who are part of a PPC program. All discussion of problems revolves around an easily understood set of labels covering most of the difficulties young people may experience. These terms include three general labels and nine mare specific labels.

General problems

  1. Low self-image

  2. Inconsiderate of others

  3. Inconsiderate of self 

Specific Problems

  4. Authority problem

  5. Misleads others

  6. Easily misled

  7. Aggravates others                                            

  8. Easily angered

  9. Stealing

  10. Alcohol or drug problem

  11. Lying

  12. Fronting 

Since a problem is defined as anything that damages oneself or another person, all problems theoretically can be encompassed within "inconsiderate of self" or "inconsiderate of others." If a behavior or feeling does not in any way hurt another person or the self, it is not a problem. Although "low self-image" overlaps with "inconsiderate of self," the first is so pervasive that it merits a special place on the list. Since a classification system with only two or three categories would not facilitate clear and precise communication, several additional specific problems are included. These labels refer to particular patterns of troublesome behavior that occur quite frequently among youth. 
 

FOUR LEVELS

WRA’S LEVEL PROGRAM

KOHLBERG'S STAGES OF MORAL DEVELOPMENT  

A. PREMORAL OR PRECONVENTIONAL STAGES: Behavior motivated by anticipation of pleasure or pain.

STAGE 1: PUNISHMENT AND OBEDIENCE:

Avoidance of physical punishment and deference to power. Punishment is an automatic response of physical retaliation. The immediate physical consequences of an action determine its goodness or badness. The atrocities carried out by soldiers during the holocaust who were simply "carrying out orders" under threat of punishment, illustrate that adults as well as children may function at stage one level.

WRA LEVEL 1: MIGHT MAKES RIGHT 

STAGE 2: INSTRUMENTAL EXCHANGE:

Marketplace exchange of favors or blows. "You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours." Justice is: "Do unto others as they do unto you." Individual does what is necessary, makes concessions only as necessary to satisfy his own needs. Right action consists of what instrumentally satisfies one's own needs. Vengeance is considered a moral duty. People are valued in terms of their utility.

B. CONVENTIONAL MORALITY: Acceptance of the rules and standards of one's group.

WRA LEVEL 2: BARGAINING 

STAGE 3: INTERPERSONAL CONFORMITY:

Right is conformity to the behavioral expectations of one's society or peers. Individual acts to gain approval of others. Good behavior is that which pleases or helps others within the group. "Everybody is doing it." One earns approval by being conventionally "respectable" and "nice." Sin is a breach of the expectations of the social order. Retribution, however, at this stage is collective. Individual vengeance is not allowed. Forgiveness is preferable to revenge. Punishment is mainly for deterrence. Failure to punish is "unfair." "If he can get away with it, why can't I?"

WRA LEVEL 3: GOOD BOY 

STAGE 4: LAW AND ORDER

Respect for rules, laws and properly constituted authority. Defense of the given social and institutional order for it's own sake. Responsibility toward the welfare of others in the society. "Justice" normally refers to criminal or forensic justice. Justice demands that the wrongdoer be punished, that he "pay his debt to society," and that law abiders be rewarded. "A good day's pay for a good day's work." Injustice is failing to reward work or punish demerit. Right behavior consists of maintaining the social order for its own sake. Authority figures are seldom questioned. "He must be right. He's the Pope (or the President, or the Judge, or God)." Consistency and precedent must be maintained.

WRA LEVEL 4: DOING THE RIGHT THING FOR THE RIGHT REASON EXPECTING NOTHING IN RETURN