In the News

GIRLS, INTERRUPTED
Erda Academy helps troubled teens get their lives going
Author: Karen Hunt, Staff Writer

Alpine Academy, a group home for struggling teen girls in Erda, is among the top programs in the nation, according to experts.

Janice Stacey of Memphis, Tenn., asked a psychological placement specialist and an organization call San Marcos Academy in Texas to independently rank what each believed were the top five programs in the U.S. for her daughter. Alpine Academy was ranked number one on both lists.

The program—at $285 to $362 a day—is expensive as the average length of stay for a client is 10-12 months. But, after years of research and seeking to help her daughter, who was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder in her early teens, Stacey was willing to pay the price on one condition—that the program works.

"There’s no way we would make the sacrifice financially if it was not meeting all of her needs," Stacey said.

Stacey’s daughter Heather was at Alpine Academy longer than average. Her stay extended a year and a half—18 full months. In December, Heather graduated.

While at Alpine Academy Heather attended school, participated in recreational activities and had social experiences.

"We love the girls… Our kids are hurting kids who have forgotten they are exceptional people," said Becky Anderson, director of the Alpine Academy. "…They’re kind of bombing out of life. They’re bombing out of their home. They’re bombing out of school."

The idea behind the academy is that people do the best they can. If they’re failing Anderson believes it’s because they lack the ability to do better and so the program works to teach life skills.

Homes like Alpine Academy are part of a new approach to treating girls with behavioral or psychological problems.

Over the last 35 years, the emphasis in the U.S. has changed from lock-down facilities which keep those with disabilities away from the public, to group homes like Alpine Academy that teach them how to function successfully in society.

"Mental illness is a disability just like I was in a wheel chair. It’s just another challenge or handicap," Stacey explains. "I always try to relate mental illness to tangible illness so society can understand it, they can put their arms around it."

But regardless of Alpine Academy’s national reputation, it caused an uproar when if first was introduced to the rural community of Erda, Utah. Erda resident Scott Bodell, lives near Alpine Academy and was very concerned when he first heard the group home was coming. Most of his fears have been allayed over time and after a tour of the facility. He was impressed with the clean facilities—each bedroom decorated by the two girls who share it. Combined with the attractive décor, he learned safeguards, like motion detectors in the bedrooms—were in place.

"It’s kind of my opinion that they have been fairly good neighbors," Bodell said. "I’m not aware of complaints from the neighbors for quite some time. They have pretty much kept to themselves … certainly not the conflicts and nightmares we thought we’d have," said Bodell.

Steve Farley, another neighbor of the facility, is still a bit conflicted in his views. He would still like to see the homes farther apart and expressed some worries about future expansion. On the other hand, one of Farley’s other criticisms is he wishes the girls were more a part of the community. Years of research, he knows, has shown integration is important for the girls’ recovery.

"There has been very limited interaction between the community and the Alpine Academy, but there has been enough that we can see it’s doing some good," Farley said.

Despite what neighbors had initially expected, it has turned out that Alpine is even safer than normal schools. Chief Deputy Ron Matekel said there’s probably a lot more problems going on at Tooele’s public schools than at Alpine Academy. Over the past two years the Tooele County Sheriff’s office has been called out to the Alpine Academy to investigate five runaways, one case of marijuana use and two cases of assault.

"I think it’s a pretty well managed facility down there as far as we’re concerned. We don’t see it being a burden on the sheriff’s office," Matekel said. "… I can’t remember a complaint we’ve had from the neighbors."

Stacey’s daughter had one of the most severe diagnoses at Alpine Academy.

"When you look at the news you see people with schizophrenia or things like that doing bad things—people who didn’t have the opportunity to be somewhere like Alpine. Where it would be unsafe is if you have mentally ill people in the community without the resources," Stacey said.

It was a significant step when Heather, then 16 years old, first came to Alpine Academy in May 2004. The teen has been in eight facilities across the United States.

Like most teen girls, Heather is concerned with making friends and doing the same things as her peers, but after being diagnosed years earlier with severe mental illness, her struggles were compounded to include paranoia and a rapidly dropping IQ.

After years of struggle and much failure, in December Heather experienced some success when she graduated from Alpine Academy.

During the time she was there she took up running again—something she’d stopped due to her illness. She no longer had to take special education classes, although she did have reduced homework in some areas. In addition, she will graduate from high school in May, something her mother thought she would never do.

Her medications were also adjusted to a healthier level. At prior facilities, Stacey said Heather was so heavily medicated she would often walk around in a drugged stupor.

"The philosophy here is to reduce or remove as many meds as possible to allow the child to function normally," Stacey said.

At the same time, Alpine teaches girls they should accept their limitation. Stacey said part of that is acknowledging they do need to take their medication as prescribed be the doctor.

Stacey believes Heather’s therapist at Alpine Academy was the best her daughter ever had.

"She was the most professional, thorough, clearly built a strong relationship, a trusting relationship—because one of the things that’s hard for mentally ill people is to trust them, because they are afraid that people will reject them because they are different."

Alpine Academy encourages, and to some degree requires, family involvement. Heather’s mom exceeded the minimum talking to Heather on the phone daily and visiting regularly.

"Her step-father has come with me as often as possible to help me," Stacey said. "My parents are like secondary parents for her, and so did her sister, her aunt; she’s got an extremely strong support system with relationships in my family."

While at the academy, Heather—who Stacey describes as timid and shy—took a speech class and earned A’s and B’s.

"She gave a speech at her graduation that was just amazing," Stacey said. "Everyone was in tears because we never thought she could improve that much."

Living with a group of girls in a family setting 24-7 also gave Heather a chance to learn problem solving and relationship skills.

"She couldn’t relate to other girls because she’d always say ‘no one else likes me,’" Stacey said. "Part of it that helped her was they told her she was OK, she was worthwhile. She was able to reframe negative thoughts to positive thoughts and I tell you most of society can’t even do that."

With each achievement Heather gained more privileges.

Today, Heather’s trip to wellness isn’t over. She is at another facility in Millspring, N.C. But her mother is convinced she wouldn’t have been ready for that facility without Alpine.

"I have no real reason to have to praise Alpine because we paid so much money, but we strongly believe that had she not had the experience and development through Alpine, she never could have gone to this place. She probably would have been back in a lock-down facility," Stacey said.

In the future Stacey’s goals for Heather are twofold. First, she wants her daughter to be happy with who she is and her own abilities. Second, she wants Heather o continue focusing on goals she can achieve, understanding the fact that individuals can always improve.

And she considers Alpine Academy an important milestone along Heather’s journey.

RSVP
Author: Judy Magid

UTAH YOUTH VILLAGE presented the "Helping Hand" award to philanthropist Beverley T. Sorenson Sept. 14. More than 325 people attended the dinner at Little America Hotel. The late Lila Bjorklund, founder of the village, was on everyone's mind, praised by Sorenson for her dedication to making a difference in children's lives, and admired by Utah first lady Mary Kaye Huntsman, honorary event chairwoman, who cited Bjorklund and Sorenson as role models.

Utah Girls Village, opened in 1969 by Bjorklund and a number of other volunteers, began with one group home. It became Utah Youth Village in 1990, and is the largest private provider of residential treatment for children who are wards of the state. There are 10 group homes and 60 treatment foster homes in Utah. In-home help is available to troubled families through the Families First program, and parenting classes are available to the general public.

The event raised about $170,000.

ON THE GUEST LIST James L. Sorenson; Elizabeth "Liddy" Huntsman; Earl and Carol Holding; Thomas Monson, first counselor in the LDS Church First Presidency, and Frances Monson; Dinesh and Kalpana Patel; Art Works for Kids director Elaine Harding; Ellen Johnston; Alan Thompson, Marilyn Neilson; Elly Muth; Westminster College President Michael Bassis; Beth Wolfer; Gene and Dick Klatt; Matt and Tiffani Thomas; Susie Martindale and Kim Butterfield; Melanie Brown Lyon and Paul Lyon; Cecily Savage; Mary Ann Lee and Bill Evans; Rodney Brady; Lisa Cluff and daughter Maddie; Carol Duncomb; Siope Kenikina; Sonja and Errol ErrNisse; Anne and Craig McQueen; Jenny Green; and Verdi and Louise Schill.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT BEVERLEY SORENSON Beverley Sorenson, founder of Art Works for Kids, has a teaching degree from the University of Utah and a love of children. Her concern about a lack of arts education in Utah elementary schools was spiked by a teenage grandson's headphones and heavy-metal CD. Her desire to do something was inspired by the teen's 3-year-old sister dancing to music from "Phantom of the Opera."

"I thought, why not have arts training in elementary schools when children are so anxious to learn? But there were no funds. Then, in 1995, I visited a high-risk school where the principal had found money to hire a visual arts specialist [Elaine Harding]. Children were painting anti-drug banners together. Art was on the walls.

"That is what led to Art Works for Kids. We found specialists in music, dance, theater and visual arts and started a pilot Art Works program, K-6, in 12 schools. When you walk into those schools, the walls explode with art. 'Dancing a book' teaches more than hearing it. And it is open to all children."

Youth Village Continues Founder's Mission
Author: Wendy Frank, Close-Up Correspondent

Gracing the west wall of the spacious foyer of the Utah Youth Village is a photo of its founder, the late Lila Bjorklund. Lila, who died in 2002 at age 87, was a very broadly based humanitarian who had a dream of alleviating the plight of troubled children in Utah. Sharing this dream-turned-mission is her son, Eric Bjorklund, now the executive director of the Utah Youth Village.

"I have a memory of my mother on the phone in the kitchen always talking with someone about making life better for kids," he said. "She was a remarkably passionate woman."

Lila was also tenacious and resilient, rarely settling for "no" as an answer, according to her son. She refused to believe there were any "bad" children.

"She wanted children to have better lives, and knew she could make that happen -- campaigning 60 to 90 hours a week for education, the juvenile court system, handicapped youth/adults and sexually abused girls," Eric Bjorklund said.

While volunteering for juvenile court judges in 1969, Lila and others raised money to create a much-needed group home for troubled girls called the Utah Girls' Village. Situated in Kearns, it was constructed by students from the Granite School District's first vocational construction program on 20 acres donated by Doran and Gene England.

After boys entered the treatment program in 1989, the Utah Girls' Village was renamed the Utah Youth Village in 1990.

Even into her late 80s, Lila continued to come into her office. "She attended every Village graduation -- even when her health was in decline -- giving each graduate a quilt, which she lovingly wrapped around them," said Sarah Weiland, associate director of development.

From grade school through law school, Bjorklund drew inspiration from his mother's model of service. In 1986 he decided he had to make a choice whether to practice law full time or continue serving at the Village. "I decided it was more fun changing people's lives than suing people," he said with a smile.

Bjorklund has indeed stayed Lila's course, said Michael Pearson, program director. "He is truly a visionary and approaches the welfare of children and families with a tenacity that is unequaled."

Bjorklund has been instrumental in expanding both the number and scope of programs the Village offers:

Group homes, which serve mostly wards of the state, are located in and around Salt Lake City. There are two for boys and one for girls, each accommodating up to eight children ages 12 to 18. The children attend public schools and reside in the home five to seven months. Very structured, these homes offer care from a highly trained married couple who teach social and communication skills, prevention of substance abuse and independent living skills. Both individual and group therapy is provided.

The Alpine Academy in rural Erda serves troubled teenage girls from all over the nation. These girls are plagued by such challenges as bipolar disorder, Tourette's syndrome, depression and attachment disorder. Each one is involved in a daily educational program specifically designed for her, and is offered recreational, artistic and volunteer opportunities. There is also a new Alpine Academy for girls ages 8 to 12 in Cedar Hills.

There are more than 60 therapeutic family homes, which are less-structured. Married couples, called treatment parents, each take in one or two children ages 2 to 18. The average stay is five months. Nurtured within a stable living and learning environment, they are taught family interactive skills and how to function within society.

Families First Program is at the cutting edge of child welfare work. A specialist works with both parents and children in their own home for a minimum of eight hours per week for six weeks.

They work on a parent's self-esteem and do concrete things to improve the physical environment of the home. These specialists build parents up to be nurturing and fostering accountability in their children.

Their approach to parents is "What do you want and how can I help you get it?" versus, "What's the problem here?"

Gary Crocker, serving pro bono for 10 years as the chairman of the trustee board, says, "Our group home network has almost tripled in size, and novel in-home therapy services have helped literally hundreds of families the past several years."

These programs wouldn't be successful without the compassionate staff who run them.

"The families that I have worked with respond to me because I am there for them 24/7. It's not strange to get a call at 3 a.m. from a family who may need help," said Siope Lee Kinikini, a Families First specialist.

In overseeing and advancing these programs, Bjorklund has always rolled up his sleeves and pitched in at every level.

"He does everything from plowing fields in Erda to securing water rights, to running board meetings," Weiland said.

Said Crocker: "During the past 10 years, Eric has expanded his vision and contribution from simply maintaining and building upon Lila's work, to taking the Utah Youth Village to a whole new level of capability and resources to serve the needs of troubled youth in Utah."

Utah Youth Village is a charity, and unlike the majority of private-pay residential treatment facilities, it has "no owners to enrich and no stockholders to satisfy." It benefits from two fundraisers each year, the Spring Fashion Show and the Helping Hand Gala, which was held earlier this week.

Beverley Sorenson was honored with the 2005 Helping Hand Award for her dedication to Utah's children. Utah's first lady, Mary Kaye Huntsman, was the honorary chairman of the event, which included dinner and a silent auction.

For more information on the Utah Youth Village, visit

http://www.youthvillage.org, or call 801-272-9980.