Mountain States Archives - Boys Ranches for Troubled Boys

A Boarding School for Life Change

BCA’s chief goal is to facilitate the restoration of a positive relationship between the teen and their family through therapy, mentoring, and through modeling the love and hope of Jesus Christ. They work with troubled teens that have had a disconnect somewhere along the line and have gotten off track in life.

BCA is a Christian boarding school for boys, designed for troubled teenagers that are:

» Making poor and even dangerous choices
» Acting entitled, selfish, or detached
» Drug/substance abuse or addiction
» Manipulating family and others
» Lying, sneaking out, isolating from family
» Rebelling against authority
» Depressed, withdrawn or self-destructive
» Diagnosed with ADD, ADHD, or anger
» Academically behind or unmotivated.

Academics at BCA

Brush Creek Academy is a fully accredited boarding school. When your student attends this program, he will receive a high quality education that holds the same accreditation as your local high school. This ensures that the transfer of credits back to his public or private school is without question.

If your son graduates from this high school he will be able to attend the college or university of his choice without concern of his diploma and transcript being accepted. Other similar programs utilize a “dual enrollment” so the student can be enrolled with another agency that provides the actual accredited curriculum. The Brush Creek Academy school has gone through the rigorous accrediting process that is required to make sure that it is fully accredited and meets the national standards that are required of schools.

This school’s study program allows for an education plan designed specifically for your son’s needs. It is purposely designed for a smaller student body, 20 students or less. Brush Creek Academy focuses on grades 7-12. Your son’s education plan will be designed to make sure that he can complete the courses needed to get back on track academically. Goals are set on a daily basis so that there is immediate feedback to the student to know how he is progressing.

Transferrable Credits

All credits received from this school are fully transferrable. With the backing of its accrediting agency and the recognition of the Oklahoma State Board of Education, transferring of credits is a seamless process. Sometimes public schools are concerned about taking credits from a Teen Challenge program. Because accreditation is the same one as the public school your son will return to, there is never an issue with accepting credits, transcripts, or diplomas.

Accreditation and Dual Enrollment

Academics is so important at Brush Creek that this program has invested in going through the rigorous and expensive process of having its facility and in house academic program fully accredited. Brush Creek Academy makes sure that it meets every standard that public schools are required to meet. This is why this school holds the same seal of approval from AdvancEd as your local public high school and university. AdvancEd is the parent organization for the former North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA-CASI) and the Commission on International and Trans-Regional Accreditation (CTI). This school is also accredited by the International Christian Accreditation Association.

Brush Creek Academy enrolls students from all over the United States representing many diverse school districts and graduation requirements. Because of its AdvancED accreditation, this school does not run into any difficulty in making sure students that return home receive that credits they deserve.

The courses offered here are largely computer based. This allows students to have a focused education plan and encourages the student to make personal progress without getting lost in the crowd of a traditional classroom. For those students going on to college, it has prepared them perfectly for the personal responsibility for the academic progress that college demands.

Brush Creek Academy works to accommodate the many unique needs of its students. This program offers some vocational courses, and honors courses are available as well. Every student with an IEP (individualized education plan) is evaluated on a case by case basis.

Concurrent Enrollment

Although the vast majority of students come to Brush Creek behind in school and with no goals for the future, they soon get back on track and begin to think about what lies ahead. Because of this, Brush Creek includes concurrent enrollment with a local Junior College. This allows students to enroll in college courses while still being enrolled in school here. These courses on completed online and the student gets a jump start on his college career, receiving his first college credits.

Academic Success

Brush Creek Academy takes educational success very seriously because it is important to you as well as being essential for your son’s future success. This program has a strong track record of providing a high quality, structured educational environment. Brush Creek students go on to successful careers in many fields.

Academic Achievement and Repair of Past Academic Failure

Quality education is a high priority at BCA. Academic struggles and/or failures are common in students that are dealing with life controlling issues or simply making poor choices. At BCA Teen Challenge, staff works on both sides of the issues. While helping your son to overcome his life controlling problems, he is building confidence that a high school diploma is possible. Through setting goals, students quickly get back on track. Because this school is year-round, students have many more hours in the classroom than traditional education. This year-round approach coupled with a focused education plan helps to ensure that repairing past failures can become a reality. It is also not just about gaining back past credits but also improving one’s Grade Point Average (GPA). Credits are not given here at BCA, they are earned. The typical student that comes here will see his GPA increase as credits are only received when a student completes a course of study with a “B” or higher.

A Unique Boarding & Trade School Providing Your Son An Experience That Will Change Him Forever

TRIANGLE CROSS RANCH OFFERS A REAL RANCH SETTING…

On our remote 50,000-acre working cattle ranch and farm located in Wyoming, near Yellowstone National Park, troubled boys receive the individualized attention that they need.

Triangle Cross Ranch is a special place where your son will learn the lessons of a lifetime. Every boy has dreamed of being a cowboy. Picture your boy helping round up one thousand cattle on horseback in America’s breathtaking Yellowstone Park region! Life struggles that impact pre-teens and teens in today’s culture disappear as boys understand important life principles and academics in a unique, transformational approach.

With over 30 years of experience with boys (ages 10-17), Triangle Cross Ranch enlists mentors in our approach to instill principles of family and love as well as the “Cowboy Code of the West” – an honorable, manly approach to life that is still alive and well in Wyoming. This approach is based on our strong Catholic faith, and we accept families from all Christian traditions. We call this “Reality Counseling” and your son will never be the same. Our experienced, caring and committed staff provides strong academics as well as trade school education.

If your son attends the Triangle Cross Ranch program, you’ll see how the impact that hard work and spiritual development can reshape him in a positive way. We promise families the success of our long-term program for troubled teen boys. If your boy relapses after discharge after a successful complete 12 months in our program, we will accept him back for corrective counseling for 30 days at no additional fee.

Here on the 50,000-acre working ranch and farm in rustic Wyoming, troubled young boys, ages 10-17, experience important life lessons that change them for good. Struggles in today’s culture quickly fade as boys understand key principles taught at Triangle Cross Ranch, LLC.

And here’s where your boy’s spiritual, physical and mental transformation begins! Young men at Triangle Cross Ranch, LLC face physical challenges daily caring for 1,000 cattle on our working cowboy ranch. Plus, in the classroom and workshop, students must tackle their academic/trade school goals. Working, learning, and riding side by side, students travel new paths that lead to new life perspectives.

With over 30 years of helping boys renew and grow, our licensed professional counselors, and experienced, committed staffers promote Christian family principles and demonstrate Christ’s love to every at-risk boy enrolled at Triangle Cross Ranch, LLC. Our team provides personal attention, focused academics, and trade school education — what each student needs based on his strengths, skills, and interests. And as part of our effective Reality Counseling, we always practice the “Code of the West.”

Our Mission

“Helping At-Risk Young Men Renew Their Mind, Body & Spirit.”

“Through the love of Christ, we aim to educate the mind, strengthen the body, and elevate the spirit of each at-risk young man at Triangle Cross Ranch, LLC. Healing transformation begins when struggling young men recognize that life is sacred and discover their God-given talents in His wonderful Creation.”
That’s why, as Christians, we create and use an authentic cowboy experience to heal mentally, emotionally troubled, wounded young men, ages 10-17. We help them find new life filled with Christlike love.

A New Beginning

No matter what hinders the mental and physical health of a young man, he deserves a new beginning, regardless of how rocky that fresh start may be! Although healing internal struggles comes down to the young man himself, our program involves living, working, praying and overcoming obstacles together, as a team.

Through our program, your teen will learn to handle the difficulties that life can bring and learn to be responsible for himself and others in his care. And he’ll learn the ‘simple’ way of life as he trains in:

Reality Counseling

By changing his current lifestyle, your son will go through ‘real life’ cowboy therapy–on the ranch, at the farm, and in the great outdoors. Through participation and self-motivation, he’ll uncover his inner strengths and weaknesses. Triangle Cross Ranch, LLC not only helps him deal with issues and stresses in a healthy and appropriate manner once they leave, but also helps him recognize his personal responsibilities in life back home.

Yes, ranch life may be simple, but it’s never easy. Young men in our program face lots of trials. But this kind of hands-on living fosters personal growth, and maturity, as he walks through its challenging experiences.

Where At-Risk Boys Walk New Roads, Gain New Lives

Support His Journey

Every young man’s life journey differs, but every trail involves a deeper knowledge and understanding of his developing personality. In turn, each student’s journey at Triangle Cross Ranch, LLC guides him to acknowledge and understand:

Teen Challenge Adventure Ranch is a licensed therapeutic program, addiction treatment program, and boarding school for boys ages 14-17 with serious life-controlling issues or addictions. The boys experience clinical therapy and regular therapy-based, challenging outdoor activities including: camping, backpacking, rappelling, canoeing, swimming, hiking, and spelunking (rock climbing and cave exploration). Students are challenged physically and learn the importance of teamwork, goals and perseverance. They develop better communication skills and improve their ability to work cooperatively with others.

Teen Challenge Adventure Ranch is a licensed treatment facility with private bedrooms for the boys. The energetic therapists and caring staff encourage the boys to apply appropriate solutions to life’s problems. They endeavor to help troubled boys become mentally sound and drug-free for a lifetime, not just for the short time they are on the TCAR campus. The program’s extensive Aftercare Program ensures your boy’s ongoing success, entailing an extra six months of support, training and encouragement and a visit to the boy’s home, plus help in finding local resources for the parent and boy.

If nothing else is working for your boy today, enrolling him in this residential program may be absolutely the right choice and the best chance for helping him before he becomes an out of control adult. The program is designed to help a boy when:

• His behavior is out of control
• He is addicted to drugs, pornography, online games, or alcohol
• Counseling and other outpatient treatments aren’t working
• His problems are persistent or even worsening despite promises to change
• Inappropriate behaviors are placing his (or your) health or life at risk
• He was expelled from school or is facing legal problems
• He is deeply entangled with friends who are a negative influence
• He keeps returning to negative behaviors even after periods of time when he has been doing well
• When your boy’s behaviors or attitudes could endanger his future.

ADDICTIONS? TCAR is a dual-diagnosis, licensed facility, helping teenage boys recover from either or both substance abuse addictions and self-destructive, out of control behavior. Addiction recovery services and licensed drug and alcohol addiction counseling are offered as a regular part of our treatment, since substance abuse often co-exists with troubling behavior. According to multiple outcomes studies, Teen Challenge’s success rate in dealing with addictions tops the industry.

A Fun Adventure Program for Boys, that Offers Serious Therapy

Below is a list of some factors that set this program apart from others. The list reflects some of the things that parents often find important when deciding where their child should go. Please take a moment to review the items below.

WHAT THEY SAY: “We believe that God has a purpose and a plan for every boy who comes to Teen Challenge. It’s not just about teaching boys how to stay out of trouble. It’s about seeing our students reach their full potential and experience the hope and future that God intended them to have. We believe that every boy that comes to us has the potential to become a man of character and integrity. Their attitudes can be positive, and they can be successful in their relationships with others. All of these elements are presented in a loving Christian environment.”

Teen Challenge utilizes an integrated model of intervention. Their methods of intervention are Biblically-based and incorporate concepts and techniques from various psychological approaches including: Cognitive Behavioral therapies, Reality therapy, Choice theory, solution focused therapy, systems theory, and others. The program makes use of behavioral elements, experiential activities, therapeutic interventions, and social/interpersonal activities. All of these elements are presented in a loving Christian environment.

Helping a Student Regain Control of His Behavior

Teen Challenge helps students regain control of their behavior by helping them to recognize the unproductive patterns in their lives and encouraging them to seek new solutions to life’s problems and difficulties.

They believe that students can and should take responsibility for their behavior and choices. While there may be life tragedies or difficulties which have contributed to a boy’s problematic behavior, a child can learn to make better choices regardless of his situation or past. Effective solutions to life’s difficulties can be found, and healing from life’s hurts can be experienced.

The Teen Challenge program is broken up into five phases. The first four phases are completed on campus. Each phase has unique goals, objectives, and intervention material that a student must complete before moving to the next phase. The general goals of each phase are as follows:

Each phase has additional privileges as well as greater levels of responsibility. There is improvement in behavior and attitudes as students progress through the different phases of the program. A scoring system is used to provide students with feedback on their behavior and to help them become aware of and manage their own behavior. This behavioral technique is used for each activity of the day. A student’s behavior is scored in the following five areas:

The scoring system helps staff and the student identify the areas where the student is doing well or has made significant progress. It also helps us to identify areas where the student may be experiencing difficulty. If challenge areas are identified, we will work with the student in problem solving and help him develop strategies for success.

The program is approximately 18 months long. The first 9-12 months are done in residence at Teen Challenge, and the last 6 months take place after the child returns home and enters our aftercare program.

The Extensive Aftercare Approach (Few other programs do this!)

TCAR believes that a critical factor to the success of the boys is an effective Aftercare Program. They continue to work with boys and their families after the residential portion of the program is completed. The aftercare portion of the program is designed to last at least 6 months. They continue to work with the student and his family and help with any transition issues he may face when returning home.

Teen Challenge Adventure Ranch also works with families in regard to finding a mentor for the child. This mentor will be someone from their local area who will coordinate with the Teen Challenge Transitional Services Director. He/she will meet weekly with the student and provide continued encouragement and accountability after he returns home.

The Transitional Services Director also maintains regular contact with the student after he completes the residential portion of the program. He makes weekly phone contact with the student and family to check on progress. When possible, in-home visits are often scheduled (if the family would like for that to happen). During the visits/calls, the following is discussed:

Students showing significant difficulty transitioning back into society and/or participating in at-risk or delinquent behavior can be returned to Teen Challenge Adventure Ranch for a limited time. After re-stabilization, the previous aftercare plan is evaluated and appropriate changes are made in order to better assist the student with transition.

For more information Call (888) 218-2125

Brush Creek Academy