Suggestions on Transporting Your Child to Turning Winds:
All parents face the question, “How do I get my child to the Turning Winds facility?”
Once you have made the decision to enroll your
child in the Turning Winds Program, the very next step is getting
your child to Turning Winds in Northern Montana. All parents are
welcome to transport their child to our facility themselves,
or have a friend or relative help in the process. You also have
the option of having Turning Winds subcontract to transport the child
at your expense.
The following letter contains advice
from a parent of one of our students:
To whom it may concern:
If you’re reading this then you are either considering sending or have taken the decision to send your child to Turning Winds. The staff has requested that I write a few comments about the experience of the “pickup,” the day your child is escorted away. In our case, this “mandatory”attendance method was our only option. It was one of the reasons we chose Turning Winds over other "non-forced-participation" programs.
As I write this, our son is in his third month at Turning Winds. The absolute worst part is the initial pickup –it will also be your first feeling of relief after it occurs. The most painful time is the 24 hour period beforehand. You are not a traitor, a betrayer, or a monster, but you’ll feel like one. My feeling was similar to waiting for a terminally ill relative to die, and although the pain of the departure is always present, there’s the same wave of relief once it’s done.
We were amazed at how accurately the “taking”was described to us by the staff beforehand. It was explained what they wanted us to do, told us what to say, and what their methods were for control. We were prepared for our son’s comments, colorful even for a sailor! They told us of other escort missions and different complications (with remedies) that might occur.
We had absolutely no surprises that night. I thought our son had memorized the script himself –so accurately did he play his part as described by the staff, and he was extra colorful that night. I was called everything mentioned above and more, but there was no physical problem (fighting, etc.). The entire event took 12 minutes from the time the staff arrived until they left for the airport. My part took 1 minute. I woke him, introduced him to the staff and told him they ran a program in Montana, which I was sending him to. The staff took over from there.
I’ll part with a little advice. Follow the staff’s recommendations concerning your particular circumstances. Don’t tell the other children in the family if possible –they might not be able to handle their feelings of split loyalty. They’ll understand afterwards. When your child says, “I hate you,” then you say “I love you,” but don’t apologize or discuss it any further. Let the staff do the talking. Your child has no mental feeling of control over them, and can’t hurt their feelings or make them feel guilty.
The “steeliest” parent should do the introduction. The crier and the children, if possible, should be elsewhere. The tears will come for the steely one after. Don’t misunderstand, those tears have a lot of relief in them, and you’ll know your child is safe and has another chance at life. The staff knows its business. Trust them and let them handle it. This will be the worst part –it only gets better after that.
Good luck and God bless.
Raymond