00:04 - 00:48
Kevin Zundl: Welcome back to the Turning Winds podcast. My name is Kevin Zundl. Turning Winds is a full continuum of care for teens who really need extra help clinically and academically to reach their full potential. Today, I'm spending time with Cathy Miller and really just want to focus in on the academic aspects of it and the role that plays in the development of the child. How important, you know, is it to just not, have them not give up? And by them, I mean the child, the student, but also the parents. I've seen scenarios where it's a difficult situation.

00:48 - 01:22
Kevin Zundl: and they say, you know what, I give up. I'm gonna work with their little brother, make sure they're gonna be okay. But at this point, I don't know what to do. But removing them from that family system, potentially that education system and putting them here where they're not going to be given up on. Is there an aspect there that says, how important is that? Because what is that setting them up for once they're 18 and beyond?

01:25 - 02:10
Cathy Miller: So first of all, we think it's really important that the parents continue to be involved in the education process. So we have regular parent-teacher conferences. Parents send me an email, say, I want to talk to you, right on the phone, talking to them about the progress or what's happening. The way I see Turning Winds is it's an opportunity for a young person to do over their life. You know, they made some pretty poor decisions. And not because the parents didn't do a good job, but they made some poor decisions, and they got stuck in a trap.

02:10 - 02:51
Cathy Miller: And they come here, and they get a chance to be separated from everything that influenced them in the wrong direction and start over again. And in the process of hopefully at least a year, they get to be freed up from those things that were drawing them down. And so I do not think of the parents giving up. I just think the parents see an opportunity to give their son or daughter a chance to start over again. I mean, starting over again is, haven't you ever been in a car accident and you think, can I just turn

02:51 - 03:27
Cathy Miller: back time 5 seconds and it wouldn't have happened? You know, these kids are getting to turn back time and then not, and then be freed up so that they get a chance to do it over again. And the family involvement is so important. I mean, we really want the parents and the families to be strengthened and healthy. And so when the young people return home, they have the support system that they need with their parents and with their siblings and that they can be successful. Like I said, the education part is essential because without them keeping

03:27 - 03:55
Cathy Miller: up with their education, Life pretty much demands the disciplines of math and science and basic understandings of social studies and of course English. You've gotta have those tools in place. So it's all an important part. I again, do not see it as giving up. I just see it as making a healthy decision to allow their son or daughter to be able to do their life and do it right.

03:56 - 04:24
Kevin Zundl: So in terms of the family aspects of academics, is it different here, those interactions? Or I think of a traditional school system and how are things going? Well, you have a parent teacher conference and you have a report card. And sometimes other, if there's an IP, some additional engagement. Does that look very different here than it does in a more traditional environment?

04:24 - 05:04
Cathy Miller: I think it does because of the fact that we're not just talking about grades on a paper, we're talking about emotional stability, goals for the future, making sure that academically they're where they're supposed to be, planning where they're going to go when they leave here. We only have them for 6 months to a year. We've had some kids longer than a year because of the academic program. If you can imagine that, we've had people who are willing to pay the money to allow their kid an extra 3 months or so so they could graduate from Turning

05:04 - 05:37
Cathy Miller: Winds. And you have a fresh start. I mean, that's the neat thing about graduating from Turning Winds is you got a high school diploma and you get to move on and have a fresh start in a new environment. I think it's a very different situation that parent-teacher conferences, because of the fact that I think that there's more ideas that have to be discussed. We're the surrogate parents, and we have to make sure we understand what the parents want for their son or daughter, and we have to attempt to implement that.

05:38 - 05:50
Kevin Zundl: So my hope is that this paints a clearer picture of what a truly supportive environment looks like. If you have questions, I encourage

06:00 - 06:00
Cathy Miller: you

This transcript reflects the corrected spelling of "Turning Winds," "Kevin Zundl," and "Cathy Miller."