Five Pillars

It all starts with Self, the first pillar. When we talk of self we are referring to a multi-faceted definition of self that includes personal awareness, development of a positive self-esteem, respect for others, healthy lifestyle choices, physical fitness, academic advancement, a broadened recreational outlook, and a sense of accountability.

We strive to challenge youth to re-evaluate who they are and what they want to be.

Boys are active at Daybreak Canyon. From the moment a youth wakes up, they are responsible for themselves. They are responsible to maintain a high level of personal hygiene as well as keep their personal areas clean and organized. They will play an active role in cleaning and have regular chores they are responsible for. They will assist with meal preparation and be responsible for their own laundry. They play a key role in maintaining the facility and grounds with special emphasis on all of our green projects.

We believe that ultimate success of a youth falls heavily on the Family. Our goal is to increase and improve communication among all family members, to build inter-familial relationships, to elicit support for any necessary changes, and to provide opportunities for a family to progress as a cohesive unit. Because we believe so strongly in the Family Pillar, we require a commitment from all families prior to Daybreak Canyon accepting a young man into our program that they will fully participate in the family aspects of our program.

We offer a variety of services and activities that all help improve and strengthen the Family Pillar.

Each youth will have either one 20 minute call each week or two 10 minute calls each week. Parents and the treatment team will come up with an approved contact list. Youth will be encouraged to send and receive letters to all parties on their contact list. Youth will be required to provide their own postage. Daybreak Canyon will also facilitate email correspondence through the therapist.

Parents are welcome to visit at any time. Due to our remote location we encourage parents to plan ahead to make sure that we are at the facility but that is not required. While at the facility parents are invited and allowed to participate side by side with their son in whatever activity we are engaged in. For parents' convenience we will post our weekly schedule in a parents' only area of our web site.

Daybreak Canyon will provide regular family counseling by our therapist. Because of our location we anticipate that many of these sessions will occur over the phone and perhaps via computer video conferencing. This is a critical part of helping strengthen the family.

Community passes are shortened interactions to give parents an opportunity to have alone time with their son in the local community and to work on any identified family goals or tasks. Youth are eligible for community passes with their parents for several hours, up to one full day, once they have completed 90 positive days. They also cannot be on a restrictive level and go on a pass.

Once a young man has successfully completed several community passes (Treatment Team recommendation) then they are eligible to begin home passes. Usually a youth would start with a weekend pass. After two successful weekend passes a youth is then eligible for an extended home pass. Extended home passes are designed to give the youth and parents opportunities to pursue resources in their own community, to interact for a longer period of time, and to arrange any details for discharge.

We are all part of a Community, whether we want to be or not. We also believe that we are all responsible for the community we live in. We will strive to instill in youth a sense of social responsibility for people around them, how to be accountable for their actions and decisions, and how those things impact the community around them. We believe that selfless service to others is a key ingredient to a healthy community and a healthy lifestyle.

All youth will be expected to participate in regular and frequent service activities in the greater Silver Valley area. Projects may include helping paint, working at the Humane Society, nursing homes, Habitat for Humanity, etc. Any time we travel to activities, such as our Super Outings, we will seek out service opportunities as part of the trip.

We live in a beautiful world that provides generous resources for our existence. We believe that the resources on the earth are finite and must be Conserved for future generations. Learning how to conserve, how our choices and behaviors impact the environment, and understanding how we all can individually make a difference in preserving the earth is a critical part of our program. Youth will have the opportunity to apply concepts and see them in action on a daily basis at our facility.

Our program is unique and innovative. When we call ourselves a "Green" Residential Treatment Center, we mean it. We have plans for continued changes but we are working every day to become greener and greener. Youth have the unique opportunity to not only have green curriculum and be taught about conservation, but to live in a facility and program that is daily striving to do our part to help the environment. All residents will be expected to do their part. One of our favorite places on this web site is our projects page where we list the current and future projects we are working on. Many of these projects will have environmental ramifications.

From the beginning when we started Daybreak Canyon we wanted to do things right. We repainted the whole interior of the lodge using low VOC paint and it made a great difference. Wherever we could, we have reused furniture or tried to buy furniture made out of green materials. In our new location, we are on the grid, but the challange remains to become greener and greener! We look forward to continued work in this area and are excited to have your son's input and we also welcome any ideas from youth or parents on how we can do better. Below are some of the additional things we have in place right now for Daybreak Canyon.

Daybreak Canyon will actively compost waste items that can be composted. The compost we make will be used in our garden and other landscaping projects around the campus.

Daybreak Canyon actively recycles all recyclable waste. We will strive to be a conscientious consumer and attempt to purchase only those items that can be either recycled or composted. Daybreak Canyon will limit its use of disposable goods that can't be re-used.

In the spring we will have a large garden that youth will help tend. The food we grow will be the food they eat. In addition there are plans to build a greenhouse so that we can raise produce year round (see our projects page). Youth will play an active role in planning, planting, tending, and harvesting produce.

Our goal as a program is to replace or supplemet our grid power with renewable energy sources. Youth will be involved at every step as we plan, build, implement, and maintain the different systems. Youth will have the opportunity to not only live in a facility that is operated by renewable energy sources but they will be able to play an active role and be able to learn hands on how to do it.

We believe that it is important to have a foundation which guides how we live our lives. We define Spirituality as a clear understanding of one's own beliefs, morals and values; having a belief in something greater than one's self. Our program will strive to give youth the opportunities and forums to explore, discuss, and expound on their own spirituality. We believe that this foundation can be critical in future success of youth and how they live their life in the future

Although many times we recognize that spirituality isn't always on the top of a teenager's priority list, we hope that we can at least challenge every youth's thinking in this area. We rely upon a non-denominational approach and also staff that are deeply spiritual themselves. Sometimes having a less formal setting can facilitate good conversation and insight. Our main tools for encouraging spiritual development are firesides and meditation.

Daybreak Canyon will conduct weekly firesides that will be opportunities to learn about a force greater than any of us. We will talk about morals, values, and other components of spirituality. There will be an opportunity for youth to participate and play an active role in these activities.

Each youth will be asked to participate in a daily brief meditation activity. Lead by staff or youth, the purpose is to give each youth a daily opportunity to reflect on who they are, where they are, and what they want to be.

At parents' request we can coordinate the participation of youth in religious activities in the community as they are available and as the resources of Daybreak Canyon permit. Also at the request of the parents a religious representative is permitted to visit the youth at the facility. Daybreak Canyon will help coordinate these visits.

We want to reiterate that our program is non-denominational and that our staff are encouraged to visit with youth about spiritual issues but they are not allowed to proselytize their own personal religious convictions. We also recognize the role of the family in developing a youth's spirituality and welcome any input and desires the family may have in this area.