the valley site
The Valley Site is designed for two distinct groups of students: newcomers who will be preparing for their wilderness experience, and veteran students who will be processing the lessons they learned and preparing to transition out of the program.
The Valley Site is a place to prepare and educate the mind, body, and spirit for the transitions that take place entering the wilderness and returning to society. We help students identify their strengths and develop a better understanding of addiction. In short, we seek to prepare students for their future.
Statistically, reaching the one-year mark clean and sober is the strongest factor in predicting on-going sobriety. We intend to support each of our students in reaching that mark.
Preparing for Wilderness
New students at Passages To Recovery will spend their first seven to ten days at the Valley Site. At this early stage we focus on helping students make an easy transition into treatment and prepare them for the wilderness experience on which they are about to embark. This initial period consists of an introduction to the 12 Step Model, attending Alcoholic Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous Meetings, and writing and reviewing their life story to better understand where they have been and where they may be going.
At the Valley Site, the new students will participate in educational groups on addiction, family dynamics, spirituality and meditation, and the life skills needed for sobriety. Time is also spent preparing for the wilderness aspect of the program by participating in day hikes and learning skills such as fire starting with a bow drill, treating water, and taking care of the environment and campsites.
Students’ free time can be spent playing basketball, volleyball, horseshoes, or taking part in other activities. At the Valley Site we put an emphasis on having fun in sobriety and enjoying our lives while being as productive and successful as possible.
Returning from Wilderness
After students complete the wilderness aspect of our program they return to Valley Site to integrate their experience, mentor peers who are preparing for the wilderness, and formulate plans for their return to society and family. When students return from the field we hold a healthy festive dinner to celebrate their accomplishments in the wilderness. At this dinner, our guests of honor share their experiences and answer questions from new students. Following dinner they lead the group in a 12 Step meeting where they are able to share more about their growth.
The day after their return from the wilderness, students participate in a two-day Family Communication Workshop. Following the workshop, students return to the Valley Site where they are encouraged to step into leadership roles in the group and serve as role models for new students. The great paradox of the program is that “We can only keep what we have by giving it away,” so we strongly encourage returning students to help new students in order to experience the inner rewards service brings.
During this time they also prepare for the transition into society by attending educational groups that discuss topics like relapse prevention, aftercare programs and short-term life plans. Students make concrete plans for their “next step” by researching and communicating with aftercare programs, finding the locations of the local AA and NA groups, and coordinating with family. While all of this work is going on, we continue to emphasize having fun in sobriety and celebrating life. Students spend time in the community participating in activities such as bowling, Frisbee golf, and picnic dinners at the local park. These days conclude at an AA or NA meeting.
Time at the Valley Site is spent exploring identity, the true self free of the injurious effects of substance abuse and addiction. Students are asked to rewrite their life stories from their new perspective. Using their imaginations, they are asked to act out their life story as if it were a Hero's Journey. Utilizing primitive skills, musical instruments, sewing machines and found materials, they are given the opportunity to make a documentary of their Hero's Journey. This project also involves learning technical skills such as shooting a sequence and editing, and the resultant film is a powerful touchstone of their passage from addict to authentic, from youth to man, from lost to found.
Graduation
Graduation brings staff and students together around a campfire in a celebration that includes drumming, storytelling, and other ceremonial activities. For example, graduates create an object to burn in the fire that represents something they want to leave behind or let go of. Students also plan and execute a graduation/giving back project. In the past, graduating students have volunteered to share their story with at-risk youth at a nearby school, teach a skills clinic to new students, or clean local campground areas.