Life Skills Help Teens Get the Most Out of Their Time at Vista Academy, While Preparing Them for Life Outside of Treatment
Life Skills help students learn to live life sober and prepare for life after rehab.
At Vista Academy we have found that life skills training is a necessary part of successful teen addiction treatment. Throughout their day residents encounter situations that require the application of certain life skills and Vista Academy staff seize these opportunities as an opportunity for growth.
Achievement in Life Skills is arrived at through a combined practical and learning approach that focuses on staff directing residents through teachable moments. It is within these teachable moments that the individual strengths and deficits of every student is understood, coached and re-directed and/or supported.
Personal Life Skills
All residents are responsible for assisting with the proper healthy maintenance of their home. There is a system of routines for house chores. The weekly chores schedule is posted in the house and chores rotate in order to be fair to all residents. By contributing to the upkeep of their living space they learn how to not only properly make a bed or do laundry, but also how to work with others. Additionally, for many, the learning process teaches appropriate self-care techniques. Chores and responsibilities include:
- Setting and clearing the dinner table
- Cooking
- Laundry
- Cleaning dishes
- Removing trash
- Sweeping floors
- Assisting with vacuuming
- Picking up and Organizing their rooms
- Budgeting
- Computer Skills
- Hygiene
Relational Life Skills
Age Specific treatment is a key component to relational life skills achievement. Residents learn how to interact with their peers and staff in healthy ways through daily interactions. Residents are called upon to learn how to handle stressful situations, multiple priorities and engage in appropriate relationships with other residents and with staff. Residents also participate in a Life Skills group once a week with staff where they focus directly on time and money management skills, stress management etc. Relational Life Skill Group topics include, but are not limited to:
- Time management
- Decision making
- Problem solving
- Critical thinking
- Stress/Anger Management
- Active Listening
- Emotional Regulation
- Teamwork
- Conflict Resolution
- Self-Esteem
- Assertiveness