Positive Peer Culture
Treatment Philosophy
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Red Rock Canyon School Residential Treatment center has it's own unique approach to their youth, the common thread that they all share is Positive Peer Culture. C.A.R.E. has adopted a non-punitive parenting style called Positive Peer Culture, which each facility threads through their philosophy. Positive Peer Culture is a conflict resolution approach. This approach connects our treatment philosophy and behavior management continuum, as well as providing the youth with structure, unconditional acceptance, parenting and security. This also provides the support, guidance, and opportunity which adolescents require for growth and development.
Positive Peer Culture facilitates an atmosphere of kindness, firmness, dignity, and respect in which adolescents can best learn responsibility. Our treatment programs encourage our students to learn and solve their own problems and take responsibility for making limited choices, rather than rushing with directives and external controls. Learning from mistakes is a critical skill to develop in our students. Being held accountable for the outcome of choices is a small price to pay for understanding the power of their choices.
Positive Peer Culture favors natural and logical consequences for behavior problems: consequences that are reasonable, and respectful to the students self-esteem and development level.
Positive Peer Culture uses encouragement rather than praise. Encouragement teaches self evaluation and speaks to the deed and not so much the doer. Praise, however, teaches dependencies on the evaluation of others, resulting in adults who are approval seekers and pleasers. Abiding self-esteem is derived from a real achievement.
Positive Peer Culture is solution oriented. Looking for blame creates defensiveness. Looking for solutions invites cooperation. When students are involved in negotiation and decision making, they have ownership and motivation to follow their own decisions, and they develop their creativity in problem solving. We see mistakes as stepping stones, not stumbling blocks. This approach corrects the situation and enhances the relationship with the student.
