We received this testimonial from a parent who sent two of her boys to Triumph:
The painful decision to send our twin boys to a residential treatment center was made after we had tried everything we knew to curb their bad choices and behavior which was both destroying their lives and ripping our family apart. Choosing a residential treatment center was as daunting as the decision to send the boys away; each boy in need, but with different personalities and problems. We didn’t know how to choose the correct RTC.
We opted to send the boys to Triumph after a chance encounter with a woman who told us about the program. Her boy was a resident at the time. She told us that the program wasn’t fancy, but that it was run with love. She told us that the administration and staff treated the boys as their own, but with more objective consistency than families in crisis could do on their own. Having been raised in a Beverly Hills atmosphere I was concerned about the lack of luxury. I wrongly equated plush with proficiency. But the words “the administration and staff treat the boys as their own” kept ringing in my head, and I knew that that was more important than anything. We took a leap of faith and sent our boys.
We spoke to and visited the boys often. We were surprised and relieved that they weren’t miserable or begging to come home. We quickly saw changes in both boys. Expressions of gratitude for even the most basic things replaced their strong attitudes of entitlement. This was just the beginning.
One of the many things that distinguishes Triumph from other RTC’s, is their willingness to think outside the box. No two kids are alike. Weekly team meetings are held to tailor make the best possible program for each child.
Getting through to teenage boys is more of an art than a science. What works for one child doesn’t necessarily work for another. The beauty of Triumph is that they do not take a “cookie cutter” approach to the needs of their residents. They quickly figured out the difficult challenges our children presented and with very different approaches began to shape both their behaviors and way of thinking. When one approach didn’t work they tried another. They listened to parent input, and together with their knowledge and expertise, team decisions were made and progress was revealed.
Another one of Triumph’s many distinguishing qualities is the limited number of students they enroll at any one time. Opting to keep the student body low allows the owners, administrators and staff to involve themselves on a very deep and personal level. While they certainly could accommodate more youths the fact that they intentionally choose not to run their program that way speaks volumes about their commitment to helping these kids.
The icing on the cake to this amazing RTC is the dog program. The boys are given an opportunity to raise Labrador Retrievers as puppies. For many of the boys this is their first experience being responsible for anything other than themselves. In an emotionally supportive way the boys are taught commitment and responsibility.
When I attended the many parent conferences I not only saw significant changes in our kids, I saw first hand what the acquaintance had meant by “the program is run with love.” As the therapists, administrators and staff gave their presentations I was both surprised and greatly moved as they educated and motivated parents, many with a crack in their voices or a few tears running down their faces. They saw the beauty and potential of these troubled youths. They spoke from their hearts wanting only the best for these boys. It was then that I felt what it meant to run a program with love. There aren’t the right words to describe the moving experiences I had at these parent conferences; it is something that has to be experienced first hand. But what I can share is that every time I left I had no doubt that our children had been placed in the best possible RTC and that any doubts I had in the beginning had completely vanished.
When speaking with other parents at the parent conferences they all had the same trepidation’s as we did sending our children to an RTC. They also had the same positive experiences and progress that we saw. Our backgrounds were as diverse as our kids, but our positive experiences with Triumph were the same.
One of our children graduated the program and came home a changed, motivated and respectful young man. He doesn’t resemble the impulsive, immature boy we sent away. It has been almost 3 months and I view the change as permanent. Our other boy is graduating the program this weekend and he too shows signs of remarkable change.
Triumph calls every student and their parents “family for life.” When one of the owners came to our home several states away to see how our graduate was doing I knew these weren’t just words. The administration, therapists and staff give parents their cell phone numbers and are immediately responsive to questions and concerns
both while the children are residents and after they come home. Why? Because they truly care.
Local school district staff have confided in me that most RTCs are not like Triumph in all these special ways. Triumph is a hidden gem.
I have asked each of my boys separately whether they are happy they had the Triumph experience. While each stated that they wished they hadn’t needed it they both independently acknowledged the benefit and that without it they never could have learned or become the stronger, focused and motivated people they are today.
Sending our children to Triumph not only benefited our children, it allowed our family to heal. While the kids away gained self awareness and learned coping tools our family at home had time to learn and grow as well. Triumph taught us through counseling sessions, parent conferences and by way of example how to lovingly and consistently set boundaries for a successful reunification of family.
I have zero regret about sending either child away, and I cannot imagine a better choice than Triumph for this or any other family.
I believe in paying it forward. That is why I am writing this review. I hope it will be helpful to parents struggling with the very difficult decision of placement.
