May 25

Reimagining School Discipline

You hear it all the time in schools: detention, suspension, “silent” lunch, lost recess, and the list goes on. We are conditioned to think that this is the only way to handle school discipline, but is it the right way?  According to the National Center for Safe and Supportive Learning Environments, “Punitive discipline does not …More >

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May 19

Breaking the Stigma on Borderline Personality Disorder

Many of the students at Compass Rose exhibit Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) traits. The DSM-5 describes borderline personality disorder (BPD) as “a pervasive pattern of instability of interpersonal relationships, self-image, and affects, and marked impulsivity, beginning in early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts” (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Symptoms can include but are …More >

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May 11

How to Observe Mental Health Awareness Month

As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor who has worked as a therapist with Josiah White’s and Compass Rose since 2018, I was asked as a professional in the field to write a post about Mental Health Awareness month and its importance. To be honest, though, I’ve never really thought much about Mental Health Awareness month …More >

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April 26

Revitalized Menu Focuses on Whole Foods for CRA Students

As part of life on the new campus, Compass Rose decided to revamp what the students were eating each day to better support their journey towards healing and growth. Since we know the important impact that nutrition has on our overall health, including our mental health, CRA put together a food committee made up of …More >

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April 18

Spring Parent Weekend: Rebuilding Fences and Setting Boundaries

When you invite your best friend to your home, are they only allowed past your fence and into your yard, or do you open the door and let them into the living room? What about a complete stranger? How far into your home would you allow them to come? How close do you allow people …More >

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March 29

In Pursuit of Our Heart

In our chapel services, we have been diving into the book of Jonah and have taken time in our Bible Studies to go more in depth to explore the implications of Jonah in our lives today. We often lose sight of Jonah in the mix of a big fish. We have lumped the story in …More >

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March 16

Mismatching Experiences

In our work with teens and families, we often talk about creating mismatching experiences, or corrective emotional experiences. In the type of therapeutic work that we do, these are powerful, even transformative processes aimed at freeing people from their emotional responses tied to early memories and attachment experiences. But what do we actually mean when …More >

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February 21

Treatment and Education: How Do They Work Together?

The decision to place your child in residential treatment can be a daunting one. There are so many different factors to consider when your end goal is ultimately hope and healing for your family. Sometimes, academics can fall to the wayside as life’s challenges arise. Navigating the waters of education while in treatment is important, …More >

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February 09

Compass Rose Academy Achieves CARF Accreditation

Compass Rose Academy is honored to have recently been accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). Meeting the standards to achieve this accreditation is one way CRA is ensuring that the students in our program are receiving the highest quality of care available. This accreditation requires our staff to participate in frequent …More >

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January 25

The Fundamentals of Teaching Family Model

At Compass Rose Academy, our direct care staff use the Teaching Family Model (TFM), a relational, evidenced-based, trauma-informed model of care focused on increasing life skill development in children and teens. When using TFM, our direct care staff engage in daily teaching interactions to help teens learn social and relationship skills. Residential staff, now called …More >

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January 11

What will you do about your relationships this year?

As you reflect on 2022 and look forward to the rest of 2023, are you content with what you see in your personal, professional, and even familial relationships? I observe that many people go from day to day, month to month, and year to year with the awareness that many, most, or even all of …More >

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December 16

Out of Darkness Comes Light

The Friday after Thanksgiving this year was similar to those in the past – our family dug out the Christmas storage boxes, put up the fresh tree, and turned on the jolly tunes as we decorated. However, something was different this time around. After putting the lights on the tree, I was in charge of …More >

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December 13

The Gift of Immanuel God With Us

Ahhhhh, Christmas. The time of year when we rejoice at snow, get special feelings when we hear jingle bells, and give ourselves allowances to eat far too many cookies. It truly is a unique time of year, filled with events, gifts, to-do lists, baked goods, and travel plans. In the middle of all the hustle …More >

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November 21

Learning in a Trauma-Informed Setting

The Academy at Compass Rose is dedicated to providing a safe space for students to learn and grow academically. With this in mind, The Academy provides an environment that is trauma-informed and meets the needs of a diverse student population. Recently, The Academy gained a new staff member, Onyx. Onyx is a therapy dog that …More >

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November 09

It’s NO-vember!

Every year, I go into the holiday season with great excitement and anticipation of all of the memorable activities that lie ahead. In my head, I imagine time at home with family playing games, watching movies, and enjoying great food and fun. In reality, every year there is also some level of disappointment that the …More >

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October 27

Compass Rose Academy Achieves Teaching Family Association Accreditation

Compass Rose Academy is thrilled to announce that we recently became an accredited Teaching Family Association agency.  Teaching Family Association is the accrediting agency of Teaching Family Model (TFM), a relational, evidenced-based, trauma-informed model of care focused on increasing life skill development in children and teens. Adopting this model ensures that we are able to …More >

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October 12

How to Support Your Teen’s Mental Health Challenges

The mental health crisis facing today’s youth is staggering, and has only been exaggerated by events such as the global pandemic. Loneliness and isolation exacerbate despair and depression. A lack of safety and security invite anxiety. It doesn’t take much imagination to highlight how practices, such as social distancing and stringent hygiene that were highly …More >

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September 28

Day in the Life of a Family Teacher

Kara Russell and Bailey Lauer are both Family Teachers at Compass Rose Academy (CRA). Keep reading this Q&A to learn more about what their job is like! What does a typical day look like as a Family Teacher at CRA? What is your schedule?  K: A typical day at CRA begins with waking up the …More >

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September 14

Seen, Known, and Loved

Recently in chapel services here at Compass Rose, we have been looking at the outcast people of the Bible and God’s interactions with them. Again and again, we come to see that God is intentional with the people society has counted less than, and He continually invites them into relationship. He is saying “I see …More >

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August 30

Compass Rose Academy Cuts Ribbon on MKS Pavilion

Compass Rose Academy (CRA) held a ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, August 26th at 10:00am to celebrate the completion of their new MKS Pavilion. The pavilion was generously donated by Michael Kinder & Sons (MKS), who has partnered with CRA to build their new campus, which opened in 2021. Speakers included Ron Evans, President and …More >

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