Therapeutic Schools for Boys: A Personal Perspective
by Founder and Chairman of the Board, Beth Black
In the early 1990’s, my husband, Ron, and I found ourselves parenting a son struggling with learning challenges, ADHD, and adoption issues. For years, we looked for help. Our efforts seemed futile and led to no significant solutions or improvements. In fact, as the years wore on, his behaviors spiraled downward. Our home had become a battlefield. We were heartsick, and felt helpless, discouraged and, ultimately, despair.
We remember our tremendous relief when we finally found a therapeutic program in Northern Idaho designed for families like ours. The help our son and our family received impacted us deeply. After years of frustration, we had hope again!
It has been over ten years since our son graduated and I can reflect that the decision to send him to a therapeutic program changed our world. He grew, our daughter healed from the challenges of living in a “war zone” and my husband and I could laugh and experience joy again.
Our experience led directly to the dream of founding Cherokee Creek Boys School to help other families through the difficult times of parenting a struggling child.
Our vision is to provide healing and hope… one family at a time. We hope you will consider being a part of this powerful process. Ron and I – and the entire CCBS team – look forward to the opportunity to serve you and your son.
Warmly,
Beth Black, Cherokee Creek Boys School
Contact Beth on LinkedIn:
Beth Black, Founder
Prior to founding Cherokee Creek Boys School, Beth was a marketing, training and communications professional. She began her career by working for over a decade with the Walt Disney World organization. She fondly embraces this time as foundational for all her subsequent work in the area of corporate culture building and customer service excellence. Additionally, Beth was the co-founder of Advantage Training, a consulting firm focused on service excellence training and strategic marketing. As the Director of Healthy Community Initiative, Beth used the research of Search Institute to create a community campaign to address the challenges of teen drug use in Orlando.
“The founding of CCBS was truly the response of a calling – something I could not NOT do. Each job I’ve had has contributed critical knowledge and experience to help build and grow our ‘small school with a big heart’. I love every moment I spend living the mission of Cherokee Creek!”
Let me share a middle school story…
“When I was in middle school, I lived in Winnetka, Illinois. I had a mad crush on the minister’s son who, alas, didn’t know I was alive – sigh. I got to be in the town play as The Cowardly Lion in the ‘Wizard of Oz’. I was the tallest person in my class except for Bill Sampson, bless him. I was proud to be a Girl Scout, the Beach Boys were my favorite music group and my Dad got transferred for the 7th time… this time we moved to Greenwich, Connecticut.”
Ron Black, Founder
In addition to being a founder, Ron serves as Vice President and General Counsel for Cherokee Creek Boys School. He is a native of Waco, North Carolina where his family still resides.
Ron received his Jurist Doctorate from Wake Forest University and his undergraduate degree from University of North Carolina in Political Science.
He has been practicing law as a sole practitioner in Orlando, Florida for the past 40+ years. He is currently engaged in real estate law and is also privately involved in real estate development. He is an avid golfer and if Beth ever lets him retire, he will be found on the links nearly every day!
Let me share a middle school story…
“I grew up on the family farm where the biggest action in town was watching the train go by and going to Slick Earl’s Gas Station for a ‘Co-Cola’! In middle school, I was caught by the teacher throwing dice behind the locker room with a group of friends. We all ended up getting paddled for lying to him about what we were doing… and what I feared most was having to tell my father! Farm life meant getting up at 5:30 a.m. to feed the calves… and hurrying home after school to do more chores. When there was free time, I loved to go down to the cabin my brother and I built at the creek to fish and hang out with friends.”
