Transition Home
A Thoughtful Return to Family Life
When Your Son Is Ready to Come Home
At Cherokee Creek Boys School (CCBS), we know that graduation isn’t the end of the journey … it’s the beginning of a new chapter.
Helping our students transition successfully back home is an important part of our mission. It’s not just about what happens at school; it’s about what happens after.
We’ve learned from experience … and research … that the transition home can be just as important as the therapeutic work done on campus. That’s why our transition services are built into our program from the very beginning and extend beyond graduation day.
What Is Transition Home Support?
Transition support helps students and their families prepare for adjusting, reconnecting and continue growing after a residential school experience. It’s more than just logistics … it’s emotional, relational and deeply personal.
For most CCBS families, the next step after graduation is a return home. That’s why we begin preparing for that return early and thoughtfully, with a plan that includes the entire family.
Why Transition Home Support Matters
Change can be hard. Despite rich growth at school and in parenting practices, it can be easy to slip back into old patterns and behaviors if families aren’t prepared to support change. Having healthy conversations and plans from the beginning about life ‘post-CCBS’ is imperative.
“Leaving a therapeutic setting isn’t the end of the journey … it’s the beginning of a new chapter, and how that chapter begins can shape the entire story that follows.”
- A 2005 study by Heather Hair found that family involvement before discharge was one of the most critical predictors of post-treatment success.
- Tim Thayne, author of Not By Chance and founder of Homeward Bound, outlines three key factors for successful transitions:
- Ongoing family involvement
- A stable home environment
- Quality aftercare support
Cherokee Creek Approach to Transition Home Support
We Enroll the Whole Family
From the moment your son joins CCBS, your family becomes part of the journey. We offer family programming that includes therapy sessions, virtual parent training, and on-campus seminars … because change happens faster and lasts longer when the whole family grows together. And when we say ‘whole family’ we mean it! It’s common to see siblings, aunts, uncles and grandparents at our events.
Our Transition Coach presents at quarterly seminars on topics that support healthy transition planning, and provides monthly parent education webinars.
Transition Home Starts Early
Support doesn’t begin at graduation … it begins early in the program.
Families take part in ongoing virtual parent education webinars (hosted by our transition coach), family therapy calls, and can attend in-person Family Seminars covering topics such as: communication, emotional regulation, parenting principles, technology planning and how to “bring CCBS home.”
Family visits to campus are also a very important part of working towards the transition home. Our program also includes recreational treks allowing families to have new experiences with their son. Besides having an adventure together in nature, the Family Treks help the family work on skills such as communication and navigating challenges together. Our goal is to involve the family while their son is at CCBS to help prepare them transfer skills learned at CCBS to their home afterwards.
Post-Graduation Support Is Included
Your son’s support team doesn’t just disappear after graduation. Cherokee Creek’s tuition also includes two months of support after graduation for the whole family including:
- Weekly check-ins with a transition coach
- Ongoing guidance for both the student and parents
- A home visit from a transition coach to assess needs, help implement the home plan, and strengthen local support systems
The Passages Program Prepares Students to Leave
At CCBS, students participate in our Passages Program which guides them through practical and emotional preparations for graduation.
We talk about what change feels like, how to carry their tools forward, and how to say healthy goodbyes.
Student and Family Success is Paramount at CCBS
Emotional Readiness Matters
Leaving CCBS brings up a lot of feelings … for both students and staff.
A Redefined Future, Not a Return to the Past
“The transition home is not a return to the past, but a step into a redefined future. Families must evolve with their child, not expect the child to fit back into the old mold.”
– Jennifer Kolari, Therapist and Author
At Cherokee Creek Boys School,
we help students and families build that ‘redefined future’ … together.
Closing Message from Beth Black
If you’re considering Cherokee Creek Boys School for your son, know this … our work doesn’t stop when your son graduates. There is a support plan in place to support a healthy transition after graduation.
“For a student who has lived, grown and done great work on themselves at Cherokee Creek, the transition home can feel both exciting and overwhelming! There is great pride with the growth and healing that have happened, but often there is nervousness about potential failures or regression.
Many years ago when my son returned home from living at a therapeutic residential school, we didn’t have help with the process and we struggled with the adjustments. We were not prepared to welcome him home and that impacted the good work that he had done on himself at his school.
We learned the hard way that having a plan and support is critical for a successful transition back home … for the entire family! That is why we built a transition program into the curriculum of Cherokee Creek.”
– Beth Black, Owner / Founder of CCBS … and years ago, a mom of a struggling teen boy
To learn more about our family programming and transition support, visit our Family Center.
Ready to Help Your Son Find His Path to Confidence, Success and Joy?
Call to Request More Information!
LET’S TALK!
