What does Summit Achievement’s “Hybrid Model” look like?

The benefits of Summit’s hybrid approach

Summit Achievement was one of the first residential treatment programs to use a hybrid model. Since the program first opened in 1996, Summit Achievement has been a “hybrid” adventure therapy program, as well as one of the premier residential treatment programs for teenagers with depression, anxiety, and other mental health struggles. 

So what does the “hybrid model” mean? Students in our Achievement program are on campus and attend school on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. On Thursday they depart for a four-day expedition. Adventure activities differ during each week’s expedition, designed to meet the emotional and physical needs of the students. This model encourages students to bring the skills and lessons learned in the backcountry into the social community on campus and practice those skills in a setting that more closely resembles home or boarding school. 

Critically, students also practice transitions multiple times per week. They will transition into the adventure therapy expeditions which involves executive functioning skills to properly prep and pack (with the supervision of staff), as well as social/emotional skills such as healthy communication with teammates as they plan their “expos.” When returning to campus, students must transition back to the classroom, which has a different set of expectations. These transitions are important because many students entering Achievement are struggling with day to day transitions in their own lives. Practicing transitions in a supportive, therapeutic environment is incredibly profound and unique among similar programs. 

The hybrid model also helps with students “buying in” to treatment. The success rate and outcome of a program like Summit is directly correlated to the willingness of students to participate. Offering a program like ours which stands in comparison to a full immersion “wilderness therapy” program can be helpful to get students to be more willing to participate. 

There are many benefits to our hybrid model program. To learn more about Summit Achievement, contact Admissions today!