Information
If you are interested in Tipton Academy, please call our admissions line at 877-968-8443
A Positive Place for Change 877-968-8443
Welcome to Tipton Academy
When you were first blessed with your son, you had hopes and dreams for his future. Those hopes and dreams may now seem only a distant memory. At the Tipton Academy we encourage you as a parent to rekindle those dreams. To believe again in the promising future you once held for your son. At the Tipton Academy, we incorporate some of the most successful disciplines to help change the current life course your son has embarked upon.
DISCIPLINE:
Youth need programs designed not to punish, but to heal and equip them to be valued by, and to value, themselves, their families, and others. The Helping Disciplines incorporated in the Tipton Academy include but are not limited to "Animal Assistance", "Structure", "Positive Peer Culture", "Cognitive Self Change", and an "Individualized Educational Program". These disciplines are widely recognized as some of the most successful difference makers for troubled teens and adults.
STRUCTURE:
Youth at the Tipton Academy will learn structure and discipline. This will be seen in the uniforms worn, sleeping arrangements (barrack style), use of respectful terms to adults and peers such as Sir, Ma'am, Mr., Mrs., please, thank you, etc., in structured mass movements and at flag ceremonies. Staff at the Tipton Academy will have high expectations of conformity in these structured settings. As a parent, you may rest assured that this will not be accomplished through punitive or verbal intimidation. Staff will address youth in a firm and, as needed, assertive manner always remembering to maintain the dignity of the youth in their care.
PPC:
The Positive Peer Culture discipline has a long and successful history. The Tipton Academy incorporates some of the basic components from this discipline. PPC is neither a loosely organized program nor one that is totally run by the adolescents. There is a keen understanding of the need to have adults oversee the process without derailing it by taking over. When a youth arrives at the Tipton Academy, he will be assigned to a group and its staff mentor. He will remain in this group throughout his stay. Each group will have responsibilities associated with it. Groups will be assigned varying details, community service projects, group aspects of the animal assistance program, sports/academic etc. teams, and group PPC sessions. In the group he will learn teamwork, sound decision making in the absence of specific guidelines, and how, through cooperation, significant accomplishments can be made. Staff are taught to understand the need for youth to learn how to work through their issues to help them prepare for similar situations they will have when returning to their families.
ANIMAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM:
When constructing a building, it is an accepted fact that without a firm foundation, the structure will collapse. The foundation for your son's change hinges on his learning environment. The Animal Assistance Program provides a learning environment where your son will receive unconditional acceptance and love. Animals ignite warmth in even the most withdrawn boy, putting him at ease and increasing his willingness to reach out and take risks without fear. Your son will learn about proper care, handling, feeding and health care of animals. He will also learn to have compassion, gentleness and respect for animals, other people and himself. Additionally he will learn to control his aggression, curb his tempers and acquire gentility. For some of the youth, it may be the first time they have experienced a healthy relationship with another living being.
Tipton Academy is affiliated with Canine Assistance Rehabilitation Education and Services (CARES, Inc) located in Concordia, Kansas. The Tipton Academy in partnership with CARES assigns puppies to voluntary youth handlers. The puppies are taught basic obedience and socialization skills. Upon release from the Tipton Academy, the puppies return to CARES to learn specialized skills. Once these skills are mastered, the puppies are placed with physically challenged individuals to assist with their personal needs. The puppies as well as the handlers receive training prior to placement. The dogs used in the program are licensed as service dogs. As such, these dogs are in compliance with KAR rules which allow them to be with their handlers at all times. This allows for the animal to positively impact the overall learning environment of the facility. It is virtually impossible to walk a puppy around without its calming presence easing tensions and allowing for learning to take place.
COGNITIVE SELF-CHANGE:
This discipline is remarkably distinct in that it teaches how to dramatically alter one's belief that he is the victim of his own feelings and circumstances. In this discipline, excuses are not accepted. Change takes place when a person makes a conscious decision to think differently about himself and the world in which he exists. The program is an integrated, cognitive behavior change program for youth which includes cognitive restructuring, social skills development, and development of problem-solving skills. It is presented in the format of a small group setting (PPC groups).
