Scheduled student visits to home are part of healthy reintegration into the family. Students are recommended to visit home by their therapist when the student and family are ready to demonstrate the gains each have made. The home environment gives the family a platform to practice the tools learned at HomeBase. Prior to home visits, both students and parents prepare visit plans to ensure that expectations and house rules are discussed and agreed upon – before the student arrives at home. Visit plans are developed by both the student and the family separately and discussed by video conferencing or by phone with the support of our therapist or parent coach.
Discussions about household expectations may have been problematic in the past. Families discover, with the support of our parent coaches and therapists, the process of developing and communicating family values, boundaries and goals establishes a framework for their son/daughter to enjoy a visit to home that builds trust and draws the family closer together. Our families practice working together in real life situations in their home environment with an agreed understanding of the needs of each individual and the family as a whole. After the student returns to HomeBase, parents and Explorations’ counselors discuss the visit to determine the next set of goals en route to the student’s eventual move back home or to another setting.
