How TreeHouse Works
What makes life transformation happen? Life transformation requires intentionality. At TreeHouse, we help teens navigate difficulties in life through mentoring, spiritual formation from a Christian perspective and practical life skills; and we help prepare teens for their future.
The TreeHouse Program Model
The evolving TreeHouse program model is supported by the principles of three landmark ideologies in the world of adolescent development: Bonnie Bernard’s resiliency model, which demonstrates that teens thrive if provided support, high expectations and meaningful opportunities to contribute; a best-practices approach, modeled on Gisela Konopka’s research and study of troubled adolescents, to create a caring community in which youth can reduce at-risk behaviors and succeed in life; and the TreeHouse curriculum, which centers on 19 of the Minneapolis-based Search Institute’s® 40 Developmental Assets®, defined as building blocks of healthy development that help young people grow up healthy, caring and responsible.
TreeHouse staff focuses its work on life skills, such as conflict resolution, drug and alcohol abstinence, sexual restraint, sense of purpose, healthy self-image and responsible living. We instill these skills into the lives of teens through mentorship, program experiences and teachings from Christian values and perspectives. Our programs are balanced, meeting the social, emotional, physical, intellectual and spiritual needs of at-risk teens.
Intentional Mentoring
Youth who attend TreeHouse are assigned to a staff's careload. This means that they are mentored regularly while they participate in the TreeHouse program. Our mentoring is long term and focuses on relationship building and fun. The staff provide a listening ear, offer support and encouragement, and guide teens toward healthy choices that lead to a productive and positive future.
Spiritual Formation
For over 25 years of service, the teens that have had the greatest degree of life transformation have a Christian focused, faith-based experience, and are growing in their knowledge of God and practice of the Christian faith. TreeHouse introduces teens to a relationship with God from a Christian
perspective; though all teens regardless of their faith background are
welcome and treated equally.
Multidimensional Approach
TreeHouse focuses on all elements of a young person’s development. We provide opportunities for teens to grow emotionally, physically, socially, intellectually, and spiritually. The TreeHouse program is designed to help teens succeed in each of these areas.
Passport to Your Future
The Passport Program is a new initiative to help teens navigate life beyond high school and TreeHouse graduation. Our goal is to expose teens to educational and vocational opportunities, identify their interests and aptitudes, provide them with mentorship for college and financial aid applications, and uncover financial resources to help with the cost of college. Read more here.
Best Practices in Youth Work
We have high expectations of the teens we serve in regards to their choices and their behaviors. TreeHouse is not a place to
stay stuck. Youth are challenged to grow.
We provide significant support to struggling teens through mentoring and support groups. We help teens develop resources they will need in their lives beyond TreeHouse.
We provide opportunities to contribute and give back through local service projects, service oriented leadership teams, national and international service/mission trips, and high adventure trips. Teens lead, pull their weight, cooperate, and are responsible to the team.