September 6th was exactly a year since my parents sent me to Elk River. I have met a lot of goals since I have been back and kept in touch with a lot of friends I made there. Believe it or not, I miss "Camp Paradise" every day and would love to come back. Is that weird? My first week was hard, but I learned to love it. Since I have left Elk River, I have graduated from high school thanks to Master S. If it weren't for him, I probably would not have went back to school. I have held a job and right now I'm working at girls clothing store. I went back to school and got my CNA license. I realize that I really enjoy that field, so I'm going to further my education and become an RN. I moved out of my mom's house three moths ago. I now live in a house with three other girls. I love it! I'm very proud of myself for paying my own bills. I have stayed sober since I went to Elk River, which is a little over a year for me. My mom and I's relationship has grown a ton and she is pretty much my best friend. I am doing great and I love and miss all of y'all. Every time I think about Elk River I get sad. I miss it so much. I thank my mom everyday for giving me such a wonderful experience. Your program really helped me and I am scared to think of where I would be today if my mom didn't care enough to send me there. I think I should get back in the swing of things...waking up for pt every morning did my body some good. And those 4 minute showers I'm sure I saved some water (my water bill last month was way too much!!). I also miss the cooking, man that stuff was amazing! Taco Bell and McDonald's sure does get old! I love y'all and thank you for everything you've done for me.

Hartley - Former Student

Today I officially graduated high school!!! My grade point average is a 3.87 - which I am very proud of! I want you all to know that I couldn't have made it this far without all of you who helped me. There is not a day that goes by that I do not think of all of you. There were so many great, yet not so great memories that will touch my heart everyday.

I have moved into my apartment that I love! I have three other roommates who I get along with very well! I was accepted for a job with City Year and I am very excited about that! So many wonderful things have happened since I left wonderful Elk River. I miss all of you so much! You will always have a special place in my heart. I will make sure to keep you updated and send a picture of my new smile without braces!

Alina - Former Student

It has been one year now since my daughter was in your program and I just had to say thanks from the bottom of my heart! She is doing great! One year ago, one of my greatest fears as a parent came true. My beautiful daughter had a drug problem. The hardest thing her dad and I had to do was to admit that there was a problem and then entrust our child to your program. I now thank God every day that we did just that. She just celebrated her one year clean anniversary! She is now finishing up her freshman year in college and is doing well. Your staff meant so much to her, I can't believe she brought her boyfriend by just to seek your approval. That says a lot for your program. Of course it has taken some work from her family too! There have been a lot of changes, but they were necessary and it makes raising her sister a lot easier. Take care and please tell everyone we said hi!

Whitney - Parent

I can't believe it's been a year since Cait was at ERTP (Elk River Residential Treatment Program). After reviewing our lives, our relationships are so different now - I almost can't remember who we were last March. All I remember was feeling out of control and scared for myself and for Cait. I will never be able to thank each and every one of you enough for caring for her when she needed it the most. You helped get to the heart of her problems and gave her ways to handle them when she came home. We have talked more this past year than ever, laughed more too. I can now truthfully say I know my daughter, I consider her a friend, but most of all, I'm proud of her. She was brave enough to take everything she learned at ERTP home with her and stick to her commitments, even when it meant ending a few friendships and changing her behavior in certain situations. She now has an outward happiness to her personality that others have noticed and are gravitating towards. I have no worries about her going off to college next fall and living her life responsibly. One of the reasons I choose ERTP was because Cait could do her school work and stay on track for high school graduation. I'm happy to report that her grades at ERTP and her grades this past year earned her a college scholarship worth $42,000 for her 4 years!! Before ERTP I'm not sure Cait thought she would even graduate from high school. Thank you again for everything you did for my daughter. She considers all of you her second family and you will always have a place in our hearts.

Debbie J. - Parent

Before I went to Elk River, my life revolved around drugs. All my time and effort went towards my habit. I never had time for what was really important, my family. I was so caught up in what I wanted to do that I couldn't see what mattered to me. I couldn't stop on my own, so in order for me to kick my habit, I needed help. Elk River taught me important skills in order to improve my life. I learned morals, work ethic and much more. Now I have been clean for around 5 months and it's all because of Elk River and my cooperation with the program. In review, most places aren't worth anything, but the people at Elk River really seemed to care.

Jay J.- Former Student

I am where I want to be in life now. In the past, I was unhappy and living a life that was not positive. The decisions I made influenced those around me. I tried to make myself happy by skipping school, sneaking out, and partying too much. But deep down I just felt like a messed up kid. When I went to Elk River, my eyes finally opened. I actually saw what I was doing; it was enough to cry over. That program can help anyone, but you have to want to change. But wanting it was not enough, I had to find out who I was. The program at Elk River challenged me in so many ways, it could be so hard sometimes, but I came out a better person. I am happy now; I am doing things that are good for me. I have the people at the program to thank.

Tarah C. - Former Student

John has truly been tested since leaving Elk River. Upon arriving home he "laid low" for the first few days. I went on to Colorado, leaving John home with Perry. On Tuesday after John returned, one of Perry's employees was arrested for theft due to drug use at the office in front of John and the entire staff. On Thursday, John left for Colorado by himself on a flight which should have taken approx. 6 hours. His flight from Houston to Denver was canceled and John was left alone in the Houston airport to fend for himself. The next flight was not available until 3:30 the next day. He handled himself so well that the airport staff mistook John for someone in the military and gave him a hotel voucher for himself-never questioning his age.

John's cell phone was out of power and the calling card we provided was out of minutes (apparently you are charged multiple minutes when calling from a pay-phone) Perry and I were FRANTIC!!! The following day John purchased a phone charger and called as soon as he could (not soon enough for my satisfaction!!) He was cool as a cucumber! I sincerely believe the confidence John exhibited was directly due to his time at Elk River. It is still difficult for me to see John as the confident, controlled young man that he is trying to be. Perry and I still keep our eyes WIDE open for any signs of trouble, BUT so far so good. He knows that he will return to Elk River if he slips up, and he really wants to do well for himself.

Thank-you for ALL you have given John. Although his new life is just beginning, we are truly blessed that you were there for him. Thank you soooo much!

Melissa P. - Parent

Our son went through the ERTP program during the spring of 2007. It was life changing for him and has had such a positive impact on our family. Prior to participating in the program, he was defiant, wanted to drop out of high school and seemed determined to really mess up his 16 year old life. During the program, he began to have a much better self-image, to take responsibility for his actions and learned appropriate ways to deal with his problems. His communication skills improved so much. Now he is able to calmly discuss issues with us, to listen to what we have to say and work through disagreements. He even at times comes up with great solutions to the problems. He is making better, more thought out, positive decisions. While we still see some complaining and bad attitudes, it is more along the lines of how an average teenager would behave. He has a much better understanding of himself and how to better handle the frustration in his life. He is committed to finishing high school now and wants to go to college. His grades this quarter are A's and B's. He enjoys his classes and teachers. He pays attention in class now and talks to us about what he is learning at school. He worked a part time job for the first time over the summer and did really well. He enjoyed the work and his hiring manager said our son was a very good employee and could work there again if he wanted to.

Our son needed more help than my husband and I could give him. Regular family counseling wasn't working anymore. While it was difficult to "send him away," it was necessary and all three of us are thankful for the ERTP program.

Susan L. - Parent

The best Christmas present I've ever had was to hear from Zack yesterday. The changes in him are apparent even in his tone of voice. It's been a long time since I've had such a pleasant conversation with him. My heart was swelling and I had big croc tears falling out of my eyes. I know it's early in the program but I can tell that Zack's life has been touched by the staff at ERTP. Thank you with all my heart for the best Christmas present ever.

Shane H. - Parent