Working with Educational Consultants

Dr. Brad Reedy

Brad Reedy, Ph.D. 

Co-Founder, Partner
Second Nature Therapeutic Wilderness Programs

You’re in crisis. You have done all that you can at home. Your child is in danger. She has become unresponsive to your requests to set limits or talk. You know you need help, but the school counselor and your family therapist don’t seem to have any answers. You check the Internet and find there are schools and programs for “at-risk” adolescents. The websites talk about caring therapy, creative milieus and residential treatment. You come across references to an Educational Consultant. The title seems unclear. You wonder if these professionals work with children suffering from learning differences or with aspirations to get into an Ivy League school.

Is this the best we can do? In this information age, many parents of at-risk adolescents aren’t aware of the professionals who can guide them through one of the most difficult, painful and rewarding journeys their family will ever travel. When the public hears about Educational Consultants, few understand the profession and the benefits of hiring a consultant. In my 15 years of working in wilderness therapy, I have come to truly respect Educational Consultants as partners in helping the families we serve. A good Educational Consultant provides guidance, information on appropriate resources, case management and quality assurance.

Identifying a Good-Fit

The first goal of Educational Consultants is to assess their clients’ needs. After out-of-home placement is determined to be the necessary track, they work to match students and parents with programs and staff. Consultants take into account each client’s specific therapeutic needs, the history and track record of programs they consider, timing, finances, therapeutic models, and culture for the family and child. Their knowledge digs far deeper than attractive websites as a good consultant makes it their mission to know the staff, the model, the history and effectiveness of the options. From the initial contact, families have an advocate and ally they can rely on throughout their child’s entire treatment process.

Case Management

Educational Consulting offers families a parallel process with the therapeutic process. They communicate knowledge gathered from home professionals and family to program staff. In order to match the needs of their clients, an experienced consultant places children and families with specific therapists and staff. Quality educational consulting welds the knowledge of the child, the family, and the therapeutic programs in a cohesive manner.

After admission to a program, the consultant offers opinions and direction to the treating therapist from a larger, systemic vantage point. If a family is struggling with staff and/or policies, the consultant can advocate for the family, and support the family in addressing these concerns with the program. Or the consultant may choose or to redirect the family and encourage them to trust in the process, and the proven and effective treatment being offered.

Consultants are intensely involved during the wilderness or assessment phase of treatment. When the family moves to an aftercare program, the consultant continues to monitor progress and maintains communication with the family and the program. They follow the process through until the eventual discharge of the child, when plans are made for reintegration into the family or independent living.

Quality Assurance Advocate

Educational Consultants offer a reference point for families to insure that programs accurately reflect the services and programming offered. A good consultant is aware of a variety of programs and recommends safe, qualified programs with excellent staff. Educational Consultants have their ear to the ground, never merely relying on marketing brochures, websites or outdated program information. They personally visit new and existing programs to monitor and keep abreast of current trends.

More than a “human search engine,” an Educational Consultant is the glue, the lubricant, the wall, the sounding board, the compass, and the gear that makes the process effective. Second Nature values working with dedicated, skilled and caring members of the Independent Educational Consulting profession.