NOTICE: WE ARE NOT ACCEPTING NEW STUDENTS AT THIS TIME

Oppositional Defiance Disorder

Finding a Safe Harbor for Your Son with Oppositional Defiance Disorder

We can help your son with Oppositional Defiance Disorder, or ODD, a psychiatric disorder that can present itself in childhood, in which he exhibits argumentative behaviors, constantly disobeying you and, to put it simply, is basically in a nasty mood (especially when around anyone in authority).

While many teens display certain of these characteristics at various times, your teen might have ODD if he is clearly angry or irritable, deliberately disruptive or hostile, excessively insubordinate, spiteful, placing blame on others for his mistakes.

Safe Harbor…Throwing a Lifeline for Your Son with Oppositional Defiance Disorder

Left untreated, ODD is very wearisome, both for you and him. The key is to correctly categorize this Disorder, to ensure that his behaviors do not increase, leading to troubles with powers that be, or violent or behaviors harmful to himself.

In addition to possibly having other, treatable conditions (i.e.: ADHD or depression), ODD is seen as a precursor to other, more severe issues such as substance abuse, criminal behavior and conduct disorder.

Effective behavioral therapy might focus on how to prevent problematic thoughts or behaviors from inadvertently being reinforced. Instead, use of positive reinforcement and praise for suitable behaviors are basics for successful treatment.

Safe Harbor… Helping Troubled Boys Become Men of Character and Integrity

This distinctive, aquatic, Christ-centered residential boarding school is a lifeline for misbehaving boys. Our program is similar to a therapeutic boarding school, but uses maritime training as the therapeutic model for helping turn around at-risk teenagers. Safe Harbor provides a safe, stable alternative to a harsher juvenile program for boys in minor trouble with the law or exhibiting bad behavior. Safe Harbor enables them to learn responsibility and experience behavior modification thru seamanship, mentoring, counseling and spiritual focus, while also attending our in-house school.

Most boys entering the program have had outpatient counseling but without positive results; at Safe Harbor, counseling is offered individually and in groups (led by licensed mental health professionals), and pastoral counseling.

As a water-based program, each boy lives aboard his very own boat and is fully responsible for all the upkeep, with many vocational education opportunities (including carpentry, welding, boat maintenance and repair) that lead to seamanship skills, as well as lifestyle competence (such as skills for job seeking, banking, basic nutrition, grocery shopping and housekeeping). Our structure shows the boys that their negative behavior is leading them into less and less freedom, and teaches a work ethic and positive character traits, such as dependability, good character, self-confidence and maturity.

We believe that education is a life long process and occurs in every facet of life; our curriculum is combined with a unique and creative learning approach that supports students who previously have not experienced success in the academic setting.

Essential principles are taught: problem solving, teamwork, knowledge (of the ocean, and, when they become less self-centered, applicable to the world at large), self-reliance (on their skills, equipment, and the fact the no one will be there to bail you out, either at sea, or in your life decisions), and perseverance, to overcome the challenges that they – as we all – will face in life.