Woodbury Reports Hosts Northwest Get Together

The beautiful Naples inn was the setting for a gathering of powerful educational leaders who met for the fourth annual Inland Northwest Get Together on Friday, May 15. Traveling from all parts of the country to attend the prestigious conference, professionals from many diverse backgrounds represented a wide array of programs dedicated to working with youth, teens and young adults who struggle to fit into "mainstream society."

Education Professionals From Around The Country Attended The Inland Northwest Get Together At The Naples Inn.

Sponsored by Woodbury Reports, the conference included an informal atmosphere with plenty of time for networking between colleagues who may only see each other a few times a year.

Lon Woodbury, President of Woodbury Reports, Inc. welcomed the participants, saying that there were many programs represented who were "staying under the radar and doing good work."

One of the featured presenters was John Santa, PhD, Clinical Director and Founder of Montana Academy who discussed "The Montana Academy Model" as well as John McKinnon's book, "An Unchanged Mind."

Brandi Elliott, Marketing Director at Northwest Academy and co-owner of Powell and Elliott Collaborative, LLC, spoke about the importance of including "Parents as Partners" and gave practical advice for residential treatment programs about bringing parents into the loop.

Randy Russell, owner of SouLore and InnerPathWorks, and Ramon Palacio, owner of HeartCry Recovery, spoke on the value of Native Culture in the 21st century which included a drumming demonstration.

Montana legislator Paul Clark, Founder of Galena Ridge, and also a member of the Montana Board of Private Alternative Adolescent Residential or Outdoor Programs, conducted a fly fishing demonstration, which can be used as a tool for working with adolescents.

Many of the 62 participants were enthusiastic about the conference and the reception they had received as visiting professionals in Boundary County.

Steve Nielsen, a resident of Mapleton, UT, stayed at the Bear Creek Lodge. "It's a great area," he said. "I'd like to bring my wife and spend more time here."

Hailing from Prineville, OR, Linda J. Houghton said, "Coming here is like coming home for me. I was involved in Rocky Mountain Academy. This is a very healing experience. The first time I ever came here was in the fall with the tamaracks and the Kootenai River. This is a healing place. Having been in San Francisco two weeks ago, this is like a breath of fresh air. This community is very down home but also a very evolved community."

StrugglingTeens.com is planning to host the fifth annual Inland Northwest Get-Together in May, 2010.