Foothills at Red Oak Recovery is an adolescent treatment center, but it is so much more. It is also a 94-acre working farm. One of the best parts of our program is animal caretaking. It’s a win-win situation for the teens that come to us for treatment and the animals that have so much love to give. Animal caretaking near Asheville is part of the fun at Foothills at Red Oak Recovery. To learn more about the treatment options available, please contact our treatment team today at 866.300.5275.
What Is Animal Caretaking?
It is exactly what it sounds like: caring for the well-being of the many animals in our trust. Animal caretaking allows our clients to build relationships that help their recovery. Animals are natural healers. Their unconditional love provides support and friendship.
Animal caretaking means feeding, providing water, and nurturing animals who give back in spades. Our farm is home to animals that connect to our teen clients in a way that no human could ever do. They offer stable and comforting interactions to teens that need it.
What Is Animal Caretaking Like at Foothills at Red Oak Recovery?
While you’ll find many species of animals at our farm in North Carolina, we are known for two specialties: horses and our unique calf weaning program. Through the calf weaning program, our teens get to support a calf as it gets used to being separated from its mother.
Our clients nurture a calf from the minute it comes to the farm to the day it is ready to be on its own.
Animal caretaking in North Carolina at Foothills at Red Oak Recovery involves:
- Bottle-feeding
- Socialization
- Stall cleaning
- Working with them in the pasture
The care period lasts from 60 to 90 days, coincidentally about the average time someone stays in our treatment program.
What About Equine Therapy?
Foothills at Red Oak Recovery also offers equine therapy in North Carolina. Our equine therapy program allows teens to work with horses. They may feed them or lead them around the rings. Most importantly, though, they spend time with these majestic and caring animals.
Watching teens work with the animals allows our therapist to gain insight into each client. As they observe the interactions between the horse and the teen, they can better understand behavioral patterns. Our clients can open up to horses in ways that they can’t always do with humans.
What Are the Benefits of Animal Caretaking near Asheville?
The animal caretaking services in North Carolina offered at Foothills at Red Oak Recovery come with many benefits for our clients. They can build their self-esteem and self-confidence. Caring for the animals also helps to relieve stress and anxiety.
The hands-on work that comes with animal caretaking teaches them discipline. They must commit themselves to care about something other than themselves.
What Is Foothills at Red Oak Recovery?
Foothills at Red Oak Recovery is an adolescent treatment facility. Our residential program works with adolescent boys age 14 to 17.
We offer programs such as:
- Academics
- Substance use disorder treatment
- Trauma therapy
- Family therapy
- Psychological testing
We take a holistic approach to treating teens, meaning that we treat the whole person, not just their illness or symptoms. Our animal caretaking program is a big part of that effort.
When not in therapy or class, our clients enjoy many things on this big farm, including the animals. While here, they also take part in sports and adventure activities. We do gardening and yoga as well.
Animals have an unconditional healing quality that we humans lack sometimes. If you are considering therapy options for your teen son, Foothills at Red Oak Recovery is here to help. Call us at 866.300.5275 or go online and fill out our contact form.
