Experts in Problem Prevention and Change Maintenance
The Founders
Chris Madsen, LSAC, and Executive Director - has assisted families in overcoming challenges for over 13 years. Chris began his counseling career at Turn-about Ranch; a working ranch located in remote Escalante, Utah, serving troubled teens from around the nation. After a year of frontier adventure, Chris returned to Salt Lake City to take a management position with Odyssey House, a 32 bed adolescent residential substance abuse treatment facility. Working closely with local and state governmental systems, juvenile justice systems, and community treatment providers has given Chris a unique understanding of how treatment is delivered to families. Chris has worked with thousands of families across the Wasatch Front helping them find appropriate care for their teens and young adults. Serving on a board for New Frontiers for Families allowed Chris to see the effectiveness of in-home services with families living in rural Utah who had limited access to traditional services. Recognizing the advantages of strengthening family systems within the home environment helped motivated Chris to co-found Teneo, providing in-home support to families in our local communities. Chris’ passion for this work is rooted in the incredible changes he has witnessed in individuals and families as they discover and utilize their unique strengths. Chris resides in Utah County with his wife and two daughters, ages 12 and 10.
Kimball DeLaMare LCSW, Co-Founder, is a licensed clinical social worker with over twenty five years of successful practice working with troubled adolescents, young adults, and their families. Kimball has helped develop and oversee several treatment programs including group homes, residential treatment centers and community based services. His recent work as a cofounder of a nationally recognized treatment center coupled with his role as the founding Board President of the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP) has allowed him to become well versed in a variety of treatment approaches, administrative strategies and regulatory processes. Mr. DeLaMare’s creative programming has been incorporated in several adolescent programs throughout the western states. Kimball is a member of the Joint Commission Youth Advisory Council which helps direct national standards of care and accreditation for outpatient, residential, acute care and outdoor programs serving youth. Kimball is the proud father of two girls and a boy. He recently welcomed his first grandchild (cute, chubby-cheeked girl!).
The Professionals
The Specialists
Family Specialist
Family Specialists are professionals who have prior experience, coupled with certification in Teneo practice methodology. The family specialist will provide ongoing support at your home and community throughout the week as well as being available by phone. They will work closely with you in addressing the challenges that your family is facing by implementing proven strategies that will help you reach your desired goals. This is accomplished in the following ways.
o Discovering your “Teneo”
§ Discovering the power inherit within your family is the starting point for change. Your family unique strengths provide the foundation for its individual members to reach their full potential. This is shaped by our family culture, history, experiences and unique contribution of each family member. It is this same power that keeps families persevering through even the most difficult times. The family specialist will be able to identify and help utilize your family strengths to address the challenges you are facing. This will be done through formal and informal assessment as well as simply interacting and getting familiar with the family dynamics. We refer to this process as a “strength and cultural discovery”.
o Building a family support team
§ Research indicates that the more support a client has in their process of change, the more successful they will be. As such, we want to make it difficult for your son or daughter to fail by surrounding them with as much support and supervision as possible. A support team will provide the entire family with additional tools and resources. The family specialist will help coordinate this process and will often act as a liason between the family and the identified support. Common resources can include:
· Additional Family Mentors
· Friends and/or Friends Parents
· School/Educators
· Neighbors
· Judicial System
· Families with similar circumstances
· Recreational Organizations
· Community Support Providers
· Church
· Counselors/Therapists
o Parenting Tools
§ The family specialist will provide you with a menu of proven parenting techniques that will aid you in shaping the behaviors of your children. The advantage of being able to apply these skills in your own home with an experienced specialist by your side providing support and helpful feedback is a unique aspect of the Teneo program that parents have reported as being highly effective and empowering.
o Whatever it takes
§ Every family’s circumstances are different. With every family come new and different challenges as well as strengths and surprising opportunities. Solutions are often the result of recognizing and creatively incorporating opportunities as they present themselves.
· Clinical Specialist
Clinical Specialists are masters or doctoral prepared practitioners who oversee the family therapy and multi-family therapy processes provided by Teneo. In consultation with the Teneo Team, the clinical specialist can help identify issues within the family structure that, when effectively addressed, can facilitate the progress towards family goals. The clinical specialist is in charge of providing family therapy once per week. This can sometimes be with the individual family or, most often, in a multi-family group setting. In these setting, various family dynamics are spotlighted and tools provided that can enhance the family system.
· Recreation Specialist
Recreation specialists are trained to help build family relationships that often suffer when families are going through times of stress and crisis through a variety of experiential and team building activities through engaging activities such as ROPES courses, outdoor adventures, and interactive games. Family dynamics are improved in an atmosphere of fun as the family members actively support each other, rediscover mutually enjoyable leisure interests and learn how to blend family strengths to complete family and individual goals.
Our team of family, clinical and recreation specialists provides coordinated services, over a 14 week period, which can effectively address the needs of your family. Teneo provides in-home services that are affordable and tailored to the unique needs of your family. Teneo is committed to helping you discover the strengths within your family while equipping you with skills and a support network (Family Success Team) that will continue to help long into the future . The Teneo team provides ongoing support at your
home throughout each week. Our services allow us to be flexible with your family schedule. We go where we are needed, providing on-site support in any community setting. This is your program, custom built with you in the driver’s seat.