AUTAUGA CAMPUS
The Autauga C.L.I.M.B. (Character, Leadership, Integrity, Motivation, and Best Attitude) program is located on 63 acres in rural Autauga County near Prattville, Alabama. The facility was constructed in 1986 by Bradford Health Services to serve as an alcohol and drug treatment center for adults. In 1994 the property was acquired by the Department of Youth Services for development of a short term program.
The Autauga C.L.I.M.B. program (formerly HIT) provides a short-term, highly structured environment for low to medium risk males in the juvenile justice system. With the help of specially designed programming and trained staff, youth are motivated to participate in outdoor adventure-based programming to address behavior issues and to learn pro-social skills in an effort to increase their self-esteem, self-discipline, regard for others, and functional ability to adapt and make a contribution to today’s society. Program components include Physical Training, Aggression Replacement Training (ART), Educational Services, and Substance Use education and Substance Use Treatment.
PHYSICAL TRAINING
Youth participating in the program engage daily in a structured physical training regimen. Physical training includes, indoor and outdoor calisthenic exercises, physical recreation, and physical education training.
Aggression Replacement Training (ART)
Aggression Replacement Training (ART) is an Evidence-Based Program (EBP) and one of the key aspects of the Autauga program. In anger control training, youth are instructed on how to control their anger and aggression towards others. Through numerous group training sessions, youth become aware of their feelings, how to tell when they are becoming angry, and what they can do to calm themselves down before they do something they would regret later. They are given written exercises to complete when they become angry to allow them to analyze the event, how they handled it, and what they could do differently to improve the situation. Other components of ART are Moral Reasoning and Structured Learning.
Structured Learning Training (SLT)
Through discussions and role-playing, youth are taught to treat others as they would like to be treated. Through this training, youth learn how to respect others feelings. Being respectful is a basic social skill; and youth learn that the little things such as saying “please” and “thank-you” really mean a lot when expressed to others.
Moral Reasoning
During these training sessions, youth are given scenarios where individuals are faced with moral dilemmas. The youth chooses one of the possible solutions and explains why he would react in that way. Through these discussions, youth practice the skill of moral reasoning and receive a better understanding of morals and their importance to society.
SUBSTANCE USE EDUCATION AND TREATMENT
Youth entering the Autauga program may present with substance use issues in addition to behavioral concerns. A component of the program provides substance use education. Beyond substance use education, a six-week substance use treatment component is available to youth with more significant substance use issues. Substance use treatment is provided through a contracted service.
Educational Services
LB Wallace Annex IV, which is located on-site, is an annex to the LB Wallace School in Mt. Meigs, Alabama. The program provides educational services to male youth who are committed to the Alabama Department of Youth Services. The academic curriculum content is based on State Department of Education curricula guides with emphasis on the development of basic skills in reading, language, mathematics, and science. Academic instruction is individualized to meet the specific needs of each youth.