introduction
we save lives by changing behavior
The Other Side Academy is a training school in which students learn pro-social, vocational and life skills allowing them to emerge with a healthy life on “the other side.” This program is available as an alternative to those facing long-term incarceration as well those seeking a change from the life they’ve chosen in the past. Many of those who seek entrance into the Academy are convicts, substance abusers, or homeless. This school accepts men and women, both pre-and post-sentencing, who are ready to learn a new and better way to live their lives.
Personal behavioral change does not happen in a week. Or a month. Or a year. Those seeking admission into the Academy commit to attend for thirty months. Lasting change requires intensive-on-site education and practice. TOSA teaches students both fundamental personal management and relationship skills such as keeping one’s promise, accountability, love, charity, and dependability. At The Other Side Academy, students will awaken to their own value as they support their peers in finding theirs. They work hard, have a good attitude, and watch out for the next person after themselves. The most lost among us are taught to have a life free of addiction, crime and destruction.
In addition to learning self-governance, students work. They contribute to the Academy’s bottom line. The Academy is self-sustaining because of the income generated by its various vocational training schools, These schools include The Other Side Movers and The Other Side Thrift Boutique. Students work in these businesses, and in the process, learn marketing, business and trade skills. Whether a student cooks, cleans the Academy, or runs the register at the Thrift Boutique, everyone contributes as a part of the team.
The Other Side Academy is a place for change. If you or your loved one are looking for help to overcome a destructive lifestyle and are willing to work to get it, The Other Side Academy invites you to come sit on the bench.
The Other Side Academy is not for those seeking a quick fix to a lifetime of poor habits. A student commits to thirty months in-residence, and in many cases, this is instead of serving a prison sentence. The student may not leave campus without staff approval. The Academy does not accept sex offenders, arsonists, “dual diagnosis” applicants, or others who need special counseling we aren’t equipped to offer.
The Other Side Academy is a “classic therapeutic community.” It is based on one of the most researched and effective models for helping those with long histories of addiction and criminal behavior of the past 70 years. In a therapeutic community, the powerful influence of experienced peers is employed in place of therapists or doctors who don’t share the same life experience as our students. A summary of the research demonstrating the efficacy of this approach is available
here.
Those who are unwilling to live by house rules, keep pace with the rigorous schedule, or be honest about their behavior need not apply. All applicants must be in good health and between 18-64 years of age. We accept male and female participants without regard to race, color, national origin, sexual orientation or physical disability.