Dear Linda,

Young adults and teenagers who were born and raised in destructive groups (whatever the group may be) are in a different category than adults. For these young adults that moral environment is often more confusing, more inconsistently applied, and more rigidly rejected when that environment is finally left behind. Thus, when the young adult/teenager is out of the group they often are very oppositional, angry, and believe they have no issues to deal with; at least none they willingly want to deal with. They also believe themselves to be invincible.

The reason I mention all this is simply to make clear the difference between working with adults and working with teenagers/young adults (which we have done). Adults apply to the MeadowHaven program, are screened for appropriateness, and work very hard for sometimes up to a year on their healing. Young adults and teenagers, while also traumatized, generally do not have the maturity level to interact with the MeadowHaven program as it currently constructed. Thus, we do not take teenagers and young adults who are under the legal age.

This is not to minimize the tremendous need that exists for the literally tens and tens of thousands (perhaps millions) of second generation survivors from all the destructive groups that exist worldwide. There is need to create and set up a separate program for just teenagers/young adults who have been traumatized by their early life. That is what we hope and pray for.