Educational Support for Teens & Young Girls

By recognizing that you or your loved one may be struggling with a serious problem, you’ve already taken an important step toward a better future. We’re here to guide you through the next phase of getting help.

The Importance of Education in Residential Treatment

When it comes to recovery from eating disorders, addiction, and other co-occurring disorders, we believe the combination of individualized and group therapy, a therapeutic residential treatment environment, and supportive education are critical.

Our goal is not only to help adolescent girls and women recover from their emotional difficulties but also to help them cope and thrive in the world around them.

That’s why our educational program provides a dynamic, therapeutic, structured community where students can learn, achieve and be responsible while receiving the nurturing and sustenance they need to enhance their academic lives.

By focusing on a program of education, treatment, and supervision, our team has had tremendous success. We believe in dynamic collaboration. By giving our students the right attention and expertise, they can achieve their highest emotional, social and academic potential.

Every student is different. That’s why we develop a tailored educational plan for each individual. This plan considers the resident’s current level of achievement, ability to learn and the requirements of her home school district. Instruction in core subjects, elective subjects, advanced placement courses, ACT/SAT prep, GED prep, and online courses is provided where appropriate.

Our Program Includes:

  • Certified teachers who are specialists in their field of study and instruct in the four core areas of study, English, math, science, and social studies. They are experienced in working with students of all learning levels from middle school through high school, and with all emotional challenges such as school anxiety, school refusal, disorganization, and perfectionism.
  • Our teachers collaborate with home school districts across the country, parents/guardians, and the Timberline Knolls therapeutic team to provide outstanding individualized educational services while students work on their recovery.
  • Our students are in attendance at the TK Academy every weekday which follows a traditional school calendar. This helps normalize their day and prepares them for re-entry to their home school.
  • Timberline Knolls Academy offers a low student/teacher ratio.
  • Our students have highly monitored Internet access during school hours.
  • We offer an extended school year program for students who require extra time to complete their coursework.

Philosophy

TK Academy seeks to establish a warm and supportive classroom environment. The students are encouraged to take positive risks, evaluate their own work and behavior, and monitor their choices internally thereby developing an improved sense of self.

School of Excellence

Additionally, via the award-winning TK Academy, we give students access to an environment for integrative learning opportunities. This allows residents to not only continue their academic progress, but excel, in a setting fully integrated with their clinical treatment. Providing up to two hours a day of educational instruction, the school’s certified teachers, certified teachers’ aides, and academic coordinator partner with students, their treatment teams, and their home school districts to create individualized education plans aligned with Illinois state standards, national standards, grade-level promotion and the exit criteria required for graduation.

What You Need to Know

Students remain enrolled in their own home school district when they come to Timberline Knolls.  This allows our academy staff to collaborate closely with each home school district on the specific work each student is involved in; credit is issued by the home school district and appears on the home school district transcript. In addition, students are encouraged to bring a week’s worth of school work with them upon admission to Timberline Knolls.

More Information


My experience with a nearly six week long stay here was very positive! I learned new behaviors to replace my old destructive ones and achieved sobriety here. All of which I have been able to continue because of my treatment at this facility! I highly recommend this place!

– A former resident
Why Choose Timberline Knolls?
Marks of Quality Care
  • Better Business Bureau (BBB)
  • International Association Of Eating Disorders Professionals (IAEDP)
  • Multi-Service Eating Disorders Association
  • National Alliance for Eating Disorders
  • National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP)
  • Residential Eating Disorders Consortium
  • The Joint Commission (JCAHO) Gold Seal of Approval