KidsPeace Mesabi Academy Launches Groundbreaking LighthouseFire-Setter Program

Fire-setting behavior is dangerous to youth, families, neighbors and schools. It is important to evaluate fire-setters to determine why they are demonstrating this behavior and to provide treatment to help them discontinue this destructive activity. Surprisingly, there is only a handful of residential fire-setter programs in the U.S., and, until this October, none in the state of Minnesota.

KidsPeace Mesabi Academy recognizes the need to provide services to this population and has developed programming to evaluate and diagnose fire-setters and assist these young men to change behaviors and stop setting fires. To address this lack of services, Mesabi Academy has partnered with Dian Williams, founder of the Center for Arson Research (www.aresonresearch.com), to provide exceptional services to youth ages 10 to 18 and EJJ to 21 who reside in Minnesota and elsewhere who are suspected of being or identified as fire-setters.

The program offers several different options to care:

• Fire-Setter Evaluation – In person outpatient interview applying typologies developed by the Center for Arson Research and psychological functioning assessment to determine the need for treatment

 • Fire-Setter Diagnosis – A residential program that lasts 45 days and results in an accurate diagnosis and treatment recommendations to change behaviors and thought processes that lead the youth to set fires

• Fire-Setter Residential Treatment – A highly structured, staff secure program that combines a cognitive behavioral approach with clinical services and youth empowerment to treat identified fire-setters and reduce the risk of continued negative behaviors.

Program Services

The evaluations are completed by specifically trained KidsPeace Mesabi Academy clinical staff, in consultation with the Center for Arson Research, and recommendations are generally delivered within fourteen days. Youth who require more in-depth diagnosis or inpatient treatment are referred to Mesabi Academy for services. There are certain exclusionary criteria including: intoxication or in the process of withdrawing from alcohol or drug usage; primary diagnosis of persistent mental illness; low risk for reoffending and FS IQ of below 60.

Specific services include:

• Comprehensive fire-setter evaluation based on the typologies developed by the Center for Arson Research and evaluation of psychological functioning

• Treatment including group and individual therapy specific to fire-setting behaviors, supplemented by “Aggression Replacement Training (ART),” “Thinking for a Change (T4C)” and “Trauma Recovery and Empowerment Model (TREM)”

• Utilization of an interdisciplinary treatment team approach in assessing and developing individualized goals specific to the youth’s needs

• Psychiatric services, including medication management and evaluations

• Psychological evaluations

• Individual counseling/therapy

• Family counseling/therapy

• Year-round educational services and GED programming

• Crisis prevention, de-escalation and intervention

• Vocational skill development opportunities

• Independent living skills development

• Community service/restitution opportunities

• Recreational opportunities

• MN State High School League Athletic Program

• Transportation.|

Mesabi Academy has begun accepting young men to this program. For more information on this program, call

888-270-5013 or visit mesabiacademy.org.