One simple online search for “therapeutic boarding schools” yields over 3 million results!

When a parent calls P.U.R.E. they are usually surfing the internet and confused by all the fancy websites, terminology they are now learning about (RTC, TBS, wilderness, transport services and more) and wondering — is this really want my child needs?

Is your teenager:

-Defiant, disrespectful, rude, entitled?
-Anger, rage, explosive?
-Vaping, doing drugs, drinking?
–ADHD, ODD, RAD, Bipolar
-Addicted to their smartphone, video-gaming?
-Refusing to go to school, skipping classes?
-Smart, but failing in school?
–Withdrawing from favorite interests?
-Struggling with depression or anxiety?
-Stealing money from parents? Legal issues?

The fact is, in many situations you have a good kid that is now making some really bad choices and you never in a million years thought you would be facing this day.

None of us did. Yet here we are.

That’s the best part – you’re not alone.

There are many residential therapy schools and programs in our country, probably because there are many families in need of help today. Although there are many good programs and schools in our country – there are also many that you need to be skeptical of – as well as many sales people or placement specialists, that don’t always have your child’s best interest first. Or you may stumble on some professionals that believe everyone needs to attend a wilderness program before they get actual long-lasting help.

When will you know it’s time for residential treatment?

1. Have you exhausted all your local resources? From using local therapy to trying outpatient services – teens can be easily shut-down. Although we know that many times it’s difficult to get a teen to open up to therapist – or even attend a session, parents need to know they at least tried. When in residential treatment, the entire program evolves around their emotional wellness, 24/7. Being removed from their negativity helps tremendously.

2. Living with a relative. Some families have attempted to move the troubled teen to live with a relative. Again, sometimes this works – and other times it can be a band-aid, however it can help you make that decision that you have exhausted your local resources before you decide to choose residential therapy.

3. Is your teen a danger to themselves or other people (you)? Has your child become destructive towards you or themselves? This is when you know it’s time to start researching for residential therapy. It’s not working at home.

4. Do you feel like you are hostage in your home by their behavior? Do you feel like you are walking on egg shells? Are you careful about what you say or how you act for fear they may become explosive? This could be another red flag it may be time for residential therapy.

Also read:

5 Benefits of Boarding Schools for Troubled Teens.

Goals of Behavior Modification Programs for Teens.

Why Residential Therapy Works.

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Since 2001 we’ve been helping parents find the right therapeutic boarding schools for their troubled teens. Contact us for a free consultation.

The post Therapeutic Boarding Schools for Troubled Teens first appeared on Help Your Teens.

A simple online search for “schools for troubled teens” yields over 5 million results! How do you navigate where to send your troubled teenager?

You have come to realization that your teen needs a therapeutic boarding school, your local resources have failed however, now you’re facing the unknown world of the troubled teen industry and it can be a lot to unpack.

Our goal is to help you find the right boarding school for your troubled teen in a web of deception.

5 Steps to Untangle the Web of Fact, Fiction, and Misinformation

1. Paid per click (PPC)

Is there one or more therapeutic boarding schools or schools for troubled teens that continues to show up as paid advertising repeatedly, no matter what keyword you put in your search engine? This can be a red flag. It is a lot of money being spent on marketing. Many programs with a longevity of success typically rely on their good reputation rather than employ sponsored listings.

There are no illusions about the size of the business of the troubled teen industry. You will quickly figure out who the major players are simply by putting in keywords about your teenager need helping and searching for treatment. The cost of sponsored ads on these search engines is not for small businesses – these are major corporations that are spending a lot of money marketing their facilities.

It’s wise to go past the sponsored listings and find out more about the organic results.

2. Troubling Troubled Teen Websites

“The program I want to place my son is listed on a beware site.” – Parent of 13-year-old son

Today parents are bombarded with fearmongering websites designed to prevent them from getting help. They literally list just about every school and program as dangerous.  They are created by former students that were harmed in programs, and/or possibly parents that may have been disgruntled over a financial situation or even a contentious divorce where one parents wasn’t given access to their child.

We never diminish the experiences of victims that created these sites, but when a distressed parent is searching for help for their teenager – they become frightened to read some of the horror stories, as anyone would without being fully informed.

Parents need to learn how to evaluate these sites and platforms to put them into perspective so they can move forward with confidence in getting their teenager the help they need.

When former students or teens are on forums venting or sharing about their negative experiences, it can be upsetting for potential families to read. Here are some questions to ask yourself about the person commenting:

• What program were they in? Is the program closed now?
• Were there lawsuits brought against this program?
• When were they placed into the program and for how long?
• Why were they enrolled into a program?
• How does their parent feel about their experiences?
• Do they have a relationship with their parent/family now?

If the teen is alleging abuse or neglect, do a public records search to determine if there is a lawsuit against the program. Not all allegations end up in court so contact the local Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) and ask if they have any reports against the school. They may not be able to give you names, but they will know if there are reports filed against the program.

There are many programs and schools for troubled teens in our country, they are not going to please every one of their families. That doesn’t mean they’re allowed to harm children or defraud parents.

Side note: We are not by any means victim shaming, only helping parents that need help NOW better understand how to untangle some of the websites they may stumble on.

3. Dissecting Online Reviews

Everyone has a right to write an online review.

“How do you suggest we navigate negative reviews and posts on social media?” – Dad of 14-year-old daughter

Online reviews are tricky, they are people’s opinions and experiences. As many of you realize, especially if you are business owners or professionals, it can take you 20 years to establish your good reputation and within 20 minutes it can be destroyed with one or two disgruntled client/customer reviews. Maybe they were legitimate complaints, maybe they were misunderstandings — either way you could potentially lose financially for a long time or a lifetime.

The teen help industry is not any different, but we do take it more seriously since it is about the treatment of our children. With this it is also more reason to understand that people will be more extreme and emotional when writing a review (likely a complaint) about a program.

If a parent had a negative experience, it could be a divorce situation that one parent was the custodial parent and moved forward with the placement as the other one did not have a say in the school. You will find that one disgruntled parent starts complaining about things in the program they do not have any knowledge of since the ex keeps them out of the loop. Sadly, it more has to do with poor family relations rather than program issues.

Another point of contention with parent complaints stem from financial reasons. If a parent believes they are owed money or have not been refunded properly, they will find things to complain about in hopes to be compensated. In some cases, a parent will remove their teen early (before graduation) or their teen is dismissed, and they expect a full refund. The contract they signed determines their reimbursement. When it comes to money, we know it can be extremely sensitive – so it is best to dig a bit deeper to find out exactly what the issues were.

Since we mainly see the negative online reviews, we always encourage parents to ask for parent references to hear more about how a program did help their teenager. You may think the school is only giving good references (which is true) but there are ways to ask questions to get some negative input — such as, “It seems your son had a very good experience at …., if you could change one thing about it, what would it be?” Or “Although your daughter seems to have done well, where do you think the school could improve?” Or “Was there anything that ever concerned you when your teen was at the school.”

Tip: Always remember, you can ask the owner or director of the program about online reviews. If they do not want to answer it or the answer isn’t satisfactory to you — that is your answer. You move on.

4. Internet Misconception

I came across the following article that lists what is calls the top 20 therapeutic boarding schools, but at least 2 of the schools are very questionable? Please help me, we’re desperate.” Parent of 14-year-old

Deciphering the internet is the most difficult part of searching for schools for troubled teens. There are sites that will boast about “The Top 20 Therapeutic Boarding Schools” or “The Best Therapeutic Boarding Schools” however what they are is a clearing house of schools on paid directories. This is not in the best interest of your child, and in some cases connected to marketing arms that are paid to place you.

There has never been a third-party study done to determine the best therapeutic boarding schools, and the one survey that was done was paid by their own organizations. Another words, it has bias results. Learn more about how to determine success rates in programs without in-house (bias) studies. These lists are concerning since some of programs listed can be questionable.

5. Placement Specialists

Who are the marketing arms that can be part of the extension of the paid directories and clearing houses of therapeutic boarding schools? It is remarkably like the people Sue Scheff (founder of P.U.R.E.) learned about over two decades ago – placement specialists, typically they are not in the best interest of your child. It is about paid to place, rather than what is best for your teenager’s needs. They are based off a list of schools/programs that pay them fees.

What they are good at – is marketing. You may have just become bait and will soon be inundated with emails from different programs and possibly text messages if you added your number. They will be sending your name and email to programs without qualifying your child as an appropriate fit for their school.

We encourage parents to talk directly to program owners and directors, the people that will be vested in your child’s recovery as well as the ones that will determine if their school is a fit for your family’s needs. The reputation of their program comes back to the success of your child – therefore it is crucial you speak with a program owner or director.

Tip: Did you notice a therapeutic boarding school that interests you? Find a direct contact (number or email) to that school, avoid going through third-party sites and toll-free numbers. 

Parents are their child’s biggest influence, but they are also their biggest advocate. Although you may not recognize your child at this moment, you are still their parent and will move mountains to find the right treatment for them.

Also read:

Goals of Therapeutic Boarding Schools.

5 Benefits of Therapeutic Boarding Schools.

Costs of Therapeutic Boarding Schools.

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If you’re confused by all the online deception, contact us for a free consultation. We help parents navigate the online confusion and get them on a path to quality and safe therapeutic settings.

The post Searching for Schools for Troubled Teens Online first appeared on Help Your Teens.

Since 2001 we have been educating parents on help for troubled teens, including therapeutic boarding schools and residential treatment centers. As well as the myths of wilderness programs and military schools — we believe knowledge is power and you are your child’s advocate when making this choice.

Advice and Tips in Choosing the Right Residential Program:

-Internet deception

Be cautious of the internet: Today we turn to the internet for almost everything we do, but how do we know what is internet fact, fiction, or somewhere in between? This is why doing your due diligence, especially in this big business of teen help programs, is imperative.

Is there one or more therapeutic boarding schools or schools for troubled teens that continues to show up as paid advertising over and over again, no matter what keyword you put in your search engine?  This can be a red-flag. It’s a lot of money being spent on marketing. Many programs with a longevity of success typically rely on their good reputation.

This includes third party websites that lists schools and programs (typically they are listing/selling them by states) that you may be interested in, however they want you contact their toll-free number first for information. STOP. Open a new browser and find the school on your own!

These are typically marketing arms that aren’t interested in your child’s best interest, but rather in placing children into where they can receive their commission through affiliated links. (See placement specialists below).

 -Fear-mongering sites

You will find some websites and forums that will criticize families for seeking outside help for their teens. They may lead you to believe that all programs and schools are bad or abusive. In reality, not all schools and programs are who they say they are– which is why are you here, doing your research.

You are taking your time to investigate what will be best for your individual child’s needs and learning from the mistakes I made so you don’t have to. It’s exactly why I created P.U.R.E.

If you find negative complaints about a school/program you are considering – take the time to ask us about it. We never diminish a person’s experience, however we have also realized that some people are there to make it harder for parents to get help. Again, we have walked your shoes and have taken time to dig deep into this industry.

-Beware of the Placement Specialist

Are you talking to a placement specialist? What exactly is this? Today these are people that are paid to place your troubled teen in a program. This is not in the best interest of your child. In some cases these are programs that have less than desirable reputations – however the placement specialist is making a commission. Typically what they are good at – is marketing. You may have just become bait and will become inundated with emails from different programs. They will be sending your name and email to many programs without qualifying your child as an appropriate fit for their school.

If you’re a parent at your wit’s end, be sure you’re always speaking to an owner or director of a program. Someone that has a vested interest in your child’s recovery. These marketing arms aka placement specialists, can be deceptive. Read “A Parent’s True Story.”

-Placing Abroad

Be very cautious if sending your child out of the country. Laws are different and cannot protect your child out of the country. Many parents are misled by the lower tuition–don’t be one of them. We recommend keeping your child in the United States. If you are a resident outside of the United States, this may not affect you.

-Behind the Screen

Don’t allow fancy websites, emotional online videos determine your decision for your child. If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. If a program is advertising a very high success rate, please ask them what third party organization did their statistical studies.

In-house surveys are prejudiced and not always a good source of reliability. Keep in mind, this a major emotional and financial decision you will be making.

Don’t judge a program by their website. You never know what is behind a screen. We have visited programs that have less than attractive websites with amazing facilities and staff. On the contrary – you will find polished websites with some programs that you wouldn’t leave your pets at.

-Myths of Wilderness

Your teen does not need to complete a wilderness program before they attend a residential treatment program (RTC or TBS). In many cases families today cannot afford that extra step of a wilderness program; however we hear over and over that parents are talked into breaking a child down before sending them to a therapeutic boarding program. Isn’t your teen already broken down? Isn’t that why you are reaching out for help?

This is why you are looking for programs that will help stimulate your teen back on to a positive road– making good choices and creating a bright future that you had planned for them.

-Finding the right program

You are not choosing a program to “teach your child a lesson.” This is a common mistake many parents make. Many times, these are good children making bad choices. Harsh treatment and environment can add to their anger as well as build resentment.

Learn more about the differences between a residential treatment center and therapeutic boarding school.

-Accredited programs

Don’t accept a program that is not accredited to educate your child, provides scant food and/or clothing, and has unsanitary living conditions. A visit to the program prior enrollment, if possible, is recommended.

It is understandable that not every family has the finances or the time for the extra trip. With this, please be sure your research is thorough. Below – the importance of calling parent references can be helpful with this.

As far as education, ask the program for a copy of their accreditation for their academics. With that you can contact your local school to be sure the transcripts will be transferable.

-Basic human rights

It is normal for parents to want their child to appreciate what they have at home; however deprivation of food, sanitation, and clothing should not be accepted. These are basic human rights.

Many of these teens are suffering from low self-esteem, depression, peer pressure, etc. Taking away their basic needs may escalate these negative feelings.

-Communication

Asking the program about their communication with parents and visitation schedule is imperative. Another helpful tip – is to verify it through asking parent references when you call them.

Don’t enroll any child in a program that refuses to allow parents to speak with their child within a reasonable amount of time, usually no longer than 30 days.

Visitation in many programs begins at three months. This is your child, and family counseling is just as important as your child’s recovery.

-Ask questions

If you feel you have valid concerns and do not understand something, do not allow the program director to overlook your questions. Keep asking until you receive an appropriate response. This is your right as a parent. You are your child’s advocate.

Ask for the staff’s education, training, and experience. Credentials of those working with your child are vital. Ask if they have background checks for all employees.

-Age of consent

Know what the age of majority (consent) is in the state of the program. Be sure children cannot sign themselves out of the program at their current age. You will see that many programs are located in the western part of the U.S. (especially Utah ) due to the age of majority of 18. This ensures your child cannot leave without your consent.

-Choosing a program in the best interest of your teen

Do not limit your decision on geographical location. The fact is this is the most important 6-9-12 months of your child’s life to date, it has to be the best placement/program/school that fits their emotional needs — not your travel plans.

In reality, family visits are never more than every 4-6 weeks (depending on the program) after your teen has completely the initial ninety days.

We remind parents – this is only a snapshot of their entire life – yet will have such an impact on their future. Let’s not limit it for geographical reasons.

You won’t be making daily or weekend visits. This is about your teen’s healing, recovery and what is best for him/her. If it means you need to take an extra plane ride or few hours by car, remember — it’s only several months out of their entire life.

Most programs are very similar in tuition fees, using credit cards as tuition can build frequent flyer miles. (If you are able to do this – with paying it off either with your funds or a loan you have received, can be a good option).

There are many excellent programs in our country, find the one that is best fitted for your child, not your airport. The other important fact is – if you have a teen that is a flight risk, they are more likely (or tempted) to leave a program (runaway) and call one of their new less-than-desirable friends to pick them up.

Choosing a program that is in an unfamiliar area is in the best interest of your teenager. Remember this is about your teen’s emotional wellness and recovery, not about geographically convenience.

-Background check

Check with the local sheriff department or the state office of the Attorney General or Department of Social Services (DSS) or Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) – for reports of neglect or abuse as well as their current licensing.

With this, understand that there are no perfect programs. Some may have had issues which have since been rectified or are not related to the students. However, others, with constant complaints, should be crossed off you list. Investigating helps you choose the right program for your family.

When you contact the local sheriff department, ask them how many times a month they are called out to the program – how many runaways they have – and your final question should be, is if it were their child, would they send them there?

With licensing, you want to be sure they are licensed as a residential treatment centers and not a daycare center or foster care home.  You will be paying a significant amount of tuition, be an educated parent.

-Consequences

Find out what the program’s use of restraints is. If they have “isolation,” inquire about the length of time that is normally spent there and what this entails. Ask what the program does if your child runs away.

-Fees

Ask if the person who is marketing the information receives any kind of direct, or indirect referral fee or compensation (i.e. A month’s free tuition, gifts, certificates, dinners, etc.).

-Ask for and call parent references

If a school/program won’t give you parents references, it’s a red flag. It might be time to consider another program.

Hopefully you have time to ask for at least 3-5 parent references. In some situations you can also speak with the teen that graduated the program too. This should be a call for information, guidance, and support. Did their child have the same issues as yours?

If you are considering transport and apprehensive about it, ask the parent reference how they got their teen to the program. It’s a great way to gain more insights on residential therapy and especially on transportation.

Parent tip: Ask for families from your same geographical area, as well as parents that have the same gender and age as your child.  You want to try to talk to parents as similar to your own situation as well as possibly near where you live.  Maybe you could have an opportunity to meet with them in person.  Keep in mind, first hand experiences are priceless.

One question to ask the reference parent is if they could change one thing about the program, what would it be? Though it may not be a major concern, it may be another question you can ask the owner or director of the program.

Questions to ask parent references (not in any specific order):

-Why did they have to send their teen to a program?
-What other things did they try prior choosing residential therapy?
-What was their trigger moment that made their decision?
-How long did their child attend the program?
-Why did they choose that particular program?
-What was their deciding factor on this program?
-Did they visit the program before placing their teen?
-Did they discuss it with their teen?
-How did they get their teen to the program?
-Did they use a transport company and how was the experience?
-How is their teen doing today?
-How was the communication with the program?
-Did they provide transitional support after their teen graduated?
-Would they recommend the program to a friend or family?

Question to ask the director:

What is it about your program that changes lives?

If the director (or staff member) can talk for 15 minutes about the process in detail, and the values and components involved, you’re likely on track for a good program.

-Inside a program

Look for programs that offer an ACE factor:

A=Accredited Academics
C=Clinical with credentialed therapists
E=Enrichment Programs such as music, sports, animal assisted therapy, horticulture, art therapy, fine arts, drama, or whatever your teen may be passionate about. It is about stimulating your teen in a positive direction by encouraging them to build self-confidence and want to be their best.

-Family decision

Most Importantly, placement needs to be a family decision. Trust your gut and your heart. Family decision doesn’t mean with your troubled teenager. This is an adult decision.

If it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. Keep searching. It is time to bring the family back together. If possible – do this research before you’re in crisis.

Many parents call us with that gut feeling, than things go well for awhile and they don’t do anything. Suddenly they’re in crisis-mode and have 24-hours to select a program. Don’t be that parent.

Please don’t let any sales rep or marketing arm convince you that you need a program for your teen. Again, you are your child’s advocate. You will know when you have found the best program for your teen’s individual emotional needs.

-Free consultation

Parents’ Universal Resource Experts is about helping educate parents about residential therapeutic schools and programs. We offer free consultations.

These tips are not to frighten anyone, it is to make parents aware of an industry that has little to no guidelines or regulations to follow.

It is a fact, some of our kids need help today. Let’s get them the right help with an educated and researched decision.

Many parents contact us about the fear-mongering websites that are up. These sites are usually created by former students and they have listed just about every program in the country.

Sadly, what they are doing is preventing families from getting the potential help they may need for their child. There is always good and bad in every field/industry — this is why it is imperative you do your due diligence when researching programs.

We have personally visited, researched and spoken with many parents, students and former employees of programs since 2001. Feel free to contact us if you are considering a program and you find it on one of those fear-based websites.

One of their issues is that they don’t believe in level systems.  Keep in mind – in life, we all work our way up. Whether you start as janitor and work your way to supervisor, or start in the mail room and work your way up to an executive. It’s part of the way life is starting as early as kindergarten and moving up grades.  As long as it is not done in a degrading way.

Understand there are some teen behavioral issues that require more intensive therapy.

Read: Why residential treatment works when home therapy fails.

P.U.R.E. is part of bringing families back together… Learn how to analyze negative online reviews.

Contact us for a free consultation about safe therapeutic boarding schools.

The post How to Choose a Residential Treatment Center first appeared on Help Your Teens.

One simple online search for “schools for troubled teens” yields over 14.5 million results!

When a parent calls P.U.R.E. they are usually surfing the internet and confused by all the fancy websites, terminology they are now learning about (RTC, TBS, wilderness, transport services and more) and wondering — is this really want my child needs?

Is your teenager:

-Defiant, disrespectful, rude, entitled?
-Anger, rage, explosive?
-Vaping, doing drugs, drinking?
–ADHD, ODD, RAD, Bipolar
-Addicted to their smartphone, video-gaming?
-Refusing to go to school, skipping classes?
-Smart, but failing in school?
–Withdrawing from favorite interests?
-Struggling with depression or anxiety?
-Stealing money from parents? Legal issues?

The fact is, in many situations you have a good kid that is now making some really bad choices and you never in a million years thought you would be facing this day.

None of us did. Yet here we are.

That’s the best part – you’re not alone.

There are many residential therapy schools and programs in our country, probably because there are many families in need of help today. Although there are many good programs and schools in our country – there are also many that you need to be skeptical of – as well as many sales people or placement specialists, that don’t always have your child’s best interest first. Or you may stumble on some professionals that believe everyone needs to attend a wilderness program before they get actual long-lasting help.

When will you know it’s time for residential treatment?

1. Have you exhausted all your local resources? From using local therapy to trying outpatient services – teens can be easily shut-down. Although we know that many times it’s difficult to get a teen to open up to therapist – or even attend a session, parents need to know they at least tried. When in residential treatment, the entire program evolves around their emotional wellness, 24/7. Being removed from their negativity helps tremendously.

2. Living with a relative. Some families have attempted to move the troubled teen to live with a relative. Again, sometimes this works – and other times it can be a band-aid, however it can help you make that decision that you have exhausted your local resources before you decide to choose residential therapy.

3. Is your teen a danger to themselves or other people (you)? Has your child become destructive towards you or themselves? This is when you know it’s time to start researching for residential therapy. It’s not working at home.

4. Do you feel like you are hostage in your home by their behavior? Do you feel like you are walking on egg shells? Are you careful about what you say or how you act for fear they may become explosive? This could be another red flag it may be time for residential therapy.

Read: 5 Benefits of Boarding Schools for Troubled Teens.

Read: Goals of Behavior Modification Programs for Teens.

Read: Why Residential Therapy Works.

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Since 2001 we’ve been helping parents find the right therapeutic boarding schools for their troubled teens. Contact us for a free consultation.

The post What Options Are For Troubled Teens first appeared on Help Your Teens.

As much as you are trying to ignore or just say it is typical teen behavior, you notice your teen is withdrawing from the family, failing in school, possibly vaping, smoking pot, addicted to their screens and overall have become a child you no longer recognize with a personality that is defiant and totally disrespectful the the family boundaries – what do you do?

Most parents try local therapy – which is a great first step, but when happens when therapy doesn’t work or they refuse to attend?  A parent in a denial can only prolong the evitable and possible cause more harm including legal issues.  Don’t be held hostage in your home by your teen’s behavior.

Making the decision to choose residential therapy is not one that any parents takes lightly. It’s a major financial and emotional choice. It comes following exhausting your local resources, which can include therapy refusal, outpatient treatment has failed, school setting is not working and a short-term hospital stay was unsuccessful.

Usually a teen’s behavior has been slowly escalating and a parent knows that deep down things are not getting better.  As much as you hope and pray that things will change, this is only typical teen behavior, sometimes it just isn’t.

With drug use and substance abuse rising – more dangerous and deadly ingredients being used, such as fentanyl, opioids, parents have reason to be concerned.  It isn’t your marijuana of generations prior – it is so much worse and in many cases – addictive and deadly.  The increase of screen addiction has been the culprit to the spike of many mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, anger, rage, self-harming and more.

If you have reached your wit’s end and now surfing the internet for help, remember, anyone can build a website.  Anyone can put up nice pictures and create great content.

Years ago I struggled with my own teenager.  I was at my wit’s end.  I didn’t realize what a big business this “teen help industry” was.  Yes, my child needed help, but what we received was anything but that.  My story is a cautionary tale – not one to scare you into not placing your child, on the contrary, you have to get your child help, but you have to do your research in getting them the right help.

I had hired an Educational Consultant. This was when they were an hourly rate, so I was able to dismiss them after an hour. The fact is you are your child’s best advocate, you don’t need a middle person — you may not know this big business of teen help, however with these research tips, you can educate yourself and determine what is best for your family.  We also offer informational questions for you to ask schools and programs, and a free consultation with parents that have been down this road before you.

When interviewing many parents that had hired Educational Consultants, like myself, EC’s  immediately suggested they send their child to wilderness program before even discussing a therapeutic boarding school or residential treatment center. The truth is, most teens don’t need that expensive step of wilderness — since the residential therapy are designed to treat the defiant teen. It seems they have the same cook-cutter approach, which brings the parent back for a second free to ask for their next step into a long-term program. As we share with parents — isn’t it smarter to start with one qualified school or program? 

Here are some quick tips for find the right schools for troubled teens:

1. Your child is not for sale, try to avoid those marketing arms selling you a list of programs that are not in the best interest of your child’s individual needs.

2. Always speak with an owner or director – Someone that has a vested in your teen’s recovery.  Their reputation is on the line.

3. Wilderness and other short term programs are usually nothing more than a band-aid that will fall off as quickly as the program lasted.  They are expensive camping trips and in most cases the wilderness program will tell you at about 4 weeks that your teen will need to continue on to a longer term program.  Yes, now you go back to the research board and worse than that, your teen will be deflated when he finds out he/she isn’t coming home in 6-9 weeks as they were lead to believe – and they will be starting all over again with a new therapist – new schedule – and new setting.  Don’t get caught up in this “shuffle.”  Start and finish with the same school/program.

4. The average stay should be about 6-9-12 months, depending on your teen.  Anything less is likely non-effective.  Anything more, you may be creating abandonment issues in our opinion. Consider this, it didn’t take 4-9 weeks to get to where you are today, it’s not going to take this short of time to turn it around.

5. Do you really need an Educational Consultant?  Probably not.  You are the parent and no one knows your teen better than you do – with a few solid and intelligent resources, you will be able to make some sound choices. We have helped parents that have hired EC’s — only to hear that we have given them more valuable information in 15 minutes than their EC gave them at all. We assisted parents where their teen were placed in programs by EC’s that failed, and we were better able to understand their needs — why? Because we have walked this journey — literally.

Read: The Trouble With Teen Help Troubled Teen Reviews.

Read: 5 Goal of Boarding Schools for Troubled Teens.

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For more research tips, please contact us for a free consultation. We help you find the right therapeutic schools and residential treatment center for your teen and family.

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