Does your 17-year-old troubled teen need help? They believe they are an adult? We are bombarded daily with parents that are at their wit’s end with their almost — adult at 17+ years old.
Whether they are refusing to go to school or have become isolated in their bedrooms, the number of young adults that are not prepared for their future is growing and parents are becoming increasingly concerned.
You will quickly notice that many schools or programs will not accept 17+ year-old’s, usually because they won’t have enough time to work with them. I respect these programs for this. They’re not giving you false hope.
Is your teen:
-Smart, but failing in school?
-Wants to quit school?
-Skipping classes, facing expulsion?
-ADHD, ODD, RAD, learning differences
-Vaping, smoking pot, drinking?
-Addicted to their cell-phone? Video gaming?
-Lack social skills?
-Immature, depressed, anxious?
-Withdrawn or loss interest in activities?
Whether your 17+ year old is experiencing a few or all these behavioral issues, it can be very frustrating and challenging.
The reality is, if you are considering a school or program that is traditionally 9-12 months long, yet you have less than 5 months until your teenager turns 18, you could be setting yourself up for a major financial loss — and worse, setting your teen up for failure.
Use caution if a school or program is quick to accept you but has a modality that is much longer than when your child turns 18. Remember, as we warn parents, the teen help industry is a big business, don’t get scammed by sales people, many are now calling themselves, placement specialists.
Don’t get stung
Be careful not to get stung by the short-term programs such as wilderness that may or may not provide results. These can be extremely expensive and rarely will be successful unless your teen goes on to a therapeutic boarding school.
In most cases your teen will be 18 and will decide not to take the next step to residential therapy or walk-out (since they can at 18). In speaking with many families that have taken the journey down this road, they do not recommend it. Wilderness programs have been considered short-term programs that yielded short-term results.
Young adult programs can help
There are teen help programs that are targeted at 17+ year old’s where their length of stay is about 6-8 months. So, if your teen is on the younger side of 17, they will be able to finish the complete program and flourish. There are also young adult programs that start at 17-21 that your son could qualify for.
These young adult programs you can learn more about. They are excellent programs that incorporate life-skills as well as emotional growth and academics. Some also include mentorship programs for those young adults that might be inspired by different trades.
With 17+ year-old’s — it’s important to realize that in most states “it’s a right of a child,” where they can sign themselves out at 17. There are only a few states that they can be placed, and they won’t be able to leave without a parent’s consent.
Also read:
Goals of Boarding Schools for Troubled Teens
5 Benefits of Therapeutic Programs for Teens
Success Rate of Therapeutic Boarding Schools
Help for Struggling Young Adults
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Please contact us for a free consultation about safe therapeutic boarding schools for teens and young adults.
