Introduction
Does your child have a mental or emotional disorder, defiant behavior, sexual promiscuity, or drug and alcohol problems? Have you tried medication, outpatient counseling, working with the school, testing, tutoring, various forms of discipline? If your child is still on a downward spiral - there may be hope on this page.
Monique has invested 6 months of research into various wilderness programs, residential programs, and specialty boarding schools. The programs are listed below. Monique states, "I know how much time this takes and I have created this page to spare you some time and effort." If you have questions about the information on this page, please contact BodyLife Dynamics.
A Family's Decision
In 2001 Monique and her husband made the difficult decision to place their daughter into a residential treatment program in Utah. For eighteen months she received individual and group therapy, schooling, behavior modification, drug and alcohol eduction, and other types of intervention. Monique says, "After exhausting all other options, we felt this was her only hope."
If you have reached this point with your child, you may want to explore the option of a specialty boarding school. These facilities have 24 hour trained staff who work almost one on one with the child for 3 - 24 months. This is a controlled, monitored environment with a student body that ranges from 70 - 500. Every school is different, depending on the needs of the child. The type of settings range from hospitals to ranches.
There is much to learn before making this decision. Monique has attempted to list the most important factors, questions, and things to know before making a decision of this magnitude.
During the course of Monique's decision making process she researched hundreds of schools and compiled pages of information. They have been condensed and added to this web site for your convenience. Monique states, "I believe that after reading this page you, too, will see that THERE IS HOPE!"
Questions to Ask Yourself Before Choosing a Program
1. Can my child's needs be met in the current, traditional environment (home, school, social)?
2. Do I feel I've done all I can and my child is not responding?
3. Do I have the time/energy/resources to research these schools or should I hire an educational consultant?
4. Which type of school would best meet my childs needs? Wilderness program, emotional
growth boarding school, residential treatment center, residential care facility?
5. Should I send my child now (are we in a crisis) or should I wait a few months?
6. In order to facilitate the admission process, do I have access to all medical, school, social,
and psychiatric records? Do I have release forms signed and can these records be faxed?
7. What is the admissions criteria? (Some schools don't accept children with a history of pyromania, suicide, extreme violence, or those on medication).
8. Should I tell my child ahead of time? Will my child go willingly or should I consider hiring an escort service?
9. Should I choose a coed school? A Christian school?
10. Does geographic location matter to me? Out of state? How far away?
11. Once my child is admitted, what are the expectations for my child, the school, and myself.
12. How can I pay the tuition? (Loans from family members, medical insurance, donations, state funding, school scholarships, sliding fee scale, cash in assets). Does my child qualify for disability, SSI or Medicaid? Can I negotiate a discount with the program? Can I obtain a tax deduction for expenses not covered by insurance?
13. If my insurance has denied a claim for residential treatment - have I filed a grievance?
14. Am I getting the emotional and physical support that I need during this difficult time? What do I need to do to take care of myself?
Questions to Ask The Facility Before Placing Your Child
1. Are you a licensed Residential Treatment Center? (Make sure you understand the definition of a RTC. This is different than a residential care center.)
2. Is this a lock down facility? Do you use isolation and restraint techniques?
3. Can you supply references? How can I confirm your licensing? Do you have a record of past complaints?
4. What religion are you affiliated with? Is this a Christian facility? If not, do you allow the children to attend church? How often?
5. Do you offer mental health therapy? Group/Individual? How often?
6. How often do you allow parent visits? Home visits? Mail? Phone calls?
7. Is the tuition all inclusive? Are the parents expected to send spending money?
8. Do you see that the child receives medical and dental care?
9. If therapy is provided, what therapeutic model is used? Positive Peer Culture (PPC)?
10. Do you offer an escort service if necessary?
11. Do you have an on-site accredited school? What type of curriculum is used? What are the class sizes? Are you versed in dealing with learning disabilities?
12. At admission, do you administer academic, medical, and psychological testing?
13. What is the average length of stay? Do you assist with transition back into the home? Follow up care?
14. What percentage of the student body are boys? girls? court ordered?
15. Are you a for-profit school?
16. Do you offer a behavior modification program? Do you have a "levels" system?
17. What type of clothing is to be worn?
18. Do you assist with goal setting and career planning?
19. How long have you been in operation? Website? Can we tour the school and meet the staff?
Resources For Parents With Challenging Teens
Residential Program Listing * *
NATSAP - National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs
Teen Challenge - World wide christian program (some locations offer therapeutic programs/some don't)
Petersons - Complete listing of programs nationwide
CEDU - Complete listing of programs through CEDU
New Haven - Residential treatment center (RTC)
NACCFA - Listing of christian programs
MHAM - The Mental Health Association in Michigan
Key Words To Search
challenging teens, character education boarding schools, therapeutic boarding schools, wilderness programs, teens at risk, teens in crisis Other Key Words - boot camps for troubled teens, troubled teens, behavior modification for troubled teens, specialty boarding schools, emotional growth boarding schools, eductional consultants, special needs boarding schools, christian boarding schools
Web Sites
Pendulum Resources
Depression & Bipolar Support Alliance
MayoClinic.com
Books
Parent's Bipolar Book List
Bipolar books for parents
**Please Note: The listing of programs on this site is in no way a recommendation of a particular program. It is simply a gathering of information to help speed your research time. It is your responsibility to fully research and choose the appropriate program.
