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Therapeutic & Alternative Boarding Schools In South Carolina

Alternative and therapeutic boarding schools can be life saving for a troubled teen. However, trying to determine which groups and facilities are best suited to your child’s needs can be very intimidating. We, at Help Your Teen Now are here to help you gain access to the resources that are most valuable to you.

Call us today and we will get your free evaluation started immediately. This will help us cater our advice and recommendations based on the unique challenges your child faces. Our experts are standing by, ready to walk you through the process of investigating the alternative and therapeutic boarding schools that decide on. The sooner we hear from you, the sooner your family can begin to heal.

South Carolina Regulatory Laws

Accreditation is optional for private facilities in South Carolina, however, accreditation is one option to satisfy South Carolina’s compulsory attendance statute, as long as the school is a member school of the South Carolina Independent School Association or equal organization. Accredited schools are governed by their accrediting organizations and must meet their specifications regarding teacher certification, curriculum and other areas that state law does not regulate for private schools. Attendance at a nonsectarian private school will also satisfy South Carolina’s compulsory school attendance statute as long as the school is approved by the State Board of Education. Students may also attend parochial, denominational, and church-related schools to satisfies this requirement. S.C. Code §59-65-10(A).

Although no standards have been developed yet, the Attorney General has determined that the State Board of Education has the authority to establish standards for private school approval. 1967-68 Ops. Atty. Gen., No. 2585, p. 291. Private schools must maintain health and sanitary standards subject to inspection by the Department of Health and Environmental Control. 982 Op. Atty. Gen., No. 82-10, p. 12.

Reference: http://www2.ed.gov/admins/comm/choice/regprivschl/regprivschl.pdf

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Request Free Admissions Information

Step 1 of 3 - Your Contact Info

South Carolina Regulatory Laws

Accreditation is optional for private facilities in South Carolina, however, accreditation is one option to satisfy South Carolina’s compulsory attendance statute, as long as the school is a member school of the South Carolina Independent School Association or equal organization. Accredited schools are governed by their accrediting organizations and must meet their specifications regarding teacher certification, curriculum and other areas that state law does not regulate for private schools. Attendance at a nonsectarian private school will also satisfy South Carolina’s compulsory school attendance statute as long as the school is approved by the State Board of Education. Students may also attend parochial, denominational, and church-related schools to satisfies this requirement. S.C. Code §59-65-10(A).

Although no standards have been developed yet, the Attorney General has determined that the State Board of Education has the authority to establish standards for private school approval. 1967-68 Ops. Atty. Gen., No. 2585, p. 291. Private schools must maintain health and sanitary standards subject to inspection by the Department of Health and Environmental Control. 982 Op. Atty. Gen., No. 82-10, p. 12.

Reference: http://www2.ed.gov/admins/comm/choice/regprivschl/regprivschl.pdf

Statistics for At-Risk South Carolina Teens

ADD/ADHD

  • 11.1%

11.1 percent of children in South Carolina, aged 3–17 years have been diagnosed with ADHD. (National Survey of Children’s Health, 2016–2019).

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9489617/

TEEN PREGNANCY 

  • 9.3%

The teen pregnancy rate for adolescents aged 15 to 19 in South Carolina is 9.3 per 1,000 females in this age group, according to the World Population Review.

https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/teen-pregnancy-rates-by-state

TEEN SUICIDE

  • 12.9%

South Carolina ranks 31st with a suicide rate of 12.9 deaths per 100,000 adolescents aged 15 to 19, according to data from the CDC WONDER Multiple Cause of Death Files (2020–2022).

https://www.americashealthrankings.org/explore/measures/teen_suicide/SC

DRUG USE

  • 8.11%

In 2020, approximately 788,000 teenagers aged 12 to 17 nationwide met the criteria for Illicit Drug Use Disorder (IDUD). In South Carolina, about 8.11% of adolescents in this age group reported using illicit drugs, according to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics.

https://drugabusestatistics.org/teen-drug-use/#south-carolina

ALCOHOL USE

  • 8.89%

Approximately 8.89% of teens in South Carolina suffer from Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). (National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics, 2020).

https://drugabusestatistics.org/teen-drug-use/#south-carolina

TEEN VAPING

  • 21.1%

South Carolina ranks 30th among all states, with 21.1% of high school teens reported to have used vapes. (Drug Watch, 2024).

https://www.drugwatch.com/e-cigarettes/vape-stat-by-state/

TEEN PORNOGRAPHY

  • 57%

The porn industry experienced a 12.6% annual revenue increase from 2018 to 2023. Adolescent exposure to pornography has steadily risen, with the age of first exposure becoming increasingly younger. 57% of young adults ages 18-25 use porn monthly or more often.

https://www.addictionhelp.com/porn/statistics/

TEEN BULLYING

  • 46%

According to Pew Research Center, 46% of U.S. teens aged 13 to 17 have experienced at least one of six types of cyberbullying behaviors. (Pew Research Center, 2022).

https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2022/12/15/teens-and-cyberbullying-2022/

 

Summary

We Can Help!

Once you call, we immediately evaluate your child. This allows us to recommend the groups, facilities and schools that might meet your needs. Each of our recommendations is rigorously check out for environment as well as rate of success. You can rest easy knowing that we only advise the best, most effective recommendations.

Once a decision is made, the long, painful process of enrolling your teen in an alternative or therapeutic boarding school is very stressful. We want to help you gain peace of mind. Among other free services, we will go over your paperwork for government aid, etc. for no cost to make sure that it can get sent and processed as quickly as possible. We know it has been hard. let us be your advocate, so that your energy remains where it should, with your child.