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Boot Camps & Military Schools in Tennessee
HelpYourTeenNow is a parent advocate group that guides other parents in gathering information about teen therapy programs, including military schools and boot camps. We offer resources to parents of at-risk teens about all kinds of therapeutic and behavioral rehabilitation programs via a free consultation by phone. HelpYourTeenNow has resources from parents who have enrolled their children in various programs and have experience in which programs have a better track record of success.
Military Schools and Boot Camps Aren’t the Best Option for Troubled Teens
When your teenager starts engaging in risky, harmful, violent and destructive behavior, you may feel like your only option is to find the nearest military school or boot camp and enroll your children right away. Help for your teen needs to happen over the long term, by certified professionals in a residential and therapeutic setting, not in a military-style academic institution or a private outdoor boot camp. There are many other options for at-risk teens besides military schools and book camps.
Tennessee Regulatory Laws
The Tennessee Department of Health, a part of the Division of Health Care Facilities, regulates and licenses residential care facilities for children and teens.
Private schools in Tennessee do not have to become accredited but do need to be registered to operate in the state. If a private school is church-sponsored, it must be accredited by a verifiable Christian school association (TCA 49-50-801). Tennessee private schools are placed into categories set up by the Board of Education—these categories are I, II, III, IV, V, VI and VII (TCA 49-50-801 and TCA 49-50-801). A school that is Category I and VII must only hire teachers that meet state licensing and certification standards. Schools that are Category II and II must hire teachers that simply meet the standards set forth by the individual school. Schools that are Category IV and V must only hire teachers with bachelor’s degrees. Category I, II and VII schools are obliged to meet the state’s graduation requirements (State Board of Education Rule No. 0520-7-2). Each category of school must comply with a certain set of testing standards (State Board of Education Rule No. 0520-7-2) and (State Board of Education Rule No. 0520-7-2).
(U.S. Department of Education, State Regulation of Private Schools, 2009)
Reference: http://www2.ed.gov/admins/comm/choice/regprivschl/regprivschl.pdf
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Educational Recources
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Tennessee Regulatory Laws
The Tennessee Department of Health, a part of the Division of Health Care Facilities, regulates and licenses residential care facilities for children and teens.
Private schools in Tennessee do not have to become accredited but do need to be registered to operate in the state. If a private school is church-sponsored, it must be accredited by a verifiable Christian school association (TCA 49-50-801). Tennessee private schools are placed into categories set up by the Board of Education—these categories are I, II, III, IV, V, VI and VII (TCA 49-50-801 and TCA 49-50-801). A school that is Category I and VII must only hire teachers that meet state licensing and certification standards. Schools that are Category II and II must hire teachers that simply meet the standards set forth by the individual school. Schools that are Category IV and V must only hire teachers with bachelor’s degrees. Category I, II and VII schools are obliged to meet the state’s graduation requirements (State Board of Education Rule No. 0520-7-2). Each category of school must comply with a certain set of testing standards (State Board of Education Rule No. 0520-7-2) and (State Board of Education Rule No. 0520-7-2).
(U.S. Department of Education, State Regulation of Private Schools, 2009)
Reference: http://www2.ed.gov/admins/comm/choice/regprivschl/regprivschl.pdf
Educational Recources
Statistics for At-Risk Tennessee Teens
ADD/ADHD
- 10.4%
10.4% of Tennessee children between the ages of 4-17 are diagnosed each year with ADD/ADHD (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, State-based Prevalence of ADHD Diagnosis and Treatment 2016-2019)
TEEN PREGNANCY
21.5 per 1,000 female teens
Tennessee has a rate of 21.5 pregnancies per 1,000 female teens, per a 2021 study by the CDC. (CDC State-by-State Statistics: Teen Births 2021).
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/sosmap/teen-births/teenbirths.htm
TEEN SUICIDE
1222
Tennessee had 1222 deaths caused by suicide in teens in 2021. (CDC State by State Suicide Rates, 2021)
SUBSTANCE ABUSE
- 9.10%
9.10% of Tennessee teens report abusing alcohol within the last month, and 6.78% report using illicit drugs such as prescription painkillers and cocaine. (NCDAS, Drug Use Among Youth: Facts & Statistics 2022)
VIOLENT CRIME
1,224
Juvenile arrests in Tennessee for 2021 included 133 juvenile arrests for aggravated assault, 63 arrests for robbery, 417 arrests for theft, 368 arrests for drug abuse, and 65 arrests for weapons violations. (Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 2021 Statistics)
GRADUATION RATES
- 90%
For the 2020-2021 school year, Tennessee reported a 90% high school graduation rate. (National Center for Education Statistics 2021)
http://www.governing.com/gov-data/high-school-graduation-rates-by-state.html
Summary
We Can Help!
HelpYourTeenNow is a parent advocate group that wants to help parents across the country in dealing with their at-risk teen. We work with you over the phone to analyze the differences between the teen help programs, from military schools and boot camps to alternative high schools and therapeutic boarding schools. HelpYourTeenNow will help match your family with a program that is best for you and meets your family’s needs. The right treatment plan can help your teen make better choices, turn away from destructive behavior and learn to face life’s challenges in a healthy, appropriate way.