If you have a troubled teen or a teen otherwise in crisis, it may have been suggested that you consider a therapeutic boarding school or a residential treatment center. While you know your teen needs more help and better therapeutic options, you may hesitate to consider one of these facilities based on things you’ve seen on the news or read online.

It’s understandable to be concerned, for many reasons often highlighted by the media. However, it’s also important to recognize that not all schools and facilities are designed with the same principles and goals in mind.

The concern should not be with all schools and facilities that work with troubled youth but with the individual places you are looking at.

As with everything, sometimes all it takes to ruin the reputation of an industry is one or two bad apples that haven’t necessarily prioritized the safety and needs of the individual.

What is Considered Troubled Youth?

Your teenager will undergo many physical, social, emotional, and brain-based changes during adolescence. As they go through these often-drastic changes, it’s considered developmentally normal to see your teen being rude, disrespectful, violating household rules, showing less interest in spending time with family and more interest in spending time with friends and even new romantic relationships.

These behaviors are considered normal and important to your teen growing into young adulthood. The problem is when some of these typical behaviors escalate into what should be considered a sign of trouble.

Some of these signs may include the following:

• Not going to school or skipping classes
• Bad grades or failing classes
• Being aggressive toward family members, teachers, and others in their life
• Withdrawing from friends and family to spend more time alone or out of the house
• Not sticking to their agreed-upon curfew and coming home late
• Getting into trouble at school, with truancy officers, or with law enforcement
• Emotional outbursts that may relate to anxiety or depression
• Signs of smoking, drinking, or taking drugs

Remember that you know your teen better than anyone. If something seems out of character for your teen, there are good odds that something is going on.

Why Are There So Many Therapeutic Boarding Schools?

It could be easy to think that there are so many options for therapeutic boarding schools because it’s an industry that can be easy to run and manage. In truth, a therapeutic boarding school that is operated correctly and with the well-being of the students prioritized takes a tremendous amount of planning, coordination, licensing, management, and so much more.

Passion for helping troubled teens is something most who run and work at these schools will have. But they don’t all offer the same types of quality treatment. And, in truth, they don’t all offer the same safety standards. Many may be run with the best intentions, but it takes a fair amount of systematic planning and treatment consideration.

Troubled Teen Industry Abuse

How many news stories have you seen covering the abuse in the troubled teen industry? It does seem like there is a new story every other month. Teens being hurt, abused, or heartbreakingly losing their lives at a facility that didn’t prioritize safety. Unsurprisingly, parents hesitate to consider sending their teens to a therapeutic boarding school. The fear of your teen being abused or lost to you is much worse than dealing with your troubled teen at home without the right kind of support and therapeutic care.

Here’s what’s important to remember about the abuse accusations and reports of illness or loss of life:

• The abuse or loss of any teen’s life is horrific and tragic. Parents need to keep in mind that these are very rare situations.
• As with most things, the media’s focus tends to be on the worst of stories while neglecting the countless positive related stories.
• Abuse and other troubling stories related to therapeutic boarding schools typically come from facilities that are not necessarily licensed, experienced, and taking safety seriously.
• These facilities may take shortcuts regarding student treatment plans or safety.

Therapeutic boarding schools, ones that are operated correctly, have helped countless troubled teens get their lives back on track. There is more good than bad in therapeutic boarding schools. The key is finding the right therapeutic boarding school to meet your teen’s needs.

Effects of the Troubled Teen Industry

Despite the negative news stories that periodically emerge, the effects of therapeutic schools are primarily positive. Many lives have been saved and families restored due to a therapeutic boarding school.

Teens struggling with drugs or alcohol, or perhaps with mental illness, have found comfort, support, therapeutic solutions, and the confidence they need to heal and recover.

The terrible and tragic stories from the troubled teen industry can darken many’s impressions of it. It’s very understandable how this can be the view taken. But it is important to judge each therapeutic boarding school on its merits and what it can offer your troubled teen.

Even a school that offers several award-winning programs and takes safety seriously may be the wrong choice for your teen. Evaluate each school for what it stands for, its safety records, and the results it offers each teen who walks through its programs.

At HelpYourTeenNow we pride ourselves on providing families with troubled teens with the best resources to meet the needs of the individual.

We go to great lengths to work with only the facilities that have the best reputation, safety considerations, and results. The health and well-being of your teen are just as important to us as it is to you.