After coming to the decision that their troubled teen needs help beyond the resources located in the immediate vicinity, many families begin to look at options, such as troubled teen boys’ ranches. However, it can be difficult for families to determine exactly which boys’ ranch will be a good fit for their troubled teen.

As experts in the troubled teen industry, we can offer you a few things to keep in mind when you are looking for the right ranch for your troubled son.

Decide What Your Troubled Teen Needs From A Boys’ Ranch

When talking to parents about their troubled sons, many parents feel overwhelmed by their sons’ misbehavior, as the parents may have tried to address the symptoms while being unable to focus on the main issues. Some of the symptoms of troubled teens are:

• Poor anger management
• Truancy
• Substance abuse
• Unsatisfactory academic performance

While it can be difficult to temporarily set aside the troubling symptoms of your troubled teen’s behavior, it is best to try and think of the root cause of these problems as you decide what your troubled teen son needs from a boys’ ranch. While many boys’ ranches can address these symptoms, you don’t want to just put a band-aid on the issue. So, try to establish a baseline of what you believe your son needs. Some examples of this are:

• Intensive therapy at the ranch with multiple therapy options
• Specialized academic with remedial learning options
• A change in environment to assist in making permanent changes

Selecting A Ranch Close To Home Or Out-Of-State

Some parents want to select a troubled teen boys’ ranch which is close to home, so visits can be made more easily. When you review boys’ ranches, consider these things:

• Ranches require space – A functional ranch requires a lot of room to operate. Depending on where you live, it may be too expensive for a troubled teen boys’ ranch to set up operations. In fact, due to space constraints, many boys’ ranches are located in Western states.
• Family visits are easier with close ranch – Most boys’ ranches encourage family visits and some even have family therapy components. If you choose a nearby boys’ ranch, it will be easier to visit your troubled teen as he goes through the program.
• In-state ranch may not be far enough – As boys’ ranches are not locked facilities, troubled boys can run away from them. If you choose a ranch located near your home, it is possible that your son may run away and hid out with friends, refusing to return to the ranch.
• Close ranch may be less equipped – Each troubled teen boys’ ranch is different and some are better than others. A ranch which is closer to your home may not have the kinds of programs your troubled son needs. So, don’t discount a far-away ranch just because it is located further from your home.

Work With Troubled Teen Experts To Find A Boys’ Ranch

If you want to be sure you find the right boys’ ranch for your troubled teen son, contact us. We have years of experience helping families heal and come back together and are experts in the troubled teen industry.

Also, our help is completely free. As family advocates, our mission is to help families find solutions to help their troubled children, so we provide our consulting services for free to be sure everyone receives the advice they need to find the right programs for their troubled teens.