When In-State Services Haven’t Helped, Consider an Out-of-State Therapeutic Boarding School

When In-State Services Haven't Helped, Consider an Out-of-State Therapeutic Boarding School

As a parent, you willingly do whatever it takes to help your struggling teen. You have tried working with the school, involving mentors, medications and counseling. However, nothing local has helped, and now it’s time to investigate other options. You might want to consider an out-of-state therapeutic boarding school for your adolescent.

Definition of a Therapeutic Boarding School

Therapeutic boarding schools focus on the behavioral and emotional needs of the young people who attend. They live on campus with 24/7 supervision, and students attend for one to two years, depending on the school parameters. In addition, teens receive help with physical, intellectual, familial and social needs. Some of these schools accept teens who are struggling with various types of addictions on a case-by-case basis.

School Qualifications

When searching for a therapeutic boarding school, confirm that the school is licensed or accredited. In addition, check out the credentials of all staff, including the teachers, therapists, counselors, medical personnel and administration. Try to get references from past clients when possible.

Questions to Ask

Now that you have decided to place your child in a therapeutic boarding school, you will need to determine which school is best for your teen. The following questions provide an excellent starting point as you make this important decision. As you are discussing these questions with staff, you might think of additional questions to ask.

  • What is the admissions procedure?
  • How much does the school cost? What does this expense include?
  • How much contact and what type of contact can I have with my child while he or she is here?
  • What type of licensing and accreditation do you have? What agency provided this?
  • What type of credentials does the staff have? Do you do background checks on everyone who works here, no matter their position?
  • What type of therapy will my child receive?
  • What should I do as a parent for my child while he or she is in your facility?
  • Do you offer family therapy?
  • What types of issues do you address during group therapy?
  • What type of academic curriculum do you use?
  • Do you have teachers or is the curriculum computer based?
  • Are the teachers certified or licensed?
  • Is the school accredited?
  • What is the teacher to student ratio?
  • Can credits obtained at the high school be transferred to other schools?
  • Do you offer high school diplomas?
  • Can my child take prescription medications? How do you handle distributing medications?
  • Does your staff participate in on-going training?
  • How do you handle medical or other emergencies?
  • What type of follow-up care do you offer?
  • Do you help students transition from your facility back to home? How?

Final Thoughts

If possible, visit the campus in person prior to making a final decision about where you will send your child. You will have a better feel for the type of environment where your student will attend.

Request Free Admissions Information

Step 1 of 3 - Your Contact Info

Written by Natalie

20 Mar, 2016

Recent Posts

Why We Are Seeing an Increase in Teen Anxiety

Why We Are Seeing an Increase in Teen Anxiety

Anxiety is a natural response to stress and fear. For years teens have been facing increasing pressure from school, sports commitments, family concerns, and even peer issues. With everything they’re struggling with, it makes sense that they would have increased...

Let’s Get Creative! How to Spark Your Teens Creative Side.

Let’s Get Creative! How to Spark Your Teens Creative Side.

While the summertime can burst with days of full-filled activities, most of the time is probably downtime for your teenager. This isn't bad; after all, time for rest and recovery is imperative. However, too many days of quiet time can lead to boredom for kids of all...

8 Ways to Stay Connected To Your Teen

8 Ways to Stay Connected To Your Teen

We live in an increasingly interconnected world. This is why it can sometimes be baffling that it’s not always easy to connect and stay connected with your teen. Most of the time, we have communication devices in our hands, using them to connect through social media...

Shy Teen? How to Make Friends!

Shy Teen? How to Make Friends!

If you are shy, you probably know how frustrating it can be to try and make friends. This is particularly true if you have to move to a new school or town and you don’t know anyone. Thankfully, some excellent ways to make friends when you are a little shy will work no...

Defiant Teen Behavior Lying and Stealing

Defiant Teen Behavior Lying and Stealing

Rarely do you meet a person who never tells a lie. Even the best of us may stretch the truth when serving our needs. Children and teens will often tell lies to get themselves out of trouble. It can become frustrating when a teen starts to act out, be defiant, and...

Summer Fun Tips for Tweens

Summer Fun Tips for Tweens

There’s nothing quite like the excitement of the end of the school year. For parents, it can mean fewer mornings rushing around and fewer afternoons ferrying kids to an assortment of activities. For students, it means a long summer of fun stretching ahead of them...

You May Also Like…

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *