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Boot Camps & Military Schools in Washington
Military schools and highly structured boot camps in Washington may seem like the answer to your teen’s bad behavior, which probably includes defiance, substance abuse, violence, or threats of violence and depression. HelpYourTeenNow is a parent advocate group that wants to make your search for the right teen therapeutic program as informative and accurate as possible. We can answer your questions because we’ve been in the same position with our children. Before you commit to a military school or teen boot camp program, give us a call to see if that is the right program for your child.
Military Schools and Boot Camps Aren’t the Best Options for Troubled Teens
There are many other options for at-risk teens than military schools and boot camps. These programs are not designed to help teens recover from the deeper issues that may be causing the poor behavior. Military schools are legitimate academic institutions, while boot camps are generally private programs designed to push teens into compliance via strict structure and extreme physical activities. Neither of these options is successful in treating teens for the long term, and they don’t have actual therapists on staff. Choose programs that have proven their approaches work.
Washington Regulatory Laws
The Residential Treatment Facility, a part of the Washington Department of Health, must license facilities that provide treatment, therapy, and residential services to juveniles. https://doh.wa.gov/licenses-permits-and-certificates/facilities-z/residential-treatment-facilities-rtf
Any treatment facility that includes an academic program as a private school is not required to become accredited (RCW 28A.305.130(5). Any teachers at such schools must hold a state certificate (RCW 28A.195.010(3). The curriculum of private schools throughout Washington state must include all subjects that will make it possible for students to meet the state board of education graduation requirements (RCW 28A.195.010(7)(8) et seq.)
(U.S. Department of Education, State Regulation of Private Schools, 2009)
Reference: https://www2.ed.gov/about/inits/ed/non-public-education/regulation-map/index.html
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Educational Recources
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Washington Regulatory Laws
The Residential Treatment Facility, a part of the Washington Department of Health, must license facilities that provide treatment, therapy, and residential services to juveniles. https://doh.wa.gov/licenses-permits-and-certificates/facilities-z/residential-treatment-facilities-rtf
Any treatment facility that includes an academic program as a private school is not required to become accredited (RCW 28A.305.130(5). Any teachers at such schools must hold a state certificate (RCW 28A.195.010(3). The curriculum of private schools throughout Washington state must include all subjects that will make it possible for students to meet the state board of education graduation requirements (RCW 28A.195.010(7)(8) et seq.)
(U.S. Department of Education, State Regulation of Private Schools, 2009)
Reference: https://www2.ed.gov/about/inits/ed/non-public-education/regulation-map/index.html
Educational Recources
Statistics for At-Risk Washington Teens
ADD/ADHD
- 7.1%
7.1% of Washington 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
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/data/diagnosis-treatment-data.html
TEEN PREGNANCY
10 per 1,000 females
Washington has a rate of 10.1 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
1229
Washington had 1229 deaths caused by suicide in teens in 2021. (CDC State by State Suicide Rates, 2021)
SUBSTANCE ABUSE
- 9.83%
9.83% of Washington teens report abusing alcohol within the last month, and 11.11% report using illicit drugs such as prescription painkillers and cocaine. (NCDAS, Drug Use Among Youth: Facts & Statistics 2022)
VIOLENT CRIME
583
Juvenile arrests in Washington for 2021 included 71 juvenile arrests for aggravated assault, 52 arrests for robbery, 258 arrests for theft, 168 arrests for drug abuse, and 34 arrests for weapons violations. (Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 2021 Statistics)
https://www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/crime/qa05103.asp?qaDate=2020&text=yes
GRADUATION RATES
- 83%
For the 2020-2021 school year, Washington reported an 83% high school graduation rate. (National Center for Education Statistics 2021)
https://www.governing.com/gov-data/high-school-graduation-rates-by-state.html
Summary
We Can Help!
At-risk teens need to learn new and better ways of approaching the challenges and obstacles that life has in store, and military schools and boot camps do not teach these. Instead, we’ll guide you toward workable residential solutions during our free consultation. Help Your Teen Now will advise you on your options and give you the best recommendations for your teen in your area. Your teen will get the structure, discipline, and therapy all in a supervised setting designed to nurture, not degrade.