Types of Troubled Teen Programs

Types of Troubled Teen Programs

If you have a troubled teen and want to find some professional help, you may be advised by school counselors, family doctors or others to locate a teen help program for your child. This is not an easy thing to do, and it can be very overwhelming to decide what kinds of programs are out there and which one would be right for your child. Help Your Teen Now is a non-profit parent advocate group dedicated to helping parents of troubled teens find the best facilities out there.

Before you can decide on the right facility, it’s a good idea to learn more about the types of troubled teen programs that exist.

Wilderness Camps

These are short-term therapeutic camps that run for several weeks to several months. Generally set in more primitive conditions, teens are removed form their current negative environment of home and school and live outdoors. Experienced leaders, guides and counselors teach teens about self reliance, how to set up camp, cook, do chores and enjoy the beauty of nature.

Hiking, rock climbing, boating, fishing and more are usually a part of everyday life in a wilderness camp. These programs are excellent in getting troubled teens to start working on their issues and make the decision to strive for long-term change. Wilderness camps generally don’t have an academic component.

Behavior Boot Camps

Similar to wilderness camps, these short-term programs often have a military or warrior aspect to them. run with a structured schedule and approached somewhat similar to a military boot camp in lingo and rankings, these programs often feature an intense fitness component as well as therapy and activities.

Ideal for short-term change, a behavior boot camp can be a good jump start for troubled teens who are having a hard time committing to change. Behavior boot camps generally don’t have an academic component.

Residential Treatment Centers

These are long-term facilities where teens can receive clinical and medical aid for issues that require it, like ADD, eating disorders or substance abuse. Residential treatment centers can be short-term or long-term. The long-term facilities have an educational component where trained teachers work with teens to stay caught up on school.

Many residential treatment centers have structured activities and recreation components to help with each teen’s behavior modification goals. Therapy is a big part of a teen’s day here, with group and individual therapy sessions to address the teen’s issues.

Therapeutic Boarding Schools

Similar to residential treatment centers, therapeutic boarding schools are long-term teen help facilities that are run most like a school, with lots of students, regular classes, licensed teachers and more. Therapy also plays a big role, with individual and group therapy several times per week.

Extracurricular activities are plentiful in programs like this, and can range from traditional school clubs like drama and debate, or more unusual like horseback riding and skiing.