Debunking the Myths About Therapeutic Boarding Schools for Troubled Teens

What are therapeutic boarding schools?

Therapeutic boarding schools × Therapeutic boarding schools
Therapeutic boarding schools are A therapeutic boarding school (TBS), alternatively known as boarding schools for troubled teens, is a boarding school based on the therapeutic community model that offers an educational program together with specialized structure and supervision for students with emotional and behavioral problems, substance abuse problems, or learning difficulties. Therapeutic boarding schools for troubled teens, much like a regular boarding school, require students to stay for a duration of 9- 12 months out of the year. While focusing on therapeutic rehabilitation, students also participate with their studies, as they would at a traditional boarding school. As of 2005, the United states reportedly had 140 therapeutic boarding schools. As of today, there are close to 300. Therapeutic boarding schools are widely considered to be the teenage equivalent of residential treatment centers. The main difference between the two is therapeutic boarding schools' emphasis on education as well as therapeutic and behavioral rehabilitation.
are often confused with other forms of treatment such as a residential treatment center (RTC) but there are important differences. Unlike facilities primarily focused on treating issues such as substance abuse × Substance Abuse
Substance Abuse /sub.stance/ /a.buse/ Substance abuse is defined as the use of a chemical substance that has an effect on humans or animals improperly or in a negative view or purpose. Substances involve different types of drugs and also alcohol.  The misuse of a chemical substance can be very dangerous and can be the cause of many different types of problems such as impairment and also distress. Along with physical problems that can come from recurrent substance abuse, there are many  other problems that can occur.  A lack of interest in schooling and work can lead to failure fulfillment of roles and obligations in different settings of life.  Also, a poor performance in daily actions can be a cause. Substance abuse is a problem that is important to deal with in an appropriate manner.  There are many different programs that are available to help fix these types of problems to rehabilitate someone’s life. More information about substance abuse in the US The national institute on drug abuse characterize substance abuse as, "as a chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences. It is considered a brain disease because drugs change the brain; they change its structure and how it works. These brain changes can be long lasting and can lead to many harmful, often self-destructive, behaviors.' When pertaining to the adolescent brain and psyche, substance abuse and addiction is one of the most dangerous and common negative behaviors in troubled youth. Teenagers who participate in drug abuse are either not aware of the potential permanent damage they are causing themselves, or simply don't care. It is because of this reason that parents of substance abusing teens need to seek immediate treatment for their son or daughter. Fortunately for parents, there is a multitude and increasing number of options to choose from in terms of rehabilitation. Furthermore, parents of substance abusing teens need to seek treatment for their teens promptly.
to sometimes excluding related issues that contributed to the problems with struggling teens, a therapeutic school provides treatment in a more nurturing, supportive atmosphere conducive to healing.

Therapeutic boarding schools are intended to serve multiple purposes and offer more achievable benefits, including most of the following:

• They can help teens with failing grades and other academic challenges improve their scholastic standings to get back on track for graduation.
• They can help troubled teens × Troubled Teens
  Troubled Teens /trou.bled/ /teens/ n. Noun A troubled teen is defined as a person that is between the age 13-19 that is beset by problems or conflict. Every Teenager faces problems that they must encounter in their life.  Problems arise in every person’s life both big and small yet sometimes we allow even the most insignificant of problems affect our lives.  Sometimes with teenagers they allow trials in their life greatly affect them in negative ways.  Typically when a person (typically teenagers) face problems in their lives, the ability to cope with the problem does not exist.  When teenagers turn to other things to cope with the feelings of the problems that they usually face  things such as drugs and alcohol, pornography, criminal activity, etc. It is important to find help for troubled teens as soon as possible.  There are many different programs that are available to help troubled teens with the problems that they face each with a different approach and nature to the program.
  with behavior modification approaches to managing stress and anger.
• They can offer spiritually-based guidance and treatment modalities to improve healthy communication and other life skills × life skills
  noun the ability to cope with stresses and challenges of daily life, esp. skills in communication and literacy, decision-making, occupational requirements, problem-solving, time management and planning Many life skills are learned or obtained during the time of adolescence. Sometimes, for one reason or another, adolescents are ill prepared for life ahead of them due to their poor development of life skills. For these types of young men and women, life is a daily struggle as they fall farther behind due to their ignorance. Mental health, intelligence and social environments play a big role of the development of a person's life skills. If a person is struggling with a mental illness, they are less likely to develop necessary life skills than that of a fully functioning and mentally healthy adult. Troubled youth who fail to learn basic or necessary life skills can find vocational, therapeutic and life skill building essentials at any of the following troubled teen services: residential treatment facilities, wilderness therapy, therapeutic boarding schools, group homes for troubled teens, adventure therapy
  .

Therapeutic boarding schools may include spiritually-connected schools such as Christian boarding schools or reflecting other faiths.

Therapeutic boarding schools may be academically accredited by the National Independent Private Schools Association as well as the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP), a non-profit organization of nationally-accredited or state-licensed therapeutic programs.

Accreditation is seldom awarded to groups claiming to be “wilderness” or “boot camps × Boot camps
The Merriam- Webster dictionary provided the following definitions for boot camps: A military training camp for new recruits, with strict discipline. a prison for youthful offenders, run on military lines." a short, intensive, and rigorous course of training." Boot camps are also utilized by parents of troubled teens. These boot camps, or brat camps as they are sometimes known as, offer the strict discipline and intense physical training that traditional boot camps offer. When referring to the treatment of troubled teens, boot camps have recently become an a treatment option for parents to consider. Boot camps are often times utilized by parents of teens who display out of control behaviors and are desperate for assistance in treating their child's abnormal, negative behaviors. The overall effectiveness of these types of treatment programs have been heavily scrutinized by therapeutic and mental health professionals. Boot camps are generally considered as a "quick fix," and offer little or no long lasting changes.
’ or following other more draconian approaches. Therefore, parents need to be cautious and educate themselves about the differences in what they and their teen can expect in the kinds and success of programs when considering the options for their teen.

What therapeutic boarding schools are not:

A therapeutic boarding school has nothing in common with the following types of programs which have come under criticism for being harsh, or even punitive, as well as largely ineffective in achieving long-term improvement results.

• Residential treatment center (RTC) – while these may have a valid place in a troubled teen’s treatment, they may not provide the same levels of personalized and caring services as therapeutic facilities.
• “Wilderness camps”
• “Boot camps”

A reputable therapeutic boarding school has nothing in common with boot camps or other extreme programs, but instead offers pro-active and supportive programs designed to encourage teens to heal and take charge of their lives.

Other myths about therapeutic boarding schools

Outdated prejudices and misconceptions can hinder parents’ decisions to seek the best help for their children. Here are some of the more common fallacies:

My teen will feel as if he or she has been abandoned

While some parents feel guilty about even thinking about a boarding school or that they’ve somehow failed as parents, the truth is that while teens may not welcome the more controlled environment × Environment
n.noun en·vi·ron·ment The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines environment as the surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives or operates. A person's environment, or social surroundings, have an enormous impact on the way that person thinks and operates. If a person is surrounded by negativity, he/she is more likely to replicate that negativity and display negative behaviors in other areas of life. The environment of a troubled teen can often be the root cause or factor in the troubled adolescent's negative behavior. When an impressionable teenage boy or girl is surrounded by negative peers, it is common for these teens to develop negative behaviors themselves. It is for this reason that parents should be aware of their child's social surroundings and environmental influences. If a teenage boy or girl is troubled, a total change in their environment may be in order. By replacing a troubled teen's negative environment with that of a therapeutic, nurturing and rehabilitative environment, troubled adolescents are able to emotional, therapeutic and behavioral restoration.
and may be angry at first, you – and they – know that you are getting him or her the best possible help to ensure future success in life.

A boarding school will be so strict that my child won’t be allowed to have fun

While a good school will have rules, curfews and other high academic and related standards, “experiential therapy × Therapy
n.noun ther·a·py Therapy is a treatment intended to relieve or heal a disorder or disease. Therapy generally consists of two kinds: medical and psychotherapy. Medical therapies treat diseases of the human body such as cancer. Psychotherapies treat the mind of therapeutically or emotionally damaged individuals. Different Types of Psychotherapy: - Psychoanalytic Therapy - Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy - Group Therapy - Behavior modification - Biofeedback - Collaborative therapy - Family therapy - Marriage counseling - Music therapy - Parent management training - Relationship counseling - Social Therapy - Systemic therapy - Therapeutic community - Twelve-step programs - Wilderness therapy Therapy for troubled teens has become an increasingly popular opportunity for troubled adolescents today. Therapies are offered at many services for troubled teens such as, wilderness therapy programs, residential treatment programs and boarding schools for troubled youth. The most effective type of therapy greatly depends on the individual teen and what psychological and emotional issues the particular adolescent struggles with.
” is an important component of a good school and which may involved activities such as skiing, hiking, weightlifting or kayaking. Not only are these enjoyable and physically healthy but they help teens burn off excess energy while building self-esteem and positively impacting a teen’s recovery.

Therapeutic boarding schools change behavior through punishment and other harsh methods

Thanks to great strides made in adolescent psychotherapy and other behavioral, rehabilitation and medical areas, troubled teens today are able to get the help they need without resorting to harsh methods or tearing apart families as has happened in some “boot camp” or similar “tough-love” organizations. Effective, innovative programs now exist to help out-of-control teens and their families overcome struggles with anger, substance abuse or other destructive behaviors. Teens who now enter therapeutic boarding schools can expect to be welcomed by faculty and staff as respected and valued individuals in search of improving their lives.

Parents who enroll their children in therapeutic boarding schools are bad parents

While acknowledging the strong influence that parents can have over their children, there are also many diverse factors that affect teens’ choices, many of which are beyond the parental control. Parents need to remember that they have done their best to cope with a teen’s behavior issues and will continue to do what’s in their child’s best interests. Getting the right help for your teen is one of the most wonderful acts of love you can do for him or her.

A boarding school won’t let me visit my teen

If parents are already psychologically isolated from their teen, the fear of further separation can seem overwhelming. It’s true that many schools limit phone calls or visits during the period immediately following initial entry to give your teen time to adjust to new surroundings, people and schedules. Later on, visits and phone calls from family are not only encouraged but in some cases, required for successful treatment. Correspondence by mail is almost always permitted, even in the very beginning.

Something to keep in mind

Remember that there are degrees of excellence in therapeutic boarding schools as with any other institution. Some may be a better fit for your teen’s unique needs than others, so research thoroughly before deciding.  If you would like to skip the research and instead get three recommendations that are suited for your child, choose the Teen Treatment Programs Recommendations option on the services page.  In future blogs we’ll discuss the benefits of a good therapeutic school as well as what to look for when making this important choice.