There are Many Therapeutic Boarding School Options to Consider
One of the best programs that I have seen (I’m a little biased) is the program called Heartlight that my wife and I started 20 years ago. Its relational atmosphere and structured setting amidst a staff that is passionate about helping your child stop the behavior being displayed and committed to helping you and your child find answers to the current struggles. The combination of activity, counseling, and structure, immersed in an arena of relationships provides a setting that encourages heartfelt change. Our admissions director can let you know whether Heartlight is “right” for your child, and if not, can offer some alternative types of programs that might better fit the needs of your child.
I won’t go into detail but would encourage you to look at all types of programs to find the best “fit.” And I would measure that “fit” by what is offered to your child, who the staff is, their counseling perspective, and the location of their program so that you will be able to participate in the process that your child is going through.
Make sure that the website you see matches the program you visit. If it’s a Christian program, ask what makes it one. While Heartlight offers Bible studies to kids, requires them to attend church, has an all Christian staff, and utilizes a Biblical Model of counseling, and does not “cram the Gospel” down a child’s throat, it’s merely offered in the context of personal relationships. Parent retreats, Family Retreats and constant contact with parents are essential. Small group therapy, interpersonal relationships with the staff, and activities designed to foster deeper relationships are crucial. Academics is but one part of this multi-faceted program where initial schooling is done on-property, and kids progressing through the program can eventually attend public school, which becomes a testing ground before a child returns home. Horses are a part of the program along with wake boarding, skiing, skateboarding, skeet shooting, and a weekly program that is packed with activity and determined to create an atmosphere to help your child get home as quickly as possible. Again, I’m biased. But we have strived to create the very best environment possible to help families and insure, as best we can, that the changes made at Heartlight will be carried through a child’s life.
Here are some other different types of programs:
A Wilderness Camp works well for those kids in a state of rebellion and need something to get their attention. They are usually a 30 to 60 day program, remove a child from a drug or alcohol environment, and allow him or her to spend time talking, reflecting, and confronting in an environment that is controlled by natural boundaries. My observations are that those who participate in wilderness programs usually need some type of follow-up residential program, like a Heartlight. The two programs working together work well in complementing each other and, in the long run, end up saving time and money.
Therapeutic boarding schools are just that. It is a boarding school that has an element of counseling or small group therapy involved, such as I have already mentioned with Heartlight. Emphasis at many therapeutic boarding schools is academics, and counseling is only a small part of their program. This is a perfect setting for some kids, and disastrous for others. Again, as in any setting, make sure the needs of your child can be met by the emphasis of the program you are placing your child.
There are also some boot camp programs and programs that operate oversees. I would encourage you explore any program like this with intensity, paying special attention to the staff of the program and their methods. Make sure you meet those who will be supervising your child. Moving a problem to another country where there is not oversight of programs or minimum compliance standards is not always the answer to your teen’s questionable needs. This may prevent your involvement with your child, and not give our child the adequate experience he or she needs.
To find out more information about alternatives, I would suggest that you to further explore the Internet and review the materials for each program. Ask the difficult questions; and make sure you visit the campus before placing your child anywhere. Always look at a program’s Board of Reference, and never place your child somewhere without talking to other parents who have placed their child with that particular program. And when requesting a list of parents to talk to, make sure that you talk to some parent’s whose child continues to struggle, to those who have had success, and to some that currently have a child in the program.
It’s a tough call to make. Not only when to send your child to a program, but where to send your child. They are two separate questions, and once the first question is answered, the second usually falls into place. But it will never be an easy process. Trying to determine who to entrust your child to is a difficult task. So, I always encourage parents to look at references, call former parents, ask about the staff’s background, their experience, and get a feel as to whether they are in it for the money, or because it is a calling. It will make a difference in the quality of the program, and will make a difference in the program that is offered to your child.