The teenage years are a particularly crucial time of learning and development. When severe behavioral issues disrupt this formative time, it can make a potentially permanent impact. If your teen is struggling, despite your efforts to help him make positive changes, it may be time to consider a solution that is a little more therapeutically immersive. Full time residential facilities are schools for troubled youth where they can receive full time care and support for issues like defiance, depression, anxiety, substance abuse and mental disorders. In such environments, teens are guided toward identifying the root of their issues and heal from the inside out.
What Factors Are The Most Important In A Full Time Program?
Because full time facilities are a significant emotional and financial investment, selecting the one that will fit your child’s needs can be intimidating. It is helpful to know what to look for in a school for troubled youth, so that you can make a confident and informed decision:
Safety – Not all teen help programs are governed by the same regulations. Each state has its own laws and many parents must look a little further from home to get the quality and accreditation they want. Make sure you carefully research each state you are considering to ensure that potential programs are safe and have experience in your son’s needs. Ultimately, location is less important than selecting the best match.
Personal Attention – Consider placing your son in a program that will individualize your son’s plan of care. Although your child’s symptoms may not be unique, his motivation process and personal challenges are. Consistent one-on-one coaching is necessary in order for the staff to create a treatment plan for your teen and update it as he works his way through the program.
Therapy Program – The more therapy options a teen has access to, the more likely he is to find a method of healing that resonates with him. Team building exercises, life skills opportunities and positive personal interaction can help keep boys engaged and moving in a positive direction.
Parental Involvement – You are an important part of your son’s healing process and no one knows his needs and challenges better than you do. Select a program that respects your role as the parent and ensures that you are involved and up to date on your son’s recovery process. After all, you are the one that is going to be on hand to help him maintain his hard work once he transitions back home.
Sundance Canyon Academy, a residential treatment center located in northern Utah, specializes in helping troubled teen boys overcome their challenges through a unique, relationship based therapy program. For questions about our program, or a free consultation, please call us at 1-866-678-2425.