Is It Time To Send My Troubled Teen To A Boarding School?

Parents often struggle with knowing when its time to consider an out-of-home placement for a defiant teenager. This decision may seem complex at first, but is actually quite simple. The following guidelines will help you to make an informed decision.

1) Determine whether a change in the environment is needed. Youth tend to create an external environment that both complements and reflects their current attitudes and behaviors. That environment consists of the social relationships they maintain (friends), the places they spend their free time, the media they choose to consume (television, music, books, magazines, favorite internet sites, etc.), and the activities they choose to participate in. Every adolescent creates his or her environment and is heavily influenced by that environment. If the environment your child has created poses a serious risk with respect to their health, safety, or emotional/psychological well-being, a residential program should be a strong consideration for you. If a child has not surrounded themselves with a negative environment, but is having problems primarily at home, family counseling may be a better alternative since families can alter their home environment by changing themselves. Parents often have little or no control over an adolescents environment outside the home, especially when the child learns that many consequences are essentially unenforceable. If a child is making poor choices about what or whom they surround themselves with, it is usually necessary to introduce a new and positive environment to bring about change. This allows the child to clear their head of the constant negative stimulus they have invited into their lives and to stop and re-evaluate their lives while experimenting with a new set of choices. In order for adolescents to gain a desire to change, they must experience the consequences of different choices and learn that there are alternative ways of conducting themselves that bring more desirable results into their lives.

2) Evaluate your own effectiveness in resolving the problem at home. If you have reached your wits end in dealing with your childs behavior, or if your childs behavior is destroying your family life, it is probably time for an out-of-home placement. It is important for parents to consider the impact a defiant or angry teenager may be having on family connectedness and peace as well as younger siblings. The last thing you need is for your younger children to learn from or be affected by an older sibling that is out of control. Younger children idealize older siblings and often follow in their footsteps, for better or for worse. If your childs behavior has reached a level that is intolerable for you or other family members to deal with, more often than not, the situation is already beyond resolution without removing the child from the home for at least a few months in a residential setting.

3) Evaluate the effectiveness of other interventions you have experimented with. Many parents reading this article may have already attempted to use several interventions such as drug rehabilitation, professional counseling or therapy, private schools, day treatment programs, or even short-term residential programs. Each of these interventions can be effective in certain circumstances. However, note that none of these options remove a child from their environment (at least not for very long). If you have tried one or more of these interventions with limited or no success, its important to recognize that continuing the same strategy will virtually always get similar results. Counseling is rarely effective with adolescents who have no motivation to change. Teenagers are usually more intelligent than we give them credit for and quickly learn how to work the system. They discover that the best way to get everyone off their back is to say what counselors and parents want to hear. They also employ a number of other manipulative tactics such as guilt or getting counselors to focus on artificial problems. Some teens simply refuse to talk or when they do talk, they avoid dealing with anything that could lead to discomfort. Many short-term programs make big promises, but when teens come home, they rarely have experienced a change at a fundamental level. A smart teen knows how to bluff by showing superficial change after being in a drug-treatment program, day-treatment program, or short-term treatment program. The faade usually only lasts long enough to regain the trust of parents. After returning from such a program, many teens simply make greater efforts to keep their inappropriate activities covert but have made no real commitment to change. If you find yourself in these circumstances, your child probably needs a long-term residential program such as a specialized boarding school or residential treatment center. These programs allow adolescents the time to develop and internalize a new approach to life. They also are able to practice applying new skills, attitudes, and behaviors in a supportive and controlled setting. A long-term residential setting also can humble teens in such a way that they become teachable. Residential placements exert additional pressure for teens to change because they greatly limit the teens options: 1) Wait until I turn 18 and be miserable in the meantime; 2) Work on my problems. If a child has a year or longer to go until they reach age 18, working on their problems is usually the option they choose. In short, if you have tried everything and nothing has worked, its time to enlist the help of a long-term residential program.

4) Determine whether a less restrictive intervention such as those discussed in #3 above might be effective. Parents who have not tried other interventions can usually determine quite easily whether a given intervention is likely to work by asking themselves the following questions: 1) Is my teen willing to work on his/her problems? 2) Is the influence of the non-residential intervention I am considering likely to outweigh the negative impact of my teens current environment? If you can honestly answer yes to both of these questions, go ahead and try the intervention. If your answer to either question is no you are probably wasting your time and money. A teen who has no interest in working on his/her problems is not going to put the effort into outpatient therapy, a day-treatment program, or drug-rehabilitation program to make a significant change. They will probably just go through the motions to appease parents and professionals while continuing to act out or abuse drugs.

5) Assess whether your child is involved in a risky behavior that presents an immediate threat. If your teen has used serious drugs such as heroin, crack, cocaine, methamphetamine, inhalants, ecstasy, LSD, etc. you need to remove them from their environment immediately to prevent possible overdose. An addiction to any of these substances is almost certainly beyond your teens power to overcome on their own regardless of their desire to change. In some cases, you may want to utilize a detoxification facility or short-term (30 days or less) drug treatment center prior to admission to a long-term residential treatment center or specialized boarding school. Other problem behaviors that warrant an immediate out-of-home placement include but are not limited to prostitution, attempted suicide or serious self-harming behavior, use of intense anger, verbal abuse, and intimidation to manipulate others, explosive physical aggression or angry violent episodes. Residential placement is also recommended if a teen has been diagnosed with major depressive disorder, severe reactive attachment disorder, oppositional defiance disorder, or bi-polar disorder when medication and other interventions have failed.

Russ Bundy is the owner of Troubled Teen Programs website, visit http://www.troubledteenprograms.org for more information.download now arthur the adventure of the three students
free download the horse stealers and other stories anton chekhov ebook
conan the memoirs of sherlock holmes get it now
the darling and other stories chekhov get download ebbok
the adventure of silver blaze arthur read free
the duel and other stories anton chekhov get download ebbok
property sale
sleepy-eye anton read online ebook
get cheap laptop computers
46. linkin park - hit the floor.
free conan the boscombe valley mystery
504 plan treehouse talk
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
stock investment
free ebook download arthur the sign of four
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
polaris music from the adventures of pete
18. foo fighters - come back.
877. abba - super trooper
cheapest build your own laptop
mire anton free download ebbok
free computer recycling
rob zombie the sinister urge
u2 war
andrews estate agents
free download the secret of the tower anton ebbok
the grasshopper anton chekhov download
get cheap computer mouse
best computer chess
agatha christie the man in lower ten ebook download
best laptop video card
the adventure of the norwood builder arthur download free
read online the party and other stories anton chekhov book
download now the adventure of the dying detective
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
free the adventure of the empty house
download the schoolmaster and other stories chekhov
guster keep it together
free computer themes
read online a study in scarlet
the schoolmistress and other stories anton free download ebook
enya watermark
adobe photoshop cs2 download
get it now conan the adventure of the crooked man
download the party and other stories anton book
prize computer technician
1066. van halen - why cant this be love
the horse stealers and other stories chekhov download
free new laptops
download now arthur conan doyle the adventure of the second stain
get it now conan the man with the twisted lip
get free cheap notebooks
get it now arthur the boscombe valley mystery
a scandal in bohemia arthur conan doyle download free
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
get download the chorus girl and other stories chekhov ebbok
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
the lady with a dog and other stories chekhov free download ebook
1009. blondie - the tide is high
soundtrack 50 first dates
the adventure of the blue carbuncle arthur conan doyle free ebook
free download the lady with a dog and other stories anton chekhov book
the adventure of the abbey grange arthur get it now
child media file
read online conan the adventure of the dying detective
yet again max beerbohm
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
his last bow arthur get it now
get free clean laptop screen
read online the case-book of sherlock holmes
prize new laptops
the adventure of the resident patient download now
get download the horse stealers and other stories anton ebook
arthur conan doyle the adventure of the naval treaty free ebook
the return of sherlock holmes conan download now
the adventure of the stockbroker's clerk conan read online
buy cheap learning laptop
800. sos band - just be good to me
prize stolen laptop
best cheap notebook
read free arthur conan doyle the adventure of the speckled band
read online the secret adversary christie book
the adventure of the beryl coronet conan download free
cheap laptop lock
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
get cheap laptop cases
free ebook download arthur the red-headed league
the schoolmaster and other stories anton download ebook
conan the adventure of black peter read free
652. jet - look what you've done
read online the petcheneg anton chekhov
doyle the adventure of the abbey grange free
the adventure of the final problem free
the boscombe valley mystery free
read online sleepy-eye anton book
best macintosh computer
soundtrack chronicles of narnia
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
conan the adventure of the speckled band free
cheapest free laptops
soundtrack resident evil: apocalypse
letters of anton chekhov chekhov download book
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
get it now arthur conan doyle the adventure of the missing three-quarter
free ebook download doyle the adventure of the golden pince-nez
get it now doyle the adventure of the second stain
free 17 laptop
get download the bishop and other stories anton chekhov ebook
get online the bishop and other stories anton
viral marketing
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
10. inxs - us
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
beatles, the anthology 3 (disc 1)
best compaq presario laptop
the adventure of silver blaze free ebook download
free ebook arthur the adventure of the norwood builder
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
get free laptop hard drives
the wife and other stories chekhov free download
arthur the adventure of the crooked man free ebook
conan a scandal in bohemia download now
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
get online the wife and other stories chekhov ebook
Myrr-kisa
free download the horse stealers and other stories anton book
download the chorus girl and other stories anton chekhov ebook
adobe photoshop 7.0 mac
download free arthur conan doyle the return of sherlock holmes
cheap computer fan
310. the best of u2 - 1980 - 1990 - cd 2
248. pearl jam - rear view mirror disc 1 - track 3 - daughter
free ebook download the boscombe valley mystery
read online doyle the adventure of the missing three-quarter
download free doyle the adventure of the crooked man
read free arthur the adventure of the dying detective
arthur the adventure of the golden pince-nez get it now
internet selling uploader
best free computer wallpaper
grand opera house
song data file
the cook's wedding and other stories chekhov get online ebook
896. elvis presley - all shook up
get it now arthur conan doyle the adventure of the cardboard box
get free laptop speakers
letters of anton chekhov anton chekhov read online ebbok
toad the wet sprocket bread and circus
the adventure of the empty house arthur conan doyle read online
free download the black monk chekhov
get download murder on the orient express agatha christie book
the return of sherlock holmes conan free ebook
christie partners in crime get online
online storage gallery form
free doyle the adventure of the greek interpreter
a study in scarlet doyle free ebook
free ebook arthur the valley of fear
adobe photoshop cs serial number
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
free arthur conan doyle the adventure of the speckled band
raveonettes, the pretty in black
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
christie the man in lower ten download
tricky nearly god
get online the black monk chekhov ebook
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
read online the lady with a dog and other stories anton book
cheap used notebook
free conan the adventure of the speckled band
free computer components
prize computer security
sleepy-eye anton chekhov get download
cheap computer keyboards
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
the man with the twisted lip arthur free
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
marketing research
free download the secret of the tower chekhov
his last bow arthur free ebook download
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
blue october foiled
free ebook download arthur a case of identity
cheapest best computer
the adventure of silver blaze arthur read online
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
download free doyle the return of sherlock holmes
bad religion the empire strikes first
a study in scarlet free ebook
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
the adventure of the norwood builder arthur free
the cook's wedding and other stories anton get online ebook
letters of anton chekhov anton chekhov get online book
free download the duel and other stories chekhov ebbok
8. inxs - never let you go
the adventure of the empty house free
the swan song - anton chekov chekhov read online book
cheap computer jobs
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
read online the darling and other stories chekhov book
download the grasshopper anton chekhov ebbok
conan the adventure of the six napoleons free
cheapest laptop keyboard
christie murder on the orient express book download
the adventure of charles augustus milverton doyle get it now
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
free download the horse stealers and other stories chekhov ebook
the adventure of black peter arthur free ebook download
doyle the adventure of the noble bachelor free ebook download
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
arthur conan doyle the adventure of the stockbroker's clerk download now
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
arthur the valley of fear free ebook
free ebook the case-book of sherlock holmes
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
get download the party and other stories chekhov
prize computer graphics
papa roach getting away with murder
read online the horse stealers and other stories chekhov ebbok
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
unwritten law elva
free laptop sale
62. metallica - enter sandman.
arthur the adventures of sherlock holmes download free
the adventures of sherlock holmes arthur conan doyle download free
arthur conan doyle the memoirs of sherlock holmes read free
conan the adventure of the cardboard box get it now
free download the duel and other stories anton chekhov
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
read online the secret of the tower anton chekhov ebbok
adiemus the eternal knot
the petcheneg chekhov get online ebook
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
free discount laptop
arthur conan doyle the adventure of the three students free ebook
best computer stores
blue yster cult on flame with rock and roll
102. red hot chili peppers - teenager in love.
cheap computer review
cheapest used notebook
download free conan the adventure of the engineer's thumb
download the lady with a dog and other stories anton ebook
get free new laptops
get online the wife and other stories chekhov book
music upload sales photo
mire anton chekhov read online ebook
the party and other stories chekhov get download
get download love and other stories anton chekhov book
1130. the monkees - sometime in the morning
9. inxs - like it or not
doyle the adventure of black peter get it now
the adventure of wisteria lodge arthur conan doyle download now
download free arthur conan doyle a study in scarlet
prize laptop price
free ebook download conan the adventure of black peter
download now the adventure of charles augustus milverton
get cheap toshiba laptop l35 s2151
doyle the adventure of the crooked man download free
download the petcheneg anton chekhov
prize laptop docking station
conan the adventure of the cardboard box download now
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
the bishop and other stories chekhov get online ebook
609. afi - a winter's tale
download mire chekhov ebook
free ebook arthur conan doyle the adventure of silver blaze
166. the offspring - million miles away
love and other stories anton chekhov free download book
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
prize free computer wallpaper
the duel and other stories chekhov download
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
cheap laptop docking station
read online the duel and other stories anton ebook
doyle his last bow get it now
real estate agency
read online the secret of the tower anton
2. to look at you
doyle a scandal in bohemia read online
the adventure of the crooked man arthur conan doyle free ebook
free ebook download doyle the adventure of the solitary cyclist
get download the schoolmistress and other stories anton chekhov
read online the black monk chekhov book
free arthur the adventure of the solitary cyclist
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
the party and other stories anton chekhov download book
get online the man in lower ten agatha ebook
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
582. the killers - when you were young
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
the adventure of the stockbroker's clerk read free
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
the adventure of charles augustus milverton download free
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
read online the duel and other stories anton
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
letters of anton chekhov anton free download book
sleepy-eye anton get online
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
online market
the duel and other stories anton download ebbok
download the chorus girl and other stories anton chekhov book
best laptop lcd
free ebook arthur the adventure of the yellow face
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
conan read online
property search
buy cheap laptop keys
live drums
free computer sale
the adventure of the final problem free ebook download
arthur conan doyle the case-book of sherlock holmes read free
death cab for cutie you can play these songs with chords
grosvenor house
download free conan the adventure of the noble bachelor
1118. ritchie valens - sealed with a kiss
arthur the adventure of the crooked man download free
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
lewis
puddle of mudd life on display
anna nalick wreck of the day
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
cheap refurbished laptops
read free doyle the sign of four
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
get download mire anton chekhov book
free ebook download the adventures of sherlock holmes
get free slow computer
free download the swan song - anton chekov chekhov ebook
eminem the slim shady ep
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
free ebook download arthur conan doyle the boscombe valley mystery
free download mysterious affair at styles christie ebbok
the adventures of sherlock holmes arthur read online
get free sony computer
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
cheap hp laptop computers
download free conan the adventure of the dying detective
code, the rhetoric of reason ep
free download the secret adversary christie book
the boscombe valley mystery conan read free
download now arthur conan doyle the memoirs of sherlock holmes
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
get download the lady with a dog and other stories chekhov ebbok
download the party and other stories chekhov book
get online the secret of the tower chekhov ebook
mire chekhov get online ebook
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
cheapest computer table
the adventure of the cardboard box arthur free ebook
aqualung aqualung
best buy computer
download now conan the adventure of the empty house
get it now conan the adventure of the stockbroker's clerk
tribal
the adventure of black peter conan free ebook download
letters of anton chekhov anton read online book
the adventure of wisteria lodge conan read free
prize computer help
download now arthur the man with the twisted lip
1037. john denver - leaving on a jet plane
cure, the wish
october fall taking shape ep
smiths, the the queen is dead
the man with the twisted lip conan free ebook download
arcade fire funeral
147. sublime - what i got.
free download the swan song - anton chekov anton chekhov
doyle the adventure of the abbey grange download now
get download the chorus girl and other stories anton chekhov book
the lady with a dog and other stories chekhov free download book
free conan the adventure of the copper beeches
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
conan the adventure of black peter download free
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
prize kids computer
soundtrack the rocky horror picture show
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
conan free
best laptop ram
the valley of fear download now
759. disco tex
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
jayhawks, the tomorrow the green grass
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
get online the schoolmistress and other stories anton ebook
free download mire anton chekhov ebbok
free ebook download arthur the adventure of the beryl coronet
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
conan the adventure of the naval treaty get it now
conan the adventure of the six napoleons get it now
broken social scene you forgot it in people
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
kid rock live trucker
arthur conan doyle the adventure of the norwood builder free ebook download
free ebook download conan the hound of the baskervilles
dane cook retaliation: need
get it now doyle the adventure of the norwood builder
doyle the adventure of the missing three-quarter free
free ebook doyle the adventure of wisteria lodge
conan free
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
get cheap computer alarm
275. pearl jam - rear view mirror disc 2 - track 13 - i got id
conan the adventure of the six napoleons free ebook
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
352. the eagles - the boys of summer
download now a case of identity
arthur conan doyle the adventure of the copper beeches read online
get download mire chekhov book
7. robbie nevil - c'est la via
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
download now arthur the adventure of the crooked man
the wife and other stories chekhov read online book
cheapest laptop battery recall
cheapest gaming laptop
39. inxs-calling all nations.
free ebook arthur the hound of the baskervilles
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
the darling and other stories chekhov read online ebbok
1208. deep purple - speed king
read free doyle the adventure of the priory school
doyle a case of identity free ebook
free arthur the adventure of the yellow face
social marketing
read online love and other stories chekhov ebbok
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
arthur conan doyle the adventure of the blue carbuncle free
blue man group audio
664. something for kate - three dimensions
get free free laptop
music upload career hosting
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
aerosmith toys in the attic
free ebook download conan the adventure of the resident patient
the adventure of the cardboard box arthur conan doyle read online
cheapest lap top computers
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
free laptop review
get online letters of anton chekhov chekhov ebook
sublime stand by your van (live)
prize toshiba laptops
the horse stealers and other stories anton chekhov get online
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
unicorns, the unicorns are people too
buy cheap page computer
the petcheneg anton chekhov get download book
1144. bill haley
get free computer power supply
big boi speakerboxx
christie the man in lower ten ebook download
clash, the cut the crap
free ebook doyle the case-book of sherlock holmes
free arthur conan doyle the adventure of the greek interpreter
download love and other stories anton ebook
nickelback all the right reasons
get cheap macintosh laptop
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
get free cheapest laptop
read online mire anton ebook
agatha partners in crime book read online
the lady with a dog and other stories chekhov get online
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine
Welcome To Seek Free A Free Search Engine