Teen Help For Parents
As parents or Guardians attempt to find a facility that best fit their teen’s needs, there is information a Parent or Guardian should gather from potential facilities to help parents or guardians make an informative and effective choice on a facility. Below is a list of questions a parent and guardians should ask their list of potential facilities.
Is your program licensed and accredited?
The licensing of a facility varies in each state. Rule of thumb always ask the facility what regulatory agency does the facility report to when it needs to stay current on its licensing; especially if the facility experiences and infraction of requirements that the state may require from the facility.
What is the usual length of stay (longer stays often bring better outcomes)?
Length of stay is important to anyone who has a child in a facility, for a couple reasons. Studies show that the longer the stay the better the chance that a youth internalizes what is being taught at these facilities. (Magellan Health Services Children’s Services Task Force, 2008) Average stay for youth in facilities is 9-12 months. Another reason to know the length of stay of a youth is time is of the essence. Studies show that success of your teen depends on how well the youth’s family adjust and prepare the home for their and improved teen as he or she comes home. (Magellan Health Services Children’s Services Task Force, 2008) A family may need to solve issues that are separate from their troubled teen.
Typically, an effective facility’s clinical staff will ask family members to do some changing of attitudes, behaviors, habits, sometimes even the physical lay out of the troubled teen’s home. It is important to remember that your teen’s success is primarily depended on his or her family’s involvement. Another reason a parent may want to know the length of stay is due to financial constraints that may affect length of a teen’s stay.
What is your scope of services or what type of treatment do you offer?
Most, facilities vary in the scope of their services. Generally, most facilities offer therapy, education and life skills. Some facilities specialize in eating disorders and substance abuse. There are facilities that serve and focus their efforts on a population with more serious issues such as sex offenders.
What’s the staff-to-student ratio?
This is an important question for two reasons. First, most states have a staff to patient ratio that a facility must follow, typically a 1 to 4 ratio is required as a state regulation but it is also the most effective staff to patient ratio, especially with troubled teens. The second reason this is an important question, is that there is safety in numbers. Studies show that as numbers increase in students but not in the staff, it lessens the effectiveness of treatment. For example, a 1 to 6 ratio means that 2 out of the 6 students will only get half of the focused-treatment needed (Vorrath, 1996). To better illustrate this claim, if the ratio was 1 to 8, 4 students are now only getting half the treatment needed.
Are treatment programs based on gender or age?
As facilities focus their efforts on helping troubled teens, they may specialize and prefer a certain age group and age group. Facilities may concentrate on a certain gender group because they are better equipped for boys as compared to girls or vice versa. Age is a big deciding factor for facilities when it decides on which teen they will and will not accept; because maturity plays a central role in how a person receives and reacts to clinical, educational and emotional assistance. For instance, a youth that is twelve year old may need more stringent structure and more guidance in sorting through his or her emotions, as compared to a seventeen year old boy or girl who may need less structure and emotionally mature. (Dunn, Gable & Lyman, 2008)
Are family members involved in treatment?
Studies show that in order to decrease recidivism in troubled teens, there needs to be a strong and very involved support system; before, during and after the youth’s stay in a facility. (Magellan Health Services Children’s Services Task Force, 2008)
What is its guiding philosophy?
A guiding philosophy is value system that extends through a facility— from its students, its staff, and administrators; even into the homes of those loved ones who have a teen attending the facility. The philosophy can also be what treatment model the facility uses. Here is a list of a few of the models used in facilities.
- Psychoanalytical Model
- Peer Culture Model
- Behavioral Model
- Wilderness Therapy Model
What’s the cost? Will insurance cover it? Is there financial assistance?
Facilities should have a variety of financial resources. It is important to explore all the financial options a facility offers. Some insurance companies will pay partial tuition. Some States will pay full tuition if your teen qualifies for aid, due to learning disabilities or some other inherit struggle. Some facilities act as a liaison between parents and financial institutions when parents are seeking financial assistance.
How long does my child need to be in your facility before you start your discharge plan?
This may seem like an odd question, even when you have not placed your teen with the potential facility. An effective facility will usually start your teen’s discharge plan at the time of admission (Magellan Health Services Children’s Services Task Force, 2008). Effective discharge planning takes intense family involvement and facilitation of services from youth’s home community organizations such as AA, NA, United Way, Boys and Girls Club or the YMCA.
An effective facility should have resources and services to successfully acclimate your teen back into his or her normal life setting with the confidence, skills and knowledge to resist the negative influences that your teen once struggled to overcome.