Options on where to send troubled youth pop up to mind, for long, boot camps and boarding schools have appeared on mainstream TV as the last resort for troubled teens. Some have done well after such activities, but others, in studies, don’t show up as the answer for long term success. Every single person is confronted by life differently, so there’s no one solution that fits all. Parents and guardians can be at a crossroads in which, they have done more than they thought they could do already to get to their troubled teen. Even when known a troubled teen is acting out, they can fall into their learned behaviors.
Types of programs for troubled youth:
- Wilderness camps
- Behavior boot camps
- Residential treatment centers
- Therapeutic boarding schools
Getting your child in a position where he becomes willing to take responsibility for his actions, is crucial. People don’t have to attend every fight they’re invited to but is difficult to see the drastic changes adolescence can cause to your kid. They used to smile and ask to be around you all the time, they told you every single thing that they were thinking of until they were no longer hanging out with the family. The level of self-involvement the teen is experiencing is part of the life stage they are going through. Adolescence distorts the perception of the relationship with family, friends, community, and their environment.
The key to choosing the next steps for your family resides in your belief system.
A setup belief system can help to turn into that role model and abide by the rules that you set, giving a set of actions to hold your teen accountable for their behavior.
The same belief system can determine where to send your teen.
Setting up a list of things you desire to be worked with the teen, can give you an overview of what to look at in the websites of such youth programs. Little by little, you will see that getting a message with everyone that matches your belief system the most, can provide the safety you were looking for.
Other things to consider are:
- Location of such place
- Cost and financial aid
- Size of the capacity of the number of kids in such a program
- Spiritual affiliation, if they have one
- Cultural diversity
In the end, merging the belief system with the youth program is vital. Going to the program is part of the process, but to make it work in the long run, is to see an inner change. It is not guaranteed, nor immediate, everything takes time and genuine self-assessment. Getting help from the youth program that intertwines with your values creates the desired integration of the family. Once the integration of the family values can be set up on the same page, it creates a support system in which every family member is an important part. At Sunset Bay Academy, we have helped more than 950 families with teens ages 12-17 suffering from different academic and behavioral issues, integrating the family is part of creating a support system for each one of the family members.
Feel free to get in contact with us for more information on any of your questions.
