When reading comments such as: “the at risk youth programs near me are not helping me”, is time to check what is going on. In some states, the teens know the loopholes to get out of the programs, due to other at risk teens telling them how to or they find out on their own. This situation puts the kids again in their risk-taking behavior. They just say they don’t want to be there and they can’t be stopped. Parents are left to see another way to get them in or on another youth program to actually keep them off of trouble.
One of the things professionals recommend parents and guardians is to help the teen get in a structure. To make them feel secure in an environment. It is easier said than done. Getting them in a structured habit of going to school and avoiding old patterns, cannot be forced, the teen has to cooperate one way or another to stay on track.
School is not the only place in which they see the behavior of at risk teens. Teens that part-take in activities such as: Been absent from home without parents’ consent, violent behavior towards their caregivers, themselves, or any person that crosses them, substance or drug abuse puts them at risk of getting involved with the juvenile justice system.
Many programs could be failing because they are just focusing on getting the teens to pass school, or getting them to be okay while on the program. If the teen does not respond, they are bounced around from residential treatment centers to foster homes and back again. They could relapse at some point with the negative behavior.
Once something is done to be able to receive help but doesn’t last, they might lose hope. Keeping that hope up to get them into a secure mental state can be done with an integrated program. When we say integrated, we talk about getting the family members to work with the program professionals so the family builds those strong trustworthy bonds. Once the integration of the family values can be set up on the same page, it creates a team, a team that stands as an important support system in which every family member is an important part.
Creating a safe environment that the child needs, helps build skills to break cycles of negative risk-taking, violence, and future addiction relapse. Putting the possible loopholes in perspective (of some youth programs), can help to put things into perspective on how to work together – Family and the youth program team -.
At Sunset Bay Academy, we have experience with such cases of at risk youth. We know there is always a way to carve out a new path in life for our children. Integrating the family is part of building a support system for each one of the family members, which can help your child’s future.
Feel free to get in contact with us, ask us about how our program can help your family.
