What Are the Differences Between the Different Types of Programs for Troubled Teens?
Written by Craig Rogers, Posted on , in Section Teens & Tweens
Therapeutic boarding schools and residential treatment centers help troubled teens who are experiencing mild to severe issues affecting young people, and are sometimes the most effective treatments. These schools help students keep up on their academic work while managing their emotional and behavioral problems. By enrolling your adolescent in a safe, nurturing environment, you allow them to focus on their problems and learn about themselves. Boys and girls in these programs can continue their education while learning healthy coping skills all under the supervision of qualified therapists.
Step-Up or Step-Down What's the Difference?
Therapeutic boarding schools or emotional growth schools are not all the same. The general idea is to balance an education with a certain level of suitable supervision and counseling, about 50% therapy and 50% academics, all in a safe living environment. Some of these programs focus on helping with emotional obstacles, while others work more with behavioral challenges, and some provide a combination of both. They also place a higher priority on involving the family participation.
RTCs Offer More Intensive Intervention
The residential treatment centers of today have psychiatrists working with the students on a regular basis, usually in staff and on site. The emphasis is on therapy, both individual, group and family. But, they have an accredited school, as well. They offer more intensive intervention than therapeutic boarding schools. Not only do they usually provide different therapies but they integrate family work whenever possible.
They specialize in different treatments, such as mental health, psychiatric issues, substance abuse. Some offer interventions as dual diagnosis treatments dictate, such as helping with both addiction and mental health or eating disorders and behavioral obstacles. Others direct specific care to treating depression and anxiety. Whatever the direction, these programs can be wonderfully nurturing. although academic credits are available, the balance of focus, being 75% on therapy and 25% on academics, is a quite a bit different than the step down.
