The decision to send your child to a boarding school for troubled teens isn’t an easy one. But after years of trying everything possible to help them, it becomes a matter of last resort. You don’t want to send them away, but you know a secure environment with trained professionals in both therapeutic practices and academics is the best way forward.

Now that the choice is made, the logistics come into play. How in the world are you supposed to afford it? The average cost of a therapeutic boarding school, which includes both medical and academic care, is around $60,000 per year. All of this is out of pocket for most families, as insurance plans rarely cover therapeutic boarding schools in the same way they do residential treatment centers.

Going through the financial aid office of your chosen program will help ascertain whether or not insurance is going to cover some of the cost. Otherwise, you will need to figure out a financing plan that works with your budget.

Here are some ways parents finance boarding school for troubled teens.

Education Loans

The most common first step will be to try for education loans, which are offered through most financial institutions. Because a therapeutic boarding school is part education program, you can qualify for loans designated for education costs.

Sometimes you can also get medically based loans, though check with your bank and with the chosen program before applying. Not all boarding schools will be recognized as a residential treatment center, which could lead to complications or even fraud accusations.

Payment Plans

Most therapeutic boarding schools have financing plans through their institution so you can pay back the tuition over time. In that case, you will sign some kind of contract to pay a certain amount monthly, quarterly or annually.

Sometimes this will come with an interest amount, but that depends on the school you select.

Refinancing

This is the more extreme option that some families take, which is to refinance their home in order to pay for one or two years at a boarding school. It might seem like a serious commitment, but remember that you are investing in the future of your child. For those who are facing serious struggles and nothing else has worked, it is worth the trouble.

Talk to your chosen program about possible discounts for paying tuition up front, as well as what is not covered in school costs.

Find out more at Liahona Academy.

Reaching the conclusion that your troubled teen son may need help beyond your ability to provide it at home is difficult. It can cause some parents to shy away from sending their sons out-of-state for the treatment they need, as these parents feel guilty for not being able to provide for all their children's needs by themselves.

There is nothing to feel ashamed about if you find that your troubled teen son is in need of intensive therapeutic treatment. For those troubled boys in need of treatment at a residential treatment center for troubled teens, the best thing their parents could have done was to send them out-of-state to be treated.

Residential Treatment Gives Your Teen Son Time To Reflect

When you son attends a residential treatment center outside of his home state, he has more opportunities to reflect on his behavior and life while making positive changes. This reflection and change can be ascribed to several factors.

• Distance from bad influences - Often, when teenagers begin acting out and displaying troubled behaviors, there are negative influences which are encouraging their poor behavior.  By attending a residential treatment center out-of-state, teens are removed from these influences and aren't having their poor behavior encouraged and reinforced.
• Temptations are farther away - Residential treatment centers are not locked facilities, so it is possible for troubled teens to sneak out of the facility, even with staff to discourage this behavior. Teens are more highly likely to try and leave the treatment center if they attend a residential treatment center in their home state.
• Gives time and space to miss family - The old saying "Absences makes the heart grow fonder," and it holds true with troubled teens. Far away from their families and under the guidance of professionals, troubled teens can relearn to love and appreciate their family member.

Better Treatment May Be Available Outside Your State

One of the main reasons you should consider an out-of-state is that the best treatment for your troubled teen may be located outside of your state. As you consider out-of-state residential treatment centers, look for:

• States' legislation with strong protections for the troubled teens which are in their state for residential treatment.
• Intensive therapeutic program to help the teens address the root of their struggles.
• A robust academic program with extracurriculars to engage the teens.
• Individual treatment plans for each teen which attends the treatment center.

If you are looking to send your son out-of-state to a residential treatment center, consider sending him to Liahona Treatment Center. We are dedicated to helping troubled teen boys change their lives and reunite with their families. For more specific information on our program, contact us.

The other shoe has dropped. Your child has been struggling for awhile and the situation has become dire enough to require inpatient treatment. You are planning to admit them to a residential treatment center as they begin to manage their conditions full time and you aren’t sure of what to do.

Your first step is usually a family trip to the center in order to see what it is your child will be doing during their stay. Here is how to prepare for the trip.

Make a List of Questions As a Family

You probably have several logistics questions on your mind. Sometimes questions that are more personal in nature can get lost in the mix. What will your child be doing day to day? How many people are usually in a therapy group? Can they call you any time or are there set times only? What kind of topics are usually discussed in therapy sessions and what about religious concerns? Will they have time to do fun things while there?

Sit down with your family and put together a list of items to discuss during the visit. Make sure the child being admitted has a chance to ask their own.

Find Out About Personal Items

What personal items are allowed at the residential treatment center? Every center has prohibited items that the require to have off the floor at all times. Some will allow them to bring a pillow or blanket with them (some do not, due to bedbugs concerns), brushes, makeup, books, art supplies, stuffed animals, ect.

Be sure you double check the items allowed before packing them for your child or bringing them on a visit. If an item is not allowed they will be confiscated and held until the child is released, at which point it will be returned at the time of discharge.

Start Working Out Financial Plans

Paying for a residential treatment center can be extremely stressful. Make sure you have a plan in place from the beginning. Find out if your insurance will cover the whole or part of the program. Set up a payment plan for whatever is not covered.

Administration at residential treatment centers are dedicated to the care and healing of your child. They are able to work with families to find a solution that works for them. In some cases, they may enact a short stay to stabilize teens on medication or care plans, then release them and continue outpatient therapy.

Find out more at Liahona Academy.

Finding out that your teenage son self-harms can be terrifying for any parent to learn. While most parents would do their best to support and help their son at home, the factors outside of the house which drove their sons' to self-harm still exist.

One proven way to help a self-harming, struggling teen boy is to attend a therapeutic boarding school for troubled teens.  With professional staff who have a great deal of experience working with a variety of troubled teens, teenagers who self-harm can learn ways to respond to their troubled feelings and experiences appropriately.

Therapeutic Intervention For Teen With Self-Harming Habits

Once removed from the environments which were potentially triggering the self-harming habits, troubled teen boys attending therapeutic boarding school will undergo therapeutic intervention. Each boy in the therapeutic boarding school has an individualized care plan, and for those struggling with self-harming tendencies, a large part of the teen's personal plan will address this issue.

Some of the ways this kind of plan can be enacted are:

• Individual therapy - In individual talk therapy sessions, not only will therapist address the self-harming habit but also the causes behind the dangerous practice.
• Group therapy - Working with other troubled teen boys with similar issues can help teen boys feel less isolated in their struggles. Also, the positive peer support can assist self-harming boys to overcome their impulse to self-harm.
• Directed reflection - Troubled teen boys are given time to work on personal therapy homework, which can involve different forms of self-examination. Also, our treatment center here at Liahona encourages healthy spirituality based on the parent's preferred religion.
• Careful monitoring - Even teens who are trying hard to avoid self-harming can backslide at times and attempt to engage in self-harm. Students at therapeutic boarding schools are carefully monitored, and one with a care plan indicating trouble with self-harm will be even more closely observed.

Harmful Habits Redirected At Therapeutic Boarding Schools

As troubled teen boys work to rid themselves of their impulse to self-harm, the redirection of that impulse plays an essential role at therapeutic boarding schools. Some of the activities the teen boys engage in to keep them distracted from harmful habits are:

• Academics - While some boys fall behind due to the circumstances surrounding their self-harm habits, therapeutic boarding schools provide supportive environments where the boys can catch up and academically excel at subjects they may have previously struggled with understanding.
• Extra-curriculars - Outside of the core academic subjects like math, science, English, and others, many therapeutic boarding schools offer extra-curricular activities such as culinary arts, service projects, outdoor adventures, and music studies.

Not all schools are equally up to the task of helping teen boys struggling with self-harm. Liahona Treatment Center does have staff experienced in helping boys overcome self-harm and other self-destructive habits. Contact us to see if your son is a good fit for our program.

Accepting that your child is a bully is difficult. You listen to the stories of what they have done to other children with a sinking heart and a great deal of guilt. How did this happen? What did you do to raise a child who would be so cruel?

The truth is that bullying is a complicated issue and one that isn’t always so cut and dry as their upbringing. A parent can do everything right and still end up struggling to reign in an abusive teenager who mistreats others.

Getting to the root cause of bullying takes time, effort and a team of specialists who are trained in childhood psychology. A therapeutic boarding school is the perfect environment for exploring the issue.

What Is a Therapeutic Boarding School?

A therapeutic boarding school is a specialized academy for teenagers who are struggling with emotional, mental health or behavioral issues. Some examples of the conditions they cover are:

• Depression and suicidal ideation
• Anger triggers
• Bipolar disorder
• Personality disorders
• Eating disorders
• Violent tendencies
• Oppositional defiance
• Trauma

What makes this kind of institution different than a residential treatment center is that it is equally focused on academic performance. Many teens struggle with school and can even get held back. Therapeutic boarding schools help the to catch up and even get ahead, eliminating some of the stress that could be worsening symptoms.

What Will My Child Gain From a Therapeutic Boarding School?

Your teen will be in a stable environment with other peers who struggle with similar difficulties. They will be given a structured plan of daily therapy, academic tutoring one on one and group time spent taking part in extracurricular activities.

Students find that they are able to gain a lot through having a set routine with professionals who are trained to assist them in navigating the unique struggles

How Long Is The Average Stay In a Therapeutic Boarding School?

You can work with administrators and mental health staff to find the correct length of stay for your teen. However, the average time spent in a therapeutic boarding school is between twelve and eighteen months.

During this time, you will be allowed regular contact with your child, as well as visitation days. They will live on campus with chaperoned trips off the school site for special activities. Health professionals will monitor them around the clock and if intervention is needed they can be transported to the closest hospital.

Find out more at Liahona Academy.