Youth and At-Risk Residential Treatment Program Options
It’s important to know your options when you’re seeking treatment for youth and at-risk teens and adolescents. There are inpatient treatment centers, private boarding schools and outpatient programs designed to help kids reach their recovery goals, whether it’s from eating disorders, behavior problems or other deviant conditions. Knowing the youth and at-risk residential treatment program options is the best way to decide which facilities are more likely to meet the needs of your family.
Inpatient treatment centers are often clinical, and attached to a hospital, university or other medical setting. These facilities work hard to maintain the patient’s medical health. Academic programs are offered, and residents are treated by physicians. These programs can work well for treating eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia, or long term chemical addiction. When a patient’s medication or other conditions require a lot of medical monitoring or constant adjustments of medication levels, than an inpatient treatment program might be the best option.
Private boarding schools are often the best solution for most families. These programs are often staffed by behavioral therapists and counselors. Instead of being treated like patients, residents are students; a role that has no negative associations and allows them to focus on their education and their future in a setting that also encourages recovery and has the resources and staffing available that can help with that recovery. A reputable private boarding school program will offer kids plenty of time in the natural world, and offer enrollment for the school year, whereas other inpatient treatment centers don’t focus on academics and offer enrollment for 30 day increments, since that’s what medical insurance typically pays for.
Outpatient treatment facilities are another option. When it’s not necessary to remove a child from the home, an outpatient center can be a good option. These are great for nipping a problem in the bud before it gets too bad. Some inpatient programs and boarding schools use outpatient therapy as a transition back into regular home life. Outpatient treatment alone isn’t often recommended. Some families will try outpatient therapy first, and when they realize the problem is bigger than they thought, will opt for a more intensive treatment. The teen years go by very quickly and solving these problems before they reach adulthood is always the best solution.
Consider the long term effects of each treatment method and decide which youth and at risk residential treatment program options are more likely to meet the needs of your family. Weighing the pros and cons of each treatment option is often the best way to decide. Many treatment centers offer free consultations, and can help you decide whether or not they’re able to help. These facilities are devoted to finding the best option for each child. The therapists and counselors at these centers have devoted their lives to helping and are generally aware of the limitations of their program, so they end up being very helpful in figuring out whether or not you should seek treatment elsewhere.
