What to Ask Schools for Troubled Teens
C.A.R.E. is an assortment of licensed residential treatment programs and schools for troubled teens. We encourage parents to ask themselves some very important questions before placing their child in residential treatment. When parents are considering looking for a school for their struggling teenager, the decision is usually a difficult one.
Parents should take a proactive approach to researching the facilities they are considering for the placement of their child. The Federal Trade Commission has made an effort to help parents make the right decisions and has written a publication with 15 questions to ask a representative of the residential treatment facility that they are interested in.
Questions to Ask Schools for Troubled Teens
Are you licensed by the state?
Do you provide an academic curriculum?
What about accreditation?
Do you have a clinical director? What are his/her credentials?
What are the credentials of the counselors and therapists who will be working with my child?
How experienced is your staff? Have they worked at other residential treatment programs? If yes, where and for how long?
Do you conduct background checks on your employees?
What are the criteria for admission? Do you conduct pre-admission assessments?
Will you provide an individualized program with a detailed explanation of the therapies, interventions, and supports that will address my child’s needs? When is this done? How often will my child be reassessed?
How do you handle medical issues like illness or injury? Is there a nurse or doctor on staff? On the premises? Will you contact me? Will I be notified or consulted if there’s a change in treatment or medication?
How do you define success? What is your success rate? How is it measured?
How do you discipline program participants?
Can I contact/speak with my child when I want? Can my child contact me when he wants?
What are the costs? What do they cover? What is your refund policy if the program doesn’t work out?
Do you have relationships with companies and individuals that provide educational services?
The safety and transparency of the school you are interested in is one of the most important things to consider. At C.A.R.E., we communicate with parents about the progress of their child when needed and offer straight up answers about the daily functions of the therapeutic programs and the specifics involved with their child’s rights while they stay at our facilities.