| So when adolescents develop behavioral | | | | NATSAP for guidance. The association serves as |
| problems, mood disorders or social issues that | | | | an unofficial watchdog, calling attention to |
| interrupt their education, parents are doubly | | | | substandard and predatory programs that can |
| distressed. For troubled teens, almost by | | | | injure participants emotionally, psychologically, |
| definition, have trouble in school. | | | | physically and financially. While the vast majority |
| Dealing with a troubled teen is an enormous | | | | of therapeutic schools and programs provide |
| challenge for both parents and teachers. Public | | | | treatment rooted in sound clinical practice and |
| schools, hard pressed to meet the academic | | | | concern for the growth and well-being of the |
| needs of normal students, are often not equipped | | | | young people they serve, there are operations |
| to meet the emotional demands of the problem | | | | that lack respect and sensitivity to individual |
| student. Many parents consider boarding school or | | | | needs, that rely solely on internal feedback and |
| military academy just to get their child back into a | | | | consequently fail to learn, improve or grow. |
| classroom, but even in those closed and | | | | NATSAP has established benchmarks first and |
| structured environments many troubled teens will | | | | foremost for treatment and behavioral practices |
| continue to struggle. | | | | that reduce risk, promote safety, and demand |
| What's a parent to do? Many start by seeking | | | | continuous program improvements. The |
| advice from other parents who have dealt or are | | | | organization provides members with the latest |
| dealing with a troubled teen. Hearing about a | | | | research on treating troubled teens and tested |
| program first-hand from someone who's been in | | | | methods for helping families in crises. It has also |
| your shoes can save you valuable time, money | | | | established admissions guidelines that protect |
| and frustration when it comes to helping your | | | | parents from false advertising and misleading |
| own child. | | | | claims of services. Most important, it has |
| Other parents outreach to independent | | | | established and enforces ethics and practice |
| educational consultants who handle special needs | | | | standards for its members, and adds to these |
| clients. These professionals, many of whom are | | | | standards regularly. |
| former educators and guidance counselors, can | | | | We want to make it clear that NATSAP is not an |
| identify and help you select a suitable school or | | | | accrediting or licensing body, but an independent, |
| program for your teen. Depending on the teen's | | | | voluntary organization. It does not provide |
| specific problems, recommendations might include | | | | placement services. However, it is an indispensable |
| emotional growth schools, therapeutic boarding | | | | resource and a good first stop for parents |
| schools, home-based residential programs, | | | | pursuing a placement for their child in any |
| therapeutic wilderness programs, or residential | | | | program. By choosing a NATSAP member, you |
| treatment centers. | | | | can be sure you're dealing with an organization |
| If the choices seem bewildering, it's because there | | | | that is serious about how you are served, who |
| are many valid approaches today for treating | | | | values ethical integrity, who recognizes how |
| troubled teens. Currently several hundred | | | | vulnerable a family is when making the difficult |
| programs exist, serving 10,000 to 20,000 | | | | decision to place a child outside the home, and |
| students annually. Pulitzer Prize-winning writer | | | | whose primary goal is the education, growth and |
| David L. Marcus looked at one such program in his | | | | well-being of your troubled teen. |
| recent book, What It Takes to Pull Me Through: | | | | The Right Match |
| Why Teenagers Get in Trouble and How Four of | | | | Each adolescent at risk has specific needs that |
| Them Got Out. His study of the complex world | | | | must be determined in detail before he or she can |
| of troubled teenagers was conducted at the | | | | be successfully placed in a therapeutic school or |
| Academy at Swift River, an emotional growth | | | | program. As a parent, you can make sure the |
| school in western Massachusetts. The success of | | | | ultimate match is the correct one by arranging for |
| his book is indicative of the growing interest in and | | | | whatever academic and psychological tests may |
| demand for programs to serve a growing | | | | be necessary, and by using multiple informational |
| segment of America's twenty-nine million | | | | sources before making your final decision. The |
| adolescents. | | | | industry offers a wide and growing array of |
| Nor has the phenomenon been lost on the media. | | | | program types, lengths of stay, and services to |
| ABC's reality series Brat Camp shows the choices | | | | meet the needs of a variety of troubled young |
| faced by nine families dealing with out-of-control | | | | people-which is a good reason to review your |
| teenagers with problems like ADHD, drug | | | | choices with the help of an educational consultant. |
| addiction, promiscuity and fighting. Each chooses | | | | As we mentioned above, these independent |
| to send their teen to SageWalk, a wilderness | | | | professionals know the industry inside out and will |
| school in rural Oregon, hoping that after the | | | | work with you and your child to find the best |
| 50-day program is over they'll get back the | | | | possible placement. (To locate a consultant near |
| children they once knew. | | | | you, visit Independent Educational Consultants |
| With attention like this, industry critics have | | | | Association website). Whether you decide to |
| emerged as well. Some charge program | | | | work with a consultant, with referrals from other |
| operators of profiteering by promising miracles to | | | | parents, or to strike out on your own, you owe it |
| desperate parents, but many more cite the | | | | to yourself and your child to find out as much as |
| overall lack of federal regulations and the | | | | possible about this segment of the educational |
| patchwork of state regulations that govern the | | | | field, and the journey on which you're about to |
| behavioral health care industry. Right now, | | | | embark. |
| therapeutic and emotional growth schools are | | | | The good news is that all the information you |
| regulated like ordinary boarding schools. Except for | | | | could possibly want-and then some-is as close as |
| residential treatment centers, there are no | | | | your computer. Since an Internet search of |
| regulations requiring specific educational or | | | | "trouble teens" will yield millions of hits, you should |
| professional credentials for program operators. | | | | probably begin by checking out the websites of |
| There is also no uniform set of national, | | | | schools or programs you've heard of, or have |
| government-endorsed standards by which parents | | | | been referred to (they all have websites). Or |
| can judge a program's effectiveness. | | | | start with NATSAP, or another online directory of |
| Fortunately, high and rigorously enforced | | | | schools and programs for troubled teens. One we |
| standards are in place for these schools and | | | | recommend is Developed by the highly respected |
| programs-standards imposed by the industry | | | | industry newsletter Woodbury Reports, this |
| itself. | | | | website provides a wealth of news, information, |
| NATSAP | | | | and research findings pertaining to teens at risk. |
| In 1999, concerned about the industry's lack of | | | | Here you can find valuable insights into the |
| uniform ethical and practice guidelines to protect | | | | industry and of particular help is the coverage of |
| at-risk teens and families in crises, The Family | | | | new schools and programs, and of what works in |
| Foundation School joined six other programs and | | | | this industry and what doesn't. |
| a small group of individuals to form the National | | | | Other organization websites worth visiting are the |
| Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs | | | | American Psychological Association,National |
| (NATSAP). Today, with more than 170 members, | | | | Association of Social Workers, National Board for |
| NATSAP serves as an advocate and resource for | | | | Certified Counselors, and American Association of |
| innovative organizations that devote themselves | | | | Marriage and Family Therapists. |
| to the effective care and education of struggling | | | | It's been said that the primary job of youth is to |
| young people and their families. Envisioning "a | | | | get an education. When troubled teens fall down |
| nation of healthy children," NATSAP has become | | | | on the job, it is up to us as parents, counselors |
| the voice that inspires, nurtures and validates its | | | | and educators to make sure they're given a hand |
| member schools and programs. | | | | up and a way back to the classroom. For this we |
| Parents and others concerned about the efficacy | | | | need a strong network of therapeutic schools and |
| and integrity of therapeutic programs in an | | | | programs. |
| otherwise unregulated industry can turn to | | | | |