Feedback - Residential Treatment/Therapeutic Boarding Schools

Do you think Residential Treatment Center (RTC)/Residential Treatment Facility (RTF) is a viable/good option?


  • Total voters
    18
  • Poll closed .

reaching out

New Member
Hi! Another new member. I don't know how to use one of these forums, I never have before, so bear with me please. I saw a message from DadFirst on 1/20 (I think) saying he would share a list of programs he has researched for his difficult child. Mine is 17 and over the last 6 months has "short circuited". I am looking to send him to a wilderness program or therapeutic boarding school but it is difficult to find something I can afford. I am running out of time. Can anyone offer advice on how to find an appropriate program? I have been looking for several weeks. DadFirst said a person could e-mail him and he would share the list. How do I do that?
 

DadFirst

New Member
Hi Reaching Out, and Welcome. You can send a private message to me by going to your "User CP" or control panel. Easier yet, I'll send one to you in a few minutes.
 

DadFirst

New Member
Oops. I just tried to send you a message and couldn't. I guess you have to change your settings to allow private messages. I apparently did that when I registered but I can't find the setting now. Hopefully someone else can jump in and tell you how to do that.
 
I have just come across this and feel compelled to tell you my own story. My daughter had bipolar disorder and had attempted suicide and ran away twice. Like you I did not like the idea of wilderness. Like you I did my homework. I also picked a napsap school that was advertised on struggling teens. What my daughter went through was horrific. It did not make her better only worse. When she finished there she was OK at first then even worse than when she went in. She moved out and did not want to even speak to her family for a year. WHen she did i found out what she went through and i wont repeat in on a pblic forum but no human should be treated that way at all. We now have post traumatic stress to add to the cavalcade of issues!!!!!!!
I get that you feel out of options and you are scared for all concerned but I would advise against sending your kid away. Bear in mind that so called reputable places lie, staff turn over is high with a difficult population and the vast majority limit contact with the outside world. As the parent of a runaway that looked comforting but you need to question what they are hiding if this is the case. I regretted sending mine away. Think carefully before you become me!
 

Dazed n Confused

New Member
Ok, now I am freaking out a little bit.........can someone send me a private message with places to avoid or places that are good. My son has IEP, Anxiety and Depression. He needs somewhere to go ASAP! We can not get any local help at all.

Thanks!
 

slsh

member since 1999
Dazed - the poster before you (been there done that) had, in my experience of over 10 years on this board, a very rare experience. We've probably had ... gosh, I want to say a couple dozen kids who have been in Residential Treatment Center (RTC) placements over the years. Were all of the placements perfect? Nope. Were some of them bad enough that their families pulled the kids out? Yep, and I'm one of those families. But with all of the varied experiences, good and bad, I honestly cannot think of a single situation where the parent vehemently became anti-Residential Treatment Center (RTC) for everyone. I'm getting really old, but off the top of my head, I can't think of a single situation on this board where a child who was pulled from an Residential Treatment Center (RTC), for whatever reason, was not eventually placed again.

Are there some snake pits out there? Absolutely. If you make the decision that Residential Treatment Center (RTC) is necessary for your child, then you need to do your research. There's a list of questions in our archives to ask an Residential Treatment Center (RTC) - use it as a starting place and add your own questions. You can find the list here http://www.conductdisorders.com/for...ential Treatment Center (RTC)-need-input-200/

I don't know been there done that's story, but I take very strong exception to her statement that "reputable places lie, staff turn over is high with a difficult population and the vast majority limit contact with the outside world." My son was in 2 outstanding RTCs. Staff most certainly did not lie, and contact was limited only once, as part of his treatment plan - it was an extraordinary measure that his treatment team, of which we were a part, determined might possibly help him to focus on his issues. As far as staff turnover, my son still visits the Residential Treatment Center (RTC) he was in from 2000 to 2003 to visit with staff who are still there.

To be fair, my son was in a bad Residential Treatment Center (RTC) along the way. Yes, staff lied. Can't tell you about staff turnover because they were shut down by the state. I didn't pull him out soon enough because I lost sight of the most important thing, which was his safety. I allowed myself to listen to excuses and rationalizations from the staff. To be brutally honest, we didn't have any other options at that point. He was unstable, violent (that was his baseline from age 6-17), and we already knew we couldn't handle him at home. But that's on *me*. Just because you place a child in an Residential Treatment Center (RTC), that doesn't mean you can't pull them (as long as it isn't court ordered).

The responsibility falls on us as parents and advocates for our kids. Do your homework up front. Get opinions from professionals - one resource I heavily relied on was the therapist at the hospital where my son was very frequently admitted. She steered me away from a couple of RTCs up front. Tour a potential Residential Treatment Center (RTC). Look carefully at the kids' demeanor, interaction with staff, living quarters. Listen to what your gut tells you.

Making the decision to place a child is *never* done easily. It's not an easy answer, it doesn't solve the problem (immediately any way), it's incredibly difficult to do. I believe with all my heart that if there was a chance of managing a child's behaviors at home safely, while educating him/her and getting appropriate treatment, no parent would ever place their child. Unfortunately, there are some children who are downright dangerous in the home setting and then I think it's reasonable to consider Residential Treatment Center (RTC) placement.

I'm not in any way doubting been there done that's experience. I'm not even advocating Residential Treatment Center (RTC) placement for your son, or for anyone's child. It is a very individual decision that is made based on the needs of the child and the family. I just want to make sure that you understand that if you do your homework, stay in close touch with staff and your son after placement, and listen to any warning bells you may be hearing, that it is possible to find appropriate, safe, therapeutic placements.
 

smallworld

Moderator
Dazed, we used on an educational consultant to choose the wilderness program my son attended and the Residential Treatment Center (RTC) my son is now attending. We also personally visited the Residential Treatment Center (RTC) and talked to other parents who had used the Residential Treatment Center (RTC) before placing our son there.

I strongly agree with Sue's sage advice.
 

Dazed n Confused

New Member
We just hired an educational consultant. My son has no clue this is all happening........what about transport services? Somedays my difficult child goes along and will do whatever we suggest and other days look out. We are struggling with telling him about going

The Easy Child suggested a short term program and then moving to a long term program. Is this the standard procedure?

She suggested two places tonight. Both are a little different but accept softer kids, while I like the looks of the first one. The second one is a little closer and involves him spend the night outdoors. He doesn't do well with bugs, so I don't know how well of a fit that would be.
 

dadside

New Member
Briefly, the industry has a few bad actors, but most are honest and try. Beyond avoiding the "bad actors", the challenge is finding a really good match of needs and program(s). Do check references yourself, and if possible, visit any program before committing to it.

Consultants vary widely. One well-known consultant refused to consider an excellent school I know, though I couldn't learn why. Some look for kick-backs or fees from programs for referrals, and some parents recruit others to get fees to pay their own kid's tuition. No consultant can know every possibility, and may not know all option types. Do beware the consultant with too-quick recommendations.

Wilderness is commonly advised before a therapeutic school. It serves somewhat to breakthrough to a kid. One good school used to start students in its own on-site outdoor program. Some places require wilderness or the like first. One small group of excellent programs doesn't think they add value for their programs, so advises against them and the cost.
Wilderness is expensive, running some 2X or more the daily rate of most therapeutic schools. A good wilderness program can be an excellent place to make some therapeutic progress and get a better assessment of needs for next placement. (If you do that, don't be swayed by your child saying "I learned my lesson, let me come home now" while at/finishing wilderness; heed the professionals.)

Transportation services, if needed, can be found from excellent suppliers for around $1500 plus airfare, to more than double that.

As for individual programs, I can generally identify if they are bad, and know many of the "good" ones, although hardly all. I considered well over 100 places before finally having to act, yet don't regret my decisions. Still, there are things I learned. I'd never create or post a list of good or bad, in part because good for one may not be good for another. I can make comments on programs (and recommend transport) privately though.
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
Like I said before on another post, my son started out of home placements at age 11 and I have never regretted my decision. He doesnt either. Sure we ran into a couple of duds. 2 to be exact. None actually harmed my son in the least. My son actually enjoyed wilderness camp and would have stayed there happily his entire teenage life if they would have let him...lol. But then, my kids are country, outdoorsy boys. He thought the whole living in a tent, fishing, canoeing and hiking deal was fun! He didnt even mind it in snow and hurricanes. Of course, they made sure the kids were safe and if it had become too bad they would have taken them into the main cabin.

He learned a lot from all his placements. He wasnt as happy at the other places but who would be? He was in a locked facility at his last placement and that really seemed to sink in most of all. Im not sorry we did this and my son has never blamed me or said a word to us about wishing we had done anything different. He has in fact, told us he knows we tried very hard with him and he was a difficult teen. He knows if we hadnt done what we did he would have been in worse shape.
 
Top