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Contact Info / Help Line 1-877-242-6793

Contact Info

At Answers For Parents, troubled teens and young adults are our specialty. We have helped Parents across the United States, and World, find the perfect treatment programs for their troubled teens and young adults. Our service is FREE, and we are ready to help you!

  • Toll Free: 1-877-242-6793

 

Help Line for Parents of Troubled Teens and Young Adults (ages 12-26)

Information that you share about your troubled teen or young adult is kept completely confidential and only used by Answers For Parents to assess your child's needs and then make the appropriate treatment program recommendation … Our service is FREE!

AFP Counselors have worked for years in the troubled teens and young adults treatment program arena and offer you our expertise in helping your child.

 

The Answers For Parents Help Line works as follows:

  1. Call our toll free number: 877-242-6793.
  2. You will be connected to a knowledgeable Admissions Counselor as your personal advocate.
  3. Your AFP Counselor will do a phone assessment of your troubled teen or young adults needs.
  4. After this phone assessment, gathering any other appropriate information (if needed), and consultation with our Assessment Team, we can begin to provide input as to the type of help that would be best. Your AFP Counselor will let you know, if and what information is needed to help in the decision making process.
  5. Please feel free to ask questions throughout the process … Remember, we are YOUR personal advocate, and happy to help you in any way.
  6. Finally, as you are making your decision we will put you in contact with the Admissions Counselor at the appropriate program(s) you have selected, and then together we will assist you in filling out enrollment forms and finalize the admissions process for your child in their program.


Please note, while Answers For Parents provides Admissions Services and recommendations on which treatment programs are best suited for your troubled teen or young adult, Answers For Parents is not affiliated with any specific program and we do not run or regulate the programs we recommend. This being said, it should be noted that Answers For Parents cannot be held liable for treatment of troubled teens and young adults in the programs recommended. However, as we have thoroughly stated we only recommend treatment programs with outstanding reputations both with parents, state and legal agencies and that have excellent safety records. We also only refer to treatment programs that have been proven effective in long term behavioral changing treatment. Once again, please understand that Answers For Parents provides expert Admissions Services into troubled teens and young adults treatment programs, but we are not in charge of the affairs of running or regulating the programs.

 

START NOW - take the first step in getting your Child back: 1) Call 1-877-242-6793 and speak with one of our Professionals; or 2)  Take our 20 Question Pre-Assessment; or 3) Complete the Request Help Form  ... and get help TODAY!

 

 

 

 

Program Options - Definitions & Descriptions

Is your Child struggling? Are you feeling overwhelmed, and not sure what to do? If you have found us you have probably already spent hours looking for help. The search is over! Whether your Child is struggling at home, school, or socially; if it’s low self-esteem, emotional or behavioral problems, or just a good kid headed in the wrong direction – we can help!

The information below provides a look at various options to consider. To know what is best for your child Take Action Today – either Call 1-877-242-6793 and speak with one of our Professionals; or Take our quick 20 Question Pre-Assessment; or Complete the Request Help Form  ... and get help TODAY!

 

Residential Treatment Centers / Programs:

  • A Boarding School environment in a secure setting with a focus on Individual Treatment Plans and Therapy supported in all activities, life skills, and experiences throughout the program.
  • Treatment Plans and Psychiatric Care are updated weekly; Individual Therapy is provided 1-2x per week; Skill development is taught and practiced daily; School to Therapy ratio is usually 50/50, and is provided and supervised by a Clinical Team and licensed professionals.
  • Length of stay varies between 6 to 12 months with high impact to help shorten the stay, but provide for a long enough time for the Student to internalize long lasting behavior change.
  • The best RTC's provide a healthy balance between Behavioral & Therapeutic; Academics & related educational experiences; Life Skills & Character Development; and Healthy Living through good fitness and nutrition. They are able to effectively create a Home like environment while still maintaining great structure in a secure setting.

Therapeutic Boarding Schools:

  • A Boarding School environment in a secure setting with a therapeutic component relying upon a Therapeutic Milieu approach rather than a Clinical Treatment approach.
  • Therapeutic Milieu is a structured group setting that relies on the group as the force for change; and the elements of positive peer pressure, trust, safety and repetition to help group member's work through their psychological issues.
  • A safe and trusting environment allows group members to test behavior changes and discuss deep secrets without fear of judgment and reprisal. Plus, they build empathy and understanding of how people can handle difficulties.
  • While new skills may not be learned, previously learned, but forgotten skills are rekindled and practiced in a safe setting. The School to Therapy ratio is typically 75/25, and is provided and supervised by licensed professionals.
  • Length of stay is generally between 10 to 15 months; as it takes time for the Student to feel safe enough to trust the environment and process, and allow the force for change to occur.

Residential Youth Development Programs / Schools:

  • A typical Boarding School setting with a secure and safe environment designed to assist at risk Students to meet the challenges of adolescence and young adulthood.
  • Highly structured with a series of activities and experiences to help Students develop their personal social, emotional, mental, and physical abilities. A spiritual component is available in many Schools; and in fact, some of the best are considered faith-based schools.
  • Length of stay varies between 6 to 10 months with a rolling enrollment (can enroll at any time) based on individual needs.

Transitional Boarding Schools:

  • A typical Boarding School setting with an open campus, varying degrees of structure, and length of stay similar to the traditional 9 month school year. The focus is structured living and academics.
  • Psychiatric Care and/or Family & Individual Therapy is contracted through an outside source as needed, required, or promised prior to enrollment. The School must be careful not to over-step its bounds as strict guidelines and licensing is required when providing these services.
  • School to Therapy ratio is 85/15 or less.

Regular / Traditional Boarding Schools:

  • A typical Boarding School with an open campus, varying degrees of structure, and length of stay and enrollment similar to the traditional 9 month school year.
  • **No therapy, and do not (should not) enroll "at risk" students. This can be a good option AFTER a struggling Teen gets the help he/she needs in one of the behavior change options (Residential Treatment, Therapeutic or Youth Development, or Wilderness or Outdoor Therapeutic).

Wilderness and/or Outdoor Therapeutic Programs: 

  • An outdoor environment that provides high impact and stimulates effective and quick behavior adjustments; and is often the ideal first step in an integrated treatment approach intended to start the process by laying a solid foundation and helping the Teen or Young Adult become receptive to longer term treatment when necessary.
  • The two most popular models: Clinical Wilderness/Outdoor - clinically focused, targeting specific behaviors, individualized treatment, daily group therapy, and additional assessments. Experiential Wilderness/Outdoor - personal growth experiences, positive adult role models, and often more adventure based. The best Programs will integrate the two models effectively.
  • Through powerful Experiential Exercises (the process of making meaning from direct experience) and Role Modeling the Student learns the capacity to be patient, to persevere when discouraged, to try again when they initially encounter failure, and to appreciate the amenities in their lives they have previously taken for granted.

  • Treatment is highly individualized and focuses primarily on the individual; and sets the stage for continued treatment in a Residential setting and providing the opportunity to engage in Family Therapy in preparation for the return home; or when appropriate or possible the transition from an Outdoor Program to Home with a strong Out-Patient/Aftercare Plan for maintaining structure and receiving Family Therapy.
  • Students completing well run Wilderness/Outdoor Programs are likely to require less time to complete a continuing Residential Program; and, on occasion they are able to transition directly Home without the need for a Residential placement.
  • Length of stay varies from 50 to 100 days, then transition Home or to longer term program as appropriate. The best Programs will provide a complete assessment and recommendations for the appropriate transition, whether it is Home or a continuing Residential placement.

In-Home Intervention Programs:

  • There are a variety of In-Home Programs and the AFP Team will help the Parent select the most appropriate following completion of the AFP Assessment and Team Review.
  • In-Home Programs are less expensive than Out-of-Home placements, and can be effective if used early enough in the Intervention Process. There are many to chose from, and it is important to use the most appropriate one to avoid wasting valuable time and money.
  • In-Home Programs can also be used very effectively along with an Out-of-Home Placement.

Other Programs / Schools often considered:

  • Boot Camps: Boot Camps are often considered by Parents when they are really looking for a Wilderness and/or Outdoor Therapeutic Program. A true "Boot Camp" is more punitive than experiential or therapeutic. AFP subscribes to the belief that "punishment" is reserved for the Court Ordered/Adjudicated Programs, and even then some of the privately run Court Ordered Programs provide an experiential and possibly therapeutic component.
  • **Ask your AFP Counselor how to intervene if your Child might be ordered by the Court to one of the State run programs. AFP may have some great options for you.
  • Military Schools: This can be a great option for a Teen if (a big IF) the child is interested in possibly making the Military a career. It is not the answer for a struggling teen that needs a true behavior change environment geared for "real life." It is also a very good option AFTER a struggling Teen gets the help he/she needs in one of the behavior change options (Residential Treatment, Therapeutic or Youth Development, or Wilderness or Outdoor Therapeutic).
  • **Ask your AFP Counselor about this option.

 

To know what is best for your child - Take the First Step in Getting YOUR Child Back - 

An Answers For Parents Counselor is Standing by - ready to help! 

 

Helpful Information

 

At Answers For Parents troubled teens and young adults are our specialty.  We have helped Parents across the United States, and World, find the perfect treatment programs for their troubled teens and young adults.  Our service is FREE, and we are ready to help you!  The following links provide critical information for you to get help

 

  1. Help Line - get help right NOW!
  2. Help Info - Warning Signs, Crisis Intervention & Common Diagnosis's.
  3. Teen Topics - Shocking Teen Statistics; Teenagers and Alcohol; and Teens using Drugs.
  4. Young Adult Information.
 

 START NOW - take the first step in getting your Child back: 1) Call 1-877-242-6793 and speak with one of our Professionals; or 2)  Take our 20 Question Pre-Assessment; or 3) Complete the Request Help Form  ... and get help TODAY!

AFP Sponsor & Endorsements

AFP Logo

There are a lot of good programs across the United States.  Each of these programs is able to help Troubled Teens with a limited range of Specific Issues.  But, none of the programs are equipped to work with the whole range of behaviors associated with Troubled Teens.  Answers For Parents works with many different programs across the United States.  Our objective is to help Parents find the “right” fit for their child – Programs that are able to provide the help that is needed for their child, and “fit” within a budget that works for the family. 

 

Answers For Parents has spent thousands of hours researching many programs … in an effort to help these many families through the maze of programs and information out there.

 

Many programs have recognized that they cannot help every troubled teen, and look to Answers For Parents for guidance in helping families that they are not able to help.  And, they may not be able to help for a variety of reasons - issues with the child, timing, age or funding … etc.

Check out the endorsements.

- An AFP Parent / Montel Williams / Dan Clark