Different methods for helping your troubled teen

Many parents dealing with a troubled teen are at a loss with how to get their child back on the right path.  There are many options available for troubled teens including boot camps, treatment centers, boarding schools, and wilderness camps.  Some troubled teens have had success with therapy and counseling.  No matter what choice you make for your troubled teen, each of these options will work on restructuring your child's life so that academics become more of a priority, appropriate behavior is rewarded, family life is stabilized, and the development of the troubled teen's personal and emotional well being. 

If you have decided to take the step with your troubled teen to get them the help they need, it pays to do your research to ensure the program you place them in will help them the most.  If your troubled teen is displaying social and emotional problems then a behavior modification school may be a good choice for him or her.  These schools are usually specifically tailored to individual needs while following regular academic curriculum.  A majority of them will design a personalized program to match each teen's problems. 

Wilderness camps, an alternative to boot camps, take the teens on camping trips like a vacation. Instead of boot camp's aggressive approach, these camps are more likely to be behavior modification programs. Here, teens are taught survival skills and receive counseling from the managerial staff who accompany them on the trip. Since they are away from urban distractions, troubled teens can reconnect and accept responsibility for their preferences. The camps are generally held in summer, so they may not include an academic module.

Another aspect of straightening out troubled teens is sending them to boot camps.  These programs are heavily regulated and disciplined.  There are some drawbacks to boot camps though.  They are usually not tailored to an individuals needs. Without therapy or behavior modification, long-term effectiveness is usually quite limited. The number one benefit of boot camps is to get troubled teens to respect authority and authoritative figures with greater success. 

Boarding schools offer a long-term solution to a troubled teen's problems.  With an average stay of three to six months and the longest being a year or more, boarding schools include some of the characteristics of behavior modification schools and boot camps.  Usually the programs here are heavily monitored and supervision is 24 hours a day. 

The most expensive usually, but most successful, are residential facilities for troubled teens.  They are usually very focused on each individual and an expert staff monitors the client very closely.

Each of these types of facilities has a different philosophy toward treatment and methods to achieve results. A little research is needed, and whenever possible, take the time to visit these facilities and meet the staff to make sure that it's a good solution for your disturbed teen.