Wilderness Programs: Short Term Programs - Short Term Results (And Very Costly!)

You have a teen that is driving you crazy.  You have a teen that is experimenting, if not using drugs on a regular basis.  You have teen that has changed peer groups - and not for the better.  You have a teen that has disengaged from the family.  You have a teen that is defiant, belligerent and can become violent.  You have a teen that doesn't appreciate all they have and all you have sacrificed for them?  You are at your wit's end!

Is it time to have an intervention?  What is best to insure that your teen gets back on a positive road to have that bright future you always wanted for them?

Let's review some choices to get help:


Wilderness Therapeutic Programs:  Short term program, short term results, usually zero academics, extremely expensive and as many teens state they have great experiences, it is usually never enough to make lasting positive changes.

• The concept: Remove the kids from their comforts of home.  Get them to reflect on themselves from within. 
• Thought:  Wouldn't it be wise to find one program that offers a well-rounded program including removing them from their comforts of home, offering them an education as well as encouraging them through enrichment programs?

Boot Camps:  Thankfully many have been closed in the state of Florida.  This in and of itself speaks volumes.  As parents see it as a way to punish their kids for their negative behavior, using punitive and primitive measures may cause more anger and resentment toward the person that placed them there.

• The concept: Teach your child a lesson, and hope they learn to appreciate and respect you.
• Thought:  Again, finding a sound program that offers positive enrichment, academics as well as trained staff to help determine where the negative behavior is stemming from.

Jail:  Is this ever a good option?  Not really, and although juvenile records are sealed, according to law enforcement, what happens when your teen applies for a job in their 20's and that record, although it doesn't state the charges, but is pinged by your teen being finger printed?  Did you consider the friends your teen will make in jail?

• The Concept: Show your teen the consequences of breaking the law.  Hopefully scaring them straight so they turn around their behavior.
• Thought: Get your teen the right help that instills positive reinforcement, continuing education and work on family conflict with an outside counselor.

Residential Therapy: Finally, a way to address negative behavior in a positive direction. Our teens need consistency in treatment.  Starting and finishing with the same therapist, structure and program that builds your teen back up to making the better choices.  Some parents are being convinced that using a short term program such as Wilderness Programs will prepare them for a residential program, however if you find the right program from the start, it serves the same purpose as a Wilderness Program (of course saving about $10K-20K at the same time).  Choosing a residential therapy program does remove your child from their comforts of their home.  It also gives them an opportunity to reflect and get back to basics.

• Concept: It took longer than 6-8 weeks to get to the place your teen is at, it will take at least 6-9 months to get your child back.
• Thought: Take your time and find the best program for you and your family both emotionally and financially.  Consider that short term programs are like band-aids - they do peel off fairly quickly.

With Lindsay Lohan at 24 years old going to jail, it will serve to sober her up, however the rehab is what will help her to remain sober. Sadly, this may all be a moot point since at 24 years old, she is considered an adult and can just go through the motions - after all, she is court appointed.

Don't wait for your teen to be over 18, get them help while you still have the ability and control.

Sue Scheff: Troubled Teens and Teen Help

Are you at your wit’s end?

Are you experiencing any of the following situations or feeling at a complete loss or a failure as a parent? You are not alone and by being a proactive parent you are taking the first step towards healing and bringing your family back together.

• Is your teen escalating out of control?

• Is your teen becoming more and more defiant and disrespectful?

• Is your teen manipulative? Running your household?

• Are you hostage in your own home by your teen’s negative behavior?

• Is your teen angry, violent or rage outbursts?

• Is your teen verbally abusive?

• Is your teen rebellious, destructive and withdrawn?

• Is your teen aggressive towards others or animals?

• Is your teen using drugs and/or alcohol?

• Does your teen belong to a gang?

• Do they frequently runaway or leave home for extended periods of time?

• Has their appearance changed – piercing, tattoo’s, inappropriate clothing?

• Has your teen stopped participating in sports, clubs, church and family functions? Have they become withdrawn from society?

• Is your teen very intelligent yet not working up to their potential? Underachiever? Capable of doing the work yet not interested in education.

• Does he/she steal?

• Is your teen sexually active?

• Teen pregnancy?

• Is your teen a good kid but making bad choices?

• Undesirable peers? Is your teen a follower or a leader?

• Low self esteem and low self worth?

• Lack of motivation? Low energy?

• Mood Swings? Anxiety?

• Teen depression that leads to negative behavior?

Eating Disorders? Weight loss? Weight gain?

• Self-Harm or Self Mutilation?

• High School drop-out?

• Suspended or Expelled from school?

• Suicidal thoughts or attempts?

• ADD/ADHD/LD/ODD?

• Is your teen involved in legal problems? Have they been arrested?• Juvenile Delinquent?

• Conduct Disorder?

• Bipolar?

• Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD)?

Does your teen refuse to take accountability and always blame others for their mistakes?

• Do you feel hopeless, helpless and powerless over what options you have as a parent? Are you at your wit’s end?

Does any of the above sound familiar? Many parents are at their wit’s end by the time they contact us, but the most important thing many need to know is you are not alone. There is help but the parent needs to be proactive and educate themselves in getting the right help.
Many try local therapy, which is always recommended, but in most cases, this is a very temporary band-aid to a more serious problem. One or two hours a week with a therapist is usually not enough to make the major changes that need to be done.

If you feel you are at your wit’s end and are considering outside resources, please contact us. http://www.helpyourteens.com/free_information.shtmlAn informed parent is an educated parent and will better prepare to you to make the best decision for your child. It is critical not to place your child out of his/her element. In many cases placing a teen that is just starting to make bad choices into a hard core environment may cause more problems. Be prepared – do your homework.

Many parents are in denial and keep hoping and praying the situation is going to change. Unfortunately in many cases, the problems usually escalate without immediate attention. Don’t be parents in denial; be proactive in getting your teen the appropriate help they may need. Whether it is local therapy or outside the home assistance, be in command of the situation before it spirals out of control and you are at a place of desperation. At wit’s end is not a pleasant place to be, but so many of us have been there.

Finding the best school or program for your child is one of the most important steps a parent does. Remember, your child is not for sale – don’t get drawn into high pressure sales people, learn from my mistakes. Read my story at http://www.aparentstruestory.com/for the mistakes I made that nearly destroyed my daughter.

In searching for schools and programs we look for the following:

• Helping Teens - not Harming them

• Building them up - not Breaking them down

• Positive and Nurturing Environments - not Punitive

• Family Involvement in Programs - not Isolation from the teen

• Protect Children - not Punish them

Visit http://www.helpyourteens.com/ for more information.

Sue Scheff: Great Parenting Practices

Finding Advice on Parenting:

If your challenge is teen parenting issues, a parenting expert who specializes in small kids is not going to help. If you’re having potty training troubles, you won’t get much assistance from a parenting expert who teaches money strategies for kids.

That’s why the Parenting Expert Teleseminar Series (P.E.T.S.) was developed: to provide targeted parenting help so you can get exactly the help you need for the issue you’re facing.

What does this site offer?

Hear free, live teleseminars with parenting experts who will cover every possible issue, or listen to audios in our replay library and confirm that the expert has the information you want, before investing major time and money.

Get recognition that you are your child’s parenting expert, and you need options so that you can choose parenting tips that reflect your family’s uniqueness.

About the Founder - Jacqueline Green

Jacqueline Green, BA, has taught parenting education for almost 10 years. She was overwhelmed with parenting her two-year old son and new baby girl so she decided to facilitate the well-known How to Talk so Kids Will Listen and Listen so Kids Will Talk course. One of her strengths as a parenting educator is that she knows what it is like to be able to manage a boardroom and yet be reduced to her knees by two little kids!

She also taught the Active Parenting course, before branching off to mentor with Dr. Gordon Neufeld, best-selling author of Hold On to Your Kids. From Dr. Neufeld, she learned how to use ground-breaking insights from developmental psychology to help her parent with more ease and joy. The better her parenting experience became, the more passionate she became about helping other parents who may be struggling like she was.

In 2004, Jacqueline started teaching on the Internet in order to reach more parents than she could through her live courses. Now she is the host of the Parenting Expert Teleseminar Series (PETS), a free teleseminar where she interviews different parenting experts over the telephone or by webinar. Eventually she plans to cover every conceivable parenting topic, so that parents can get an idea of what help is available before deciding to work further with one particular expert.

What makes the PETS calls even more special is that the people who sign up are the ones who come up with the content. That means the expert is addressing the most common concerns of the audience. This targeted content is much more interesting and valuable for parents than if the expert tells you what they think you want to know!

Jacqueline is also an Expert Author with Ezine articles, which gives her a chance to teach the developmental psychology gems that she's applied to her family to a wider audience. She feels passionately that the tips that have turned her parenting around would be much more widely used if they were better known. In passing on this information, Jacqueline is doing her part to transform the parenting experience across North America and the world.

Learn more: http://www.greatparentingpractices.com/

Sue Scheff: At-Risk Programs for Youths

The Army National Guard’s Partners in Education program connects schools, teachers, and students with free Army National Guard educational resources, from classroom presentations to programs for at-risk youth. Classroompresentations can be requested online, and topics include:
Partners In Education (http://www.partnersineducation.com/), a dynamic, interactive presentation that takes students through the steps needed to prepare for life after high school.

HUMVEE School Program (http://www.humveeschoolprogram.com/), a unique, hands-on opportunity that informs students about technical career directions while offering an up-close and personal look at the high mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicle.

YOU CAN School Program (http://www.youcanschoolprogram.com/), an award-winning program that offers more than 30 motivational presentations organized into the following categories: health and social well-being, life betterment,discovery, and disaster preparedness. It introduces students to necessary life skills in order to let them know that they can have successful futures and accomplish great things.

Sue Scheff: Teen Help - Are you Considering Residential Therapy for your Teen

If you are struggling with your teenager, and realize it is escalating to a point of self destruction, drug addiction, gang affiliation, etc.... Don't be a parent in denial - be a proactive parent.

Learn more about Saving Your Out of Control Teen in my book "Wit's End!" You can purchase on Amazon or directly at http://www.witsendbook.com/.

You can also visit my website that offers guidance and information a very confusing "teen help" industry. http://www.helpyourteens.com/ - Learn from my mistakes and gain from my knowledge.

Teen Help Programs - Are you at your Wit's End?

For many that have read my book - Wit's End! (Published by Health Communications Inc.) - which give my experiences with WWASPS and my daughters experiences with Carolina Springs Academy, it is a wake up call for all parents that are at their wit's end and desperately looking for help for their struggling teenager.

Are you worried or concerned about your teens recent behavior? Do you believe it is time for outside help? Local therapy is not working?

Visit my organization, Parents Universal Resource Experts, that I created to help educate you on researching for safe and quality alternatives for your family.

Are you considering these programs or talking to these sales reps?

Academy of Ivy Ridge, NY (CLOSED)
Bell Academy, CA (CLOSED)
Canyon View Park, MT
Camas Ranch, MT
Carolina Springs Academy, SC
Cross Creek Programs, UT (Cross Creek Center and Cross Creek Manor)
Darrington Academy, GA (CLOSED)
Help My Teen, UT (Adolescent Services Adolescent Placement) Promotes and markets these programs.
Gulf Coast Academy, MS (CLOSED)
Horizon Academy, NV
Jane Hawley - Lifelines Family Services
Kathy Allred - Lifeline Sales Representative
Lisa Irvin (Helpmyteen) and Teens in Crisis
Lifelines Family Services, UT (Promotes and markets these programs) Jane Hawley
Mark Peterson - Teen Help Sales Representative
Majestic Ranch, UT
Midwest Academy, IA (Brian Viafanua, formerly the Director of Paradise Cove as shown on Primetime, is the current Director here)
Parent Teen Guide (Promotes and markets these programs)
Pillars of Hope, Costa Rica
Pine View Christian Academy (Borders FL, AL, MS)
Reality Trek, UT
Red River Academy, LA (Borders TX)
Respect Academy, NV
Royal Gorge Academy, CO (CLOSED)
Sherri Schwartzman - Lifelines Sales Representative
Sky View Academy, NV (allegedly closed?)
Spring Creek Lodge, MT (CLOSED) Rumors they have re-opened in another area of MT.
Teen Help, UT (Promotes and markets these programs)
Teens In Crisis (Lisa Irvin)
Tranquility Bay, Jamaica
Oceanside, CA - rumors of short term program there.
There is a rumor a new program in Mexico is open - parents need to be aware of this. It is believed they have re-opened Casa By the Sea with another name - possibly Discovery. Another rumor that was heard is Jade Robinson is running this program - he was formerly at Horizon Academy, Bell Academy (closed) and Casa by the Sea (closed).

Do your homework!

New Book Recounts Parent's Harrowing Ordeal

With peer pressure and social influences at all-time highs, many good teens are making bad choices, placing intense emotional and financial strain on parents and families. Lack of motivation, substance abuse, negative peers and gang affiliation are just some of the common challenges facing kids today.

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Why Kids Lie? By Connect with Kids

Parents Universal Resource Experts (Sue Scheff) - What an interesting article that hits home with many parents when children start not being completely honest.

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ADHD and Drug Abuse by Connect with Kids

Parents Universal Resource Experts (Sue Scheff) continue to bring informational articles that can help parents today with their concerns about teens and pre-teens.

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Girls drink more than Boys - by Connect with Kids

What a great tip sheet for parents to review that have teens and pre-teens today. As a parent advocate (Sue Scheff) and founder of Parents Universal Resource Experts - it is important for parents to keep up-to-date with today teen concerns.

read more digg story