Teen 5000 Referral Network
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Are you familiar with the terms juvenile boot
camp, add, adhd, private schools, military school, boarding
schools, troubled teen, behavior modification, at risk youth,
attention deficit disorder, residential treatment school, or
wilderness camp? These Teen stories may help you appreciated
the effectiveness of these programs.
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problem really began in her pre-teen years, the challenging
of authority and failure to account for personal behavior. We
were told that she would probably grow out of it eventually
and just to sit tight and maintain strict standards. But after
four years of a strict boarding school the problem grew worse.
Our daughter was faced with expulsion from her school for her
practices of undermining the school authorities, her teachers
and her peers. While she was home on break, public scenes became
routine as did calls for help to the police department. This
problem was too big for us as our daughter had somewhere along
the way lost respect for her parents and her teachers. Our daughter
is currently in the Program and has undergone considerably change.
. . especially in the way she relates to her peers and authority
figures. Each student in the Program is asked to follow the
instructions given to them, make their beds and participate
in the activities and school work assigned to them. They are
rewarded favorably for complying and lose points if the tasks
are not performed. But beyond compliance is the encouragement
for acting out positively toward their peers, simply for the
sake of doing a nice thing for someone. She now writes “I’m
just beginning to realize how much love my parents have given
me and how much I’ve taken for granted”.
What we can say today is that the Program has given her a
controlled but loving and supportive environment that allows
her to focus on herself, her behavior and the results of her
behavior. The Program is also allowing us to get on with our
lives and to heal together as a whole family. We look forward
to the day our daughter graduates and comes home again to
start a new life of love and respect for one another.
Parents of a Student
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I came to the Program I was into substance abuse, running away
and being defiant. I was not happy, and if I would have stayed
that way for a while longer I know I would have ended my existence.
I have a new respect for what I have now. I will treat my
mom with respect now, not like trash, as I once did. Yes,
there are times when things will go wrong or when we do not
agree, but there is never going to be a ‘perfect’
family. This experience has helped prepare me for appreciating
my family at home. This place has made me a much stronger
person, and I am grateful for that.
For all the parents out there that care enough about their
kids to give then a new life and chance. . . Thank You!
Graduate
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daughter is a graduate of the Program, and it saved her life.
Sending my daughter to the Program was one of the hardest things
I have ever done in my life. The consequences of NOT sending
her were too terrible to even think about. After much research
I chose this program because they would treat my daughter with
a great deal of love and respect. It was highly structured;
her choices created her results. In order for her to ‘move
up the levels’ she had to prove herself to the staff and
to her peers. It turned out that is was much more difficult
to fool her peers than to fool the staff. They also have parent
seminars. This isn’t a program to ‘fix’ your
child. This is a program that heals the whole family, including
yourself. The Program deals with personal change, internalized
change. This is a program that encourages change through the
love and support of peers and staff alike but does not happen
overnight. The patterns and habits of bad choices did not happen
overnight either.
My daughter graduated over 2 years ago and is doing great.
Our family operates much differently now than it had before.
We treat each other with respect and we are more honest and
accountable. We’ve learned to communicate with each other
and the responsibilities of communication.
This is a crazy time we’re living in. If it is going
to change, it will change one child and one family at a time.
This program has not only saved my daughter’s life, but
has saved my life also. It has saved my marriage and my family.
The Program has help turned our greatest adversity into one
of our greatest blessings.
Mother of a Program Graduate
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