Military Schools, Behavior Modification Schools, Residential Treatment Centers, Boot Camps, Wilderne

By Author: Samsyu
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In the last 10 years, boarding schools for troubled teens have become much more accepted than in the decades prior. In the 90's the troubled teen industry has flourished and so have the problems associated with the rapid growth of any field.
There are many types of programs for defiant youth. There are Military Schools, Behavior Modification Schools, Residential Treatment Centers, Boot Camps, Wilderness Camps, and Specialty Boarding Schools just to name a few. Each program is designed to help parents with their out of control teens.
I will discuss the differences as I see them:
Military Schools are designed mainly for young men and women looking for a career in the military. Most Military Schools collect tuition for the year in advance and offer no refund if the student is expelled.
Behavior Modification Schools range in beliefs and techniques and typically are much more structured than a Military School. Most operate using behavior modification strategies of rewards and consequences. Some schools advertise that they have a Positive Peer Culture but in reality they are a Behavior Modification School using ...
... peer pressure.
Residential Treatment Centers are more of a clinical setting and licensing usually requires them to have a Dr. or Nurse on site. These types of programs are effective if a child has psychological issues, suicidal tendencies, or other major types of psychiatric disorders. RTC's will also typically offer therapy and counseling as part of their program. RTC's are sometimes covered by insurance which can be a real advantage to a parent with limited funds.
Boot Camps are basically what the term sounds like. Boot Camps were popular mostly in state run correctional facilities until the last few years. Private Boot Camps are still available in some states. Both state run and private options have had their share of problems, including deaths in both types of camps. Many states have dropped this option and returned to simply locking youth up. Boot Camps are an 'in your face" option, but care great should be exercised when choosing this option. It is always good to visit any program being considered. Parents should also check with the state it is licensed in to see if they have had any problems, or abuse.
Wilderness Camps are named as such because they take place in the wilderness rather than a facility. Students are forced to hike during the day and sleep on the ground at night. The program is designed to help spoiled teens learn to appreciate all of the things they take for granted. Running water, hot water, heat (other than from a camp fire), and a soft bed to sleep in are just a few of the things they learn to appreciate. There have been deaths in these types of programs as well. With the unpredictability of the elements, this type of program can be especially dangerous. There are some reputable Wilderness Programs that have been around for years that are successful.
Specialty Boarding Schools are similar to Behavior Modification Schools, and could probably be subcategorized under them. As mentioned before the Behavior Modification Schools use behavior modification. Specialty Boarding Schools use other methods including Positive Peer Cultures, Cognitive Thinking, Animal Therapy, and may even include a little Behavior Modification.
Choosing a placement option for a teen is a very difficult task. Great care and research should be completed prior to placing your child in anyone else's care. I recommend that a parent always visit the placement option they are considering.
Today children, teens and young adults struggle with many behavioral, emotional and psychological issues. Their struggles are with adoption, body image, oppositional behavior, academics, drugs, alcohol, social skills and attention deficit, to name a few.
In many cases the issues are fueled by divorce, peers, family conflict or psychiatric problems. A family's first intervention for a struggling child often is psychotherapy, which in our society usually consists of one 45-50 minute session, once per week. Sometimes the psychotherapy is coupled with medication. Both approaches, either alone or in combination, can be powerfully effective.
The two approaches can also be powerfully ineffective. Psychotherapy can be ineffective, for example, when the child refuses to engage fully, when the issues are more than once per week deep and when environmental factors such as family and peers impede the child's progress. Medication therapy can be ineffective when the feedback to the prescribing doctor is inaccurate or incomplete (for example, when feedback is not provided regarding a child's behavior in recurring classroom and/or social situations over an extended time period,) or when the child is not compliant with the medication regimen.
When traditional psychotherapy and/or medication therapy are not working—or when the child needs a wake up call—but not boot camp—it may be that an intensive therapeutic intervention may be in order. Intensive typically means 24/7; that is to say, some form of residential or in-patient program, the duration of which can range from ten days to twenty four months or longer. Not all programs share the same high standards. Some, in fact, enroll inappropriate students simply for the revenue, while others lack high professional standards in what is a largely unregulated environment.
Common to reputable programs is that they are therapy intensive. Children are observed, counseled, coached and, if need be, medicated in a setting where their behaviors are observed by mental health professionals, support staff, field supervisors and teachers, many of whom have education and training in psychology, social work or counseling, as well as medicine (psychiatry.)
In addition to individual counseling, most intensive therapeutic programs and schools provide group therapy as well. It is not unusual for hikers in the wilderness or students in a therapeutic boarding school to stop in their tracks so that an individual or group issue is processed in the moment. Positive peer culture is another characteristic shared by many therapeutic programs.
For the young people who are on medication while enrolled in such programs, the feedback on the medication's efficacy is thorough. The feedback is usually developed by a team of professionals who are observing the child's behavior on a daily basis, throughout a range of activities.
There is a mythology, often perpetuated by well-meaning, but ill-advised people that sending a child away for an intensive intervention is an extreme measure. We assert this countervailing view: It is the failure to intervene that is harsh.
Consider the consequences possible when a family fails to intervene effectively. A family that fails to make an appropriate intervention potentially places a child at risk for:
increased depression
self-harm
school failure
inappropriate behavior
family dysfunction
failed relationships

—and later, failure in life. These are harsh consequences indeed.
Families, school counselors and mental health professionals are encouraged to seek out a professional intervention consultant to help determine the best possible program(s) for a struggling child or a child at-risk. These struggling, at-risk youth rarely heal themselves. Often, they need help. Far from an extreme measure, most therapeutic programs offer an opportunity for a life-changing experience—for the child, as well as for the family.
Find more information about Boarding Schools Troubled Teens here.