Questions to Ask When Choosing a Treatment Center for Your Teen
As a parent, deciding to seek treatment for your child can be one of the most challenging decisions you will ever make. We understand the strength, courage, and hope it takes to make this choice. Our team of caring experts is here to support you every step of the way. You will never be alone on this journey, as we are dedicated to helping you and your family find healing and hope.
Below, we include a list of questions to ask the admissions counselor of any treatment center you consider for your adolescent.
General
Here are some general questions to keep in mind overall when speaking to treatment centers.
Clinical
Here is a list of questions to ask the admissions counselor of any treatment center you consider.
Safety
You must be direct when it comes to asking about safety. Being entrusted to the care of adolescents is an enormous responsibility that no treatment center should take lightly. If you have a treatment-resistant or unwilling teen, or a teen with self-harming or suicidal tendencies, it’s vital to ask about the following safety policies and protocols.
Wilderness Therapy
Wilderness programs operate under a different set of guidelines than most adolescent treatment centers. To ensure a wilderness program is appropriate for a teen who needs evidence-based treatment for mental health or substance use issues, parents should read the Licensing and Accreditation, Staff-Patient Ratio, Staff Qualifications, Monitoring Methods, and Behavior Modification sections that appear before these question sets. When talking with a representative from wilderness program, ask questions such as:
Is your program fully licensed and accredited to provide mental health and substance use treatment services?
Are staff trained and certified mental health or addiction counselors/therapists?
Does your program include on-call psychiatrists or psychiatric nurses?
Therapeutic Boarding Schools
Therapeutic boarding schools – like wilderness programs – operate under a different set of guidelines than most adolescent treatment centers. To ensure a program is appropriate for a teen who needs evidence-based treatment for mental health or substance use issues, parents should read the Licensing and Accreditation, Staff-Patient Ratio, Staff Qualifications, Monitoring Methods, and Behavior Modification sections that appear before these question sets.
Considerations When Choosing Treatment
When doing your research, it’s vital to ensure any treatment center you consider has strong safety protocols in place to protect your child. Do your due diligence and ask as many questions as you can about the program
Level of Care Definitions
Finding the treatment option that best meets the needs of your child and your family can be challenging. The following information aims to reduce confusion about the types of treatment available and offers a list of considerations to keep in mind when choosing the best program for your child.