At What Point Is a Residential Treatment Center for Teens Necessary

It’s a difficult decision to make, but at some point parents realize it’s time to consider placement in a residential treatment center for teens for their child. They’ve done everything possible to help their teen, and his behavior has still not improved. Maybe you’re wondering if you have reached that point.

You’ve Done Everything You Could to Help Your Teen

You’ve done everything you could to help your teen with his psychological or emotional issues and to get his behavior under control. You’ve discussed his behavior with him and enforced consequences for breaking the rules. You met with his teachers and counselors. Maybe you even moved him to a different school. He has been in therapy. Possibly you’ve had to hire lawyers and meet with court officials. Maybe you sent him to live with relatives, because you’re trying to get him away from negative peer influences. And still, his behavior has not improved.

10 Warning Signs That a Residential Treatment Center Is Necessary for Your Teen

If your teen is involved in many or all of these 10 behaviors, it is time to consider sending him to a residential treatment center for teens, like Liahona Treatment Center.

1. Substance Abuse

Whether the substance is alcohol or drugs, your teen is putting his health and even his life in danger. If he’s driving while under the influence, he is endangering others. Not to mention the possibility of getting arrested for illegal substance use could damage his education and career opportunities for the future.

2. Continued Psychological or Emotional Problems

If your teen has been in therapy for 6 months or more, and is not showing significant change in behavior or attitude, he may need to be immersed in a therapeutic setting, and removed from negative influences.

3. Trouble at School

Your teen is failing classes, skipping school, getting into fights, or getting into trouble for other inappropriate behavior. School staff are trained to handle normal discipline problems, but not to deal with students who are consistently disruptive or truant.

4. Trouble with the Law

Your teen has been arrested repeatedly. His crimes may include assault or other violent acts, theft, using or dealing drugs, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and destruction of property.

5. Violence Toward Others

This can include getting into fights, assaulting others, or becoming violent at home toward parents or siblings, or even pets.

6. Violence Toward Self

Some teens engage in self-harming behaviors, such as self-cutting, or reckless and dangerous behavior, like driving too fast, taking extreme physical feats. This can also include suicide ideation.

7. Threatening or Abusive Behavior

Teens may threaten, bully, and become verbally abusive both at home and at school.

8. Damaging Property

Teens damage their own possessions, like trashing their bedrooms, or they damage things in the house, as well as the personal belongings of parents and siblings.

9. Risky Sexual Activity

Teens engage in sexual behaviors that put them at risk for teen pregnancy or STDs. Their sexual behaviors may also be out of control, like with an addiction to pornography.

10. Other Defiant Behavior

Teens steal from their parents or other family members and friends. They ignore rules and boundaries set by parents. They are belligerent, rebellious, and disrespectful. They refuse to accept responsibility or consequences for their behavior.

Advantages of a Residential Treatment Center

In a residential treatment center, teens get a fresh start in a new environment, away from the negative influences of peers. They are removed from the situations that contributed to their problems and poor behavior patterns. Teens are immersed in a therapeutic setting, where they get help daily with psychological, emotional, and behavioral problems. Medical staff monitors their physical health and medications, if needed. Nutrition specialists plan their diet. Qualified therapists determine the best type of individual therapy to help each teen with his issues. Teens participate in social activities and group therapy sessions, where they are supported and encouraged by their peers. The entire family is included in family therapy sessions, usually through a secure online video service and during family visits. Residential treatment centers also offer follow-up programs to continue therapeutic care once the teen returns home. Teens are held accountable for their actions in a residential treatment center, and they learn to consider the consequences of their behavior before they act. They are required to do daily chores and behave responsibly. Teachers and tutors help them with academics and earning school credits. They participate in physical and recreational activities. Some centers offer activities such as team sports, hiking, skiing, swimming, and water skiing.

Let the Experts Take Over

You know you’ve done the best you could for your teen. His behavior has disrupted your home and your family life, and possibly put his own life at risk. Placement in a residential treatment center has become necessary so that he can get the help he needs to change his life and improve his future. Consider Liahona Treatment Center, a residential treatment center for boys ages 12-17. We provide individual, group, and family therapy, as well as follow-up care, and an individualized academic program. Our program focuses on helping teens with their psychological and emotional issues and changing their defiant and destructive behaviors.