Troubled Teens Resources

What is teen crisis intervention? It can be whatever it takes that will make the difference in a troubled teenagers life. It could be a specialty school, or schools for troubled teens, it could be a mentor, or it could be any of the various programs for troubled teens that are made available through various sponsors, grants and non-profits.

Some of the most effective programs are ones that first engage the teens heart and teases his creativity. Thus, programs that give at-risk teens their first introduction to the arts - to writing, photography,painting,etc - can often serve as the pivotal deal breaker in a teen’s burgeoning criminal career. When a teenager is introduced to their own gifts and talents, they have a new choice that can turn them away from drugs and crime.

“Best known for his role as a troubled teen on television, Edmonton-based actor Dakota House is using the arts to reach out to at-risk aboriginal youth.

House… held a fundraiser for his non-profit organization, Going M.I.L.E.S., last night in downtown Edmonton.

The name stands for Motivating, Inspiring, Leading, Empowering and Succeeding.
[..]
“It sets (youth) up for the future” by teaching them skills and giving them confidence, said House.
[…]
House, 33, found himself in trouble on more than one occasion in his younger days…Now drug- and alcohol-free for almost three years, the actor said he has learned from his mistakes and like other Going M.I.L.E.S. participants, including ReddNation and Dallas Arcand, makes a good mentor.

“Everyone on board is a role model,” said House. “Youth can identify with us.”

(source)

You may have witnessed Oppositional Defiant Disorder behavior before you ever knew it had a name. It is the child whom parents love, but whom they dread dealing with. It is the child who will not bend, will not negotiate, will not be considerate and knows no boundaries.

There are many factors that come into play when determining why a child develops Oppositional Defiant Disorder and it can become confusing to the parent who is struggling to simply find the most effective means dealing with explosive and disruptive behavior.

Moreover, parents need assurance that there are programs that will help their son or daughter thrive in school. Many times parents will seek out a specialty school that has a staff trained in the behavioral therapies developed for kids and teens coping with ODD and ADHD.
Below is a synopsis of some basic guidelines, with more details at the link below.

• Establish a secure and supportive environment. A child with ODD needs to have security. He needs to know that mom and dad will always be there for him…
• Create a schedule and stick with it. Children need a schedule. This is especially true of the child with ODD. He needs to know what comes next in his day…..
• Set up clear and concise boundaries. Your child must know what will happen if he pulls his sister’s hair, or breaks all the toys in his bedroom in a fit of rage…..
• Be consistent. You will need to mete out the exact same discipline every time your child breaks the rule..
• Never shout or get angry with your child. A child with ODD literally shuts down when being yelled at. He cannot hear you……

(Source)

Oppositional Defiant Disorder can be so overwhelming that parents have no choice but to opt to send their child to a specialty school or schools for troubled teens that specializes with OOD teens. Imagine struggling with a child’s tantrums from toddler on through adolescence.

“At the age of of two-and-a-half, Daniel was more boisterous than a normal toddler – and it was noticed.

“He used to get so excited,” said mum, Hayley… “A normal toddler’s temper tantrum would last about five minutes. Daniel’s lasted one-and-a-half-hours.”
[..]
“Daniel would go into one room and wreck it,” his mum recalled. “By the time I had got into that room he had done another three or four.”
[..]
Things became so bad that the couple,…were trained in ways of restraining Daniel, now 13, for his own safety. Mrs Fletcher taught him at home – because he could not cope in mainstream school.

He wrecked a classroom at North Wootton Primary School and threatened to jump off the roof at St Edmund’s Community Foundation School… His parents came to a mutual agreement with the school for him to leave.

He is now at Eaton Hall….which caters for students with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

Daniel has the genetic condition ADHD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder which causes behavioural and learning problems like being persistently impulsive, inattentive and defiant. He also has Oppositional Defiant Disorder, showing a pattern of negative and defiant behaviour.”

(Source)

Private boarding schools tend to produce different students than the public school system produces. Of course, much depends on the curriculum and the governing philosophy of the schools. Some progressive schools churn out many youths totally unequipped to deal with the realities of adult life, but quite suited for a career in Hollywood

On the other hand, those private and specialty schools that have a more traditional approach to education and youth turn out teenagers who are ready to take the next steps into responsible adulthood. Established and reputable troubled teen boarding schools are very intentional about turning out mature, self-directing teens.

Unfortunately,studies indicate that millions of teens entering their twenties are mentally still in high school.

“I think the early 20s are the new teenage years,” says Rea, 26, a college student studying to be a history teacher. “There are no parents telling them, ‘You can’t do this.’ It’s pretty much a free-for-all.”

That statement points to the gist of the problem. A twenty year old shouldn’t need a parent telling them that something is dangerous. The educational system is supposed to be training kids to a level of maturity that would make destructive drinking and drugging in college unacceptable.

In fact, there was a time when a teen would never take so lightly what a college education represents. Now it has largely become an excuse to extend the high school prom.

American society has taken great pains to prevent adolescents from the perils of foolhardy behavior, from zero-tolerance alcohol and drug programs to graduated drivers’ licenses to city curfews for youths, Mintz says.

If teens make mistakes, they often get a second chance. But in their 20s, society is less forgiving.

“It’s the 20s that are risky,” he says.”

(source)

America isn’t the only country with troubled teenagers who are better served by a specialty school or schools for troubled teens. A state sponsored program in New Zealand takes a slightly different strategy in educating their out of control teens, with more of an emphasis on education that will likely assist their troubled teenagers with a job in addition to academic credentials.

“It is a day program with classroom time in the morning and in the afternoon the teens learn practical farming skills such as fencing, managing horses, horticulture as well as workshop skills such as engineering and welding.

“The simple fact, is that our kids don’t fit within the school model. [We teach] those general practical things – still from an education basis but looking at that outcome of learning for the future,” he said.”

The tenets to which this school subscribes are universal values that defy all of the pop psychology thrown at the problem of troubled teenagers; Motivation, Work Ethic, Belief in Self.

“So we actually end up with a plan of action around the young person and, while you get some sort of resistance, as you start knocking off all those problems you start to resolve the situation. And I think that is actually what makes us different,” he said. The most successful cases are those where parents also participate.”

(Source)

The essential need for parents to be closely involved in their teens education is also a universal value. In the end, it would seem this ageless wisdom will always be superior to the coddling and victim card mentality presently handed to teenagers in the public educational system.

Troubled teenagers with a history of Oppositional Defiant Disorder are exceptionally fortunate if they find themselves in the care of strong, loving parents. Some accounts of ODD behavior are indeed difficult to read . You wonder how any one parent can sustain a healthy environment for their other children when so much time must be dedicated to managing one out of control child or teen. You wonder how marriages survive and families stay intact.

For those parents undergoing such a trial, it is often good to hear an honest account of day to day life.

“People seem to be under the assumption that children with disabilities are “special” and I mean, sweet, loving, holding flowers, blowing kisses and waving at others with a sweet and age delayed hello from their wheelchairs. Angels, precious little angels. Yeah, whatever. If mine is an angel he works for the other side. He is mean, angry, violent and destructive. He has ODD. ..
[..]
Daily, I am hit, I am scratched, I get called names, I get spit on, I get my hair pulled. Some days more than others, of course. Daily, I clean up pee and poop from clothes and from other places.”

Yet, what makes it all do-able is that mysterious ability of some parents to love through it all.

“In spite of all of this, we love him, we love him enough to deal with all the crap, every day, and still love him, not for what he does, but for who he is. A child, our child. We love him enough to dread that a day might come where we can’t do this anymore.”

(Source)

Parents must do what is best for their situation, be it send the teen to a specialty school, such as the many schools for troubled teens or, if family and resources are strong, keep working with the troubled teen in the home. But to raise such a teen without any outside help is very ill advised.

Schools for troubled teens do not represent a last option or a desperate choice. Quite the opposite, given prescription drug abuse, meth labs, binge drinking, internet addiction and a whole host of other obstacles a teen must run, if that teen demonstrates behavior that indicates he is likely to stumble, a military boarding school or specialty school can assure that the teen at risk will finish the race.

“Youth need programs designed not to punish, but to heal and equip them to be valued by, and to value, themselves, their families, and others. The Helping Disciplines incorporated in the Tipton Academy include but are not limited to “Animal Assistance”, “Structure”, “Positive Peer Culture”, “Cognitive Self Change”, and an “Individualized Educational Program”. These disciplines are widely recognized as some of the most successful difference makers for troubled teens and adults.”

Each program listed above equips the teens with the tools that he will need to thwart peer pressure, succeed academically, manage emotions and chart a course for the future.

Cognitive Self Change is a prime example.

“This discipline is remarkably distinct in that it teaches how to dramatically alter one’s belief that he is the victim of his own feelings and circumstances. In this discipline, excuses are not accepted. Change takes place when a person makes a conscious decision to think differently about himself and the world in which he exists. The program is an integrated, cognitive behavior change program for youth which includes cognitive restructuring, social skills development, and development of problem-solving skills. It is presented in the format of a small group setting (PPC groups).”

Tipton Academy for Boys

Teen boarding schools have often proven to be the right environment for the depressed teen who is also emotionally alienated from their family. Such a teen has often erected defenses that even the most loving parents cannot permeate.

Often a teen can better come to grips with their depression away from the family . Enrolling a teen in a specialty school or troubled teen boarding school allows the teen to gain perspective and view their family from a safer place emotionally.

If you suspect that your teen son or daughter is suffering from depression, you will want to become familiar with some of the symptoms. The links following this abbreviated list will give you some guidance.

• Myth: It is normal for teenagers to be moody, because teens do not suffer from real depression.
• Fact: Depression can affect people at any age or of any race, ethnic, or economic group, so each mood change should be monitored.
• Myth: Teens who claim to be depressed are weak and just need to pull themselves together, so there is nothing anyone else can do to help.
• Fact: Depression is not a weakness, but a serious health disorder, and both young people and adults who are depressed need professional treatment. A trained therapist or counselor can help them learn more positive ways to think about themselves, change behavior, and cope with problems. The physician can prescribe medications to help relieve the symptoms of depression, because for many people, a combination of psychotherapy and medication is beneficial.

(Source)

Brat camp for parents may be the next stage needed in teen crisis intervention. Some parents simply do not have a clue. Irresponsible parents, unfortunately, put everyone’s teenagers in danger.

Here is a woman’s description of her neighbor, an irresponsible parent that she refers to as Mr. Milquetoast.

“Throwing beer cans and bottles, pissing on people’s cars just shows the deepest contempt for the community. I guess we’ve earned it.

After a previous incident where Mr. Milquetoast’s son’s friends threw beer cans on my lawn, I talked to a Walnut Creek police officer about what could be done about this behavior and also the son’s alcohol-fueled driving. His response was that his parents had let him and his friends drink when he was underage. When I mentioned the little matter of teenage drunk driving, he said that the kids might have a designated driver. I think my snort could be heard in Lamorinda. Anyway, it’s clear that the problem is not just with the parents. It’s also with a police force that sees teenage drinking as acceptable and normal behavior.”
(source)

Just makes you want to throw your hands up in the air, doesn’t it? Also makes the option of troubled teen boarding schools and military boarding schools a heck of a lot more attractive. These type of parents are in the PTA, on school boards,and may likely be one of your teen’s teachers. You may recall this year the many teachers that have been brought up on charges of improper behavior with their students.

A parent has more control over their troubled teenager’s education in a private boarding school setting. Typically schools in the private sector can attract a higher caliber, more dedicated professional than the public sector. A parent can choose a specialty school that is closely aligned with their values, joining a community of parents that have the mutual goal of turning teens at risk into responsible adults.

Boarding schools actually make a world of sense these days. That statement is prompted by reading a recommendation that, much as we make sure our kids are in good physical health prior to starting school, we ought to also submit them to mental health screening. Oh my. And if your reaction is a similar skeptical furrowing of the brow,well,that is just because you are scared, don’cha ya see?

“So why are we so afraid to allow our children to be screened for mental-health problems?

Are we afraid a problem uncovered is a reflection of our own psyche or parenting? Is it still the stigma connected with mental illness? Google “mental health screenings and children,” and a plethora of sites pop up filled with vehement opposition to any thought of a child being checked for mental-health problems.”

The author goes on to describe parents immediate and, apparently, vociferous objections wherever this testing is proposed.

“The concerns: schools will label a child for life; it’s one more way the government is interfering; a child’s mental-health status is parents’ business only; more kids will be put on psychiatric drugs; it’s a pharmaceutical/psychiatric industry marketing scheme, to name a few.”

(source)

Those objections are then facilely dismissed. Or so it seems, yet, they are absolutely valid concerns.Thus,back to my opening statement about boarding schools - be they troubled teen boarding schools or a specialty school, or military boarding schools - they are a very welcome option for those parents who object to the state, via the arm of public education, insinuating it judgments and will into a private family’s life.

But that is just an opinion. What’s yours?