Ten Top Mistakes Parents Make When Choosing a Residential Camp for their Teen
Mistake Number 1: We want a place close to home
If you were discussing with your teenager the best medical school to go to, to become a neurosurgeon, would you only look at the ones close to home? No, you would look for the University program with the best results, where the best neurosurgeons graduate, with the best links to the best hospitals, need I say more?
Similarly, when considering a residential camp for your teenager, if you live in New York, the most suitable camp for their need may not even be on the East Coast. What is important is identifying your teenager's needs, and then matching the right camp to those needs.
When location is important
If we are considering location of a camp, it is more appropriate to consider why certain camps are located in certain parts of the USA. The following questions will help you to decide whether location is a true factor in choosing your teens' boot camp, residential facility or treatment program.
Questions about your teenager
- Do they get violent when angry? A violent and angry teenager needs space to walk off their anger, other residents need to be kept safe from the violence and the camp must have means to contain that violence. A small facility in a city location will not have the space needed for this kind of behavior.
- Does the camp you are considering take younger children too? They are unlikely to consider a violent teen around younger kids.
- Has your teenager been abusing drugs? You need a specialist facility that can handle withdrawal, and with trained drug professionals. You may also consider that a good distance between your teen and their dealer would be beneficial.
- Has your teen been hanging around with the wrong types of friends, and lost their good nature? A camp far away from those friends is a good start, perhaps a camp that encourages good group relationships, so that new, better friendships can be forged?
- Has your teen been sexually promiscuous? A single sex camp may be more important than the location, finding one that has a wide range of ages, and a specialist sexual behavior therapist.
Location is only one factor to consider when choosing a residential camp for your troubled teen; a good match for location is one that has the therapists your teen needs, with the space and facilities that will help them to recover, and that is not too far away. Note, the location is the last consideration!