A Safe Environment for Recovering Teens: Boarding Schools Offer a Supportive Place Where Teens Can Catch Up Academically

The toughest decision for parents to make when a teen has undergone treatment for substance abuse issues is when to bring that child home. Parents fear the impact of peer pressure and also know that they cannot supervise their teen twenty-four seven. Although some teens may do well at home by attending 12 step meetings and continuing with outpatient therapy, there are teens who will benefit from a more supervised environment such as a boarding school.

Therapeutic boarding schools often offer the best environment for a teen in recovery. Many of these schools offer 12 step programs as support and individual and group therapy to keep your teen on track. Recovery is an ongoing process, and teens who are new to sobriety are at their most vulnerable when they first return to the home environment. Building a stronger foundation while giving the teen an opportunity to catch up on academics can give your teen a better chance of success when they do return home.

If your teen is currently in a residential treatment program or wilderness program for primary treatment, they may be able to recommend a boarding school that specializes in supporting teens in early recovery. There are many specialized boarding schools that offer a positive therapeutic milieu for teens who have had substance abuse issues. Parents who are concerned that their teen is not ready to come back to their home environment often hesitate to continue on to a boarding school because they worry the teen will resent them even more. However, the progress your teen makes in this continued healthy environment often changes this dynamic dramatically. Many teens who were once angry at their parents for sending them into treatment later thank their parents. They recognize that the therapeutic and educational opportunities their parents gave them have made their future much brighter.