Cost of Therapeutic Boarding Schools

If you have been searching for therapeutic boarding schools for your troubled teen you may have realized the sticker shock of the tuition fees. Most of the websites do not list their fees or costs — which is likely the first clue that it is more than most can afford. Many parents search for therapeutic programs that take insurance.

It is normal for a family to want to use their medical insurance to cover a therapeutic boarding school or residential treatment center, however first they must have a better understanding of how it works in the mental health field.

Will A Therapeutic Boarding School Take My Insurance?

Yes and no is the short answer.

PPO Insurance

Depending on your insurance policy, is where you answer starts. Most PPO (Preferred Provider Organization) policies will offer out-of-network benefits after you have meet an out-of-network deductible. These providers include (but not limited to): Aetna, Cigna, United Healthcare and (UMR), and Blue Cross Blue Shield.

If you decide to stay in-network with your PPO provider, you will have more financial coverage. The one struggle parents run into is they are typically shorter-term facilities and the more concerning issue is the teenager has to be a willing participant. In other words, they don’t permit your teen to be transported to the program.

When considering private therapeutic boarding schools, PPO insurance out-of-network benefits will typically cover a portion of the clinical component of the program, however you will still have out-of-pocket costs. These schools and programs will offer you a courtesy verification of benefits (VOB) to give you a strong determination of what is covered for you. By having the program complete the VOB for you, rather than doing this yourself, you will get a more accurate result — since they have a better understanding of their billing codes.

There are some therapeutic boarding schools that will file your insurance for you and deduct it from your invoices, while other programs will give you what they call super-bills. With these super-bill invoices, you will have to file them with your provider and wait for your reimbursement.

HMO, Medicaid, Tricare Insurance

With HMO, Medicaid and most Tricare insurances, they require you to stay in-network to have financial coverage.

Tricare does have some exceptions with some of their policies providing a PPO-like coverage. Please review your policy.

When you have an insurance policy that requires you to stay in-network, you need to contact them directly and ask for residential treatment facilities in-network. In many situations, they may give you to their mental health department and assign you a case worker or have refer you to a therapist that can determine if a therapeutic facility is necessary.

There are exceptions to staying in-network — this is called a “Single Case Agreement.” If you have exhausted your resources in-network, you can ask them cover services outside of their network.

A Single Case Agreement (SCA) is a one-time contract between an insurance company and an out-of-network provider so the patient can see that provider using their in-network benefits.

There are many situations when a SCA has been successfully used.

Finding Therapeutic Boarding Schools That Take Insurance

If you are interested in private residential treatment centers or therapeutic boarding schools that will file your insurance, there are several in our country that offer this benefit. There are many that will give you super-bills for you to file your own for reimbursement. Contact us for more information.

Also read:

Financial Options for Teen Help.

Medical Health Insurance for Teens.

Educational Loans for Teen Help.

Therapeutic Boarding Schools for Troubled Teens

Struggling with a good teen making bad choices can be frustrating especially when it escalates beyond typical teen behavior — you find you have lost control and authority over your teenager. After exhausting local resources, you find yourself online searching for schools for troubled teens and realize you have so many questions — there are 7 common questions parents typically ask about therapeutic schools.

First you are bombarded with websites, marketing and new terminology that can be confusing and overwhelming especially when you are stressed out and exhausted by your teen’s behavior.

After decades of helping families that are searching for the right behavioral boarding school for their struggling teen or young adult, we complied the top 7 most frequestly asked questions and answers by parents.

7 Questions Parents Ask About Placing Their Teen in Troubled Youth Programs:

1. “Should our teen help us choose the therapeutic boarding program?”

Absolutely, positively not. Up until this point of their life, they have not been making the best choices, what would convince you that they would make the right one now?

Again, with decades of experience, parents have attempted to work with their teens in hopes they would be excited about a school or a program, getting a new start – or possibly the animals or sports that the program offers, however what happens next can be anything but excitement.

Your child will start doing their own research online, telling their friends, and realizing they will not be able to take their phones, talk to friends, they will be on a schedule and life will not be the rainbows and unicorns they have been used to. In some situations, they might even miss holidays or birthdays.

If your teen is a flight risk, you are giving them time to better map out their surroundings by telling them where they will be going – or even where you are considering sending them. It is never wise for a parent to threaten a child that they will be sent away, this only starts the program off with a sense of negativity.

It is the child’s behavior that has prompted you to make this decision, no parent simply wants to send a child to residential for no reason. Every parent has their child’s wellness in the forefront.

This is a time for parents to be the parents, make the adult decision for the child that needs help. If you are placing a young adult, it is different. At 18+ years old they do have to be willing to attend. In most of these young adults’ programs your child can speak with the director and other students and get a full understanding of the program. Some young adults know they need this extra boost.

2. “My teen won’t attend a program; how do we get him/her there?”

This is probably one of the most common questions parents ask and are concerned about. Assisted transport is how most parents have successfully and safely brought their teen to residential treatment.

It is especially important to choose qualified and credentialed professionals. The transport service should be licensed and insured to transport teens and have various degrees and/or background in education, psychology, behavioral science, mental health, or other related fields.

It is natural for parents to be apprehensive about this, however after speaking with other parents that have taken this road, you will realize that many of these teens ended up becoming friends with their transports and it is not the nightmare they are imagining. They may initially be angry, but deep down your teen understands they do need help.

3. “I fear my teen will hate me forever if I send them to a therapeutic boarding school.”

Again, another quite common concern of parents, especially parents of adopted children that fear that they will exasperate abandonment issues, is will their teen hate them forever if they are sent to a therapeutic boarding school?

Initially your teen may enter the program and not like you very much (it may feel like hate to you and them) but — they will grow from their fear and anger.

Your teen will likely fear the new situation and may also promise to “do better at home” however you know that you have already heard all these promises and spent a long time trying. It is time to be the adult, be the parent and do what is best for your child.

It is at this time that talking to other parents can be incredibly supportive for you — parents that have taken this journey before you, maybe from the same program you have selected for your teen.

As the program progresses, family therapy and workshops continue to reunite all of you and work through the conflict that tore you apart. Eventually your teen will be able to understand and have gratitude for this experience.

4. “My teen is very smart; will he/she fall behind academically?”

When these teens enter boarding schools for troubled teens, most of them were A, B students and are now underachieving or barely attending classes. Many parents were dealing with school refusal, the simple act of getting out of bed to attend school was impossible.

Therapeutic settings first and foremost get your teen back on track emotionally, but they will also be working on your teenager’s academics.

Now that your teen is in a structured and consistence environment, they become more focused and start feeling good about themselves, which helps them to improve academically – either to get caught up or surpass where they were at their school at home.

5. “Don’t these programs have bad kids; my child isn’t that bad?”

 If no one had troubled teens or young adults, there would not be any need residential treatment facilities. Most schools for troubled teens are enrolled with good kids that come from good families, possibly had a good foundation, however, took a wrong turn.

The increase of technology has not helped this generation, screen-addiction, social media – they are not only facing peer pressure at school, but it is also in the palm of their hands 24/7/365.

Doing your due diligence in researching boarding schools helps you to be sure you are placing your teen in the most appropriate setting. Your teen will be with kids like themselves – and their families are like you, begging for help to get their child back to happiness and a functioning adult.

6. Are these programs only for the wealthy people?

The sticker shock of places to send troubled teens can make some parents feel hopeless – however there are financial options, and we also discuss using your medical insurance as much as you are able to.

There are educational loans available for all people, like college loans, parents must qualify for them. Some parents will take a line-of-credit on their home if that is an option, and others may turn to relatives for a loan or gift monies.

There are resources through organizations like The United Way that has free programs, however the hurdle is the child usually needs to be willing to attend.

As far as scholarship programs, when you interview a program, you can ask they if they have any available. It would likely be a reduction in tuition rather than a scholarship. It never hurts to ask.

7. What happens when my child comes home (graduates the program)?

It is normal for parents to be worried about their teen coming home, however this journey has involved the entire family. During this time there has been trial runs with home visits, family therapy, a transitional home plan that has been prepared and discussed many times for everyone to fully understand. Another words, you are not alone in this process either.

Some core components of an aftercare plan:

1. Family engagement. It is imperative that family involvement does not stop because the program ended. Set-up a routine to regularly check-in with each other, such as breakfast, dinner or driving your teen to school or their activities. Stay interested and involved in their daily lives and especially their digital ones.

2. Therapeutic support. Before your teen leaves treatment, have a therapeutic support plan in place that is part of coming home. This can include a therapist, school counselor and if your child requires ongoing medication, possibly a psychiatrist. The first appointments should be arranged for when they get home. You may also want to consider a mentor or teen coach.

3. Back to school. Another particularly important part of the transitional plan is to determine your teen’s educational path. Will they go back to their same school or switch schools (if so, have you enrolled him/her already) or have you signed them up for virtual schooling? (Do not panic, these are all issues that are thoroughly discussed in your transitional home plan with the program therapist and staff that know your child’s needs) prior leaving the school.

4. Consistent structure. Helping your teen maintain a balanced and consistent daily schedule with their daily life — such as school and their activities is imperative. This includes sleep patterns, recreational hobbies (sports, dance, etc.), exercise, limited screen-time, jobs, social life, and other areas in life, will lead them to a healthier lifestyle at home.

5. Relapse plan. No one is perfect, there will be bumps, but the positive side is the likely will not be as bad as it was before. Your teen has learned coping skills (and so has the parents), it is likely they will be angrier at themselves for slipping up. Be prepared by having your boundaries and consequences outlined in your home plan. If drugs or alcohol were involved prior your teen’s treatment, create a plan to avoid the people, places and moods that accompany the substance use. 

Bonus tip: Most of these teens entered treatment with the love of their cellphone or video gaming. During the transitional plan, it is time to create your technology agreement for the entire family.

Also read:

Read: How to Interview Schools for Troubled Teens.

Read: 5 Benefits to a Therapeutic Boarding School.

Read: What Is a Christian Therapeutic Boarding School?

Read: What Is the Cost of Therapeutic Boarding Schools?

Do most Teens have a Smartphone? New Study says Yes

88% of teens have either their own or at least have access to a mobile phone of some kind. For 73% of teens, this mobile phone is a smartphone.

via Do most Teens have a Smartphone? New Study says Yes.

April Is Child Abuse Prevention Month

What is child abuse?

Child abuse is the physical maltreatment or sexual molestation of a child.

Child abuse can also come in many other forms today.

Bullying and cyberbullying has opened a new emotional form of abuse that children are exposed to that can leave long-term scars that are not always physical.

As a parent, caregiver or anyone in a community, we should be aware of the signs of child abuse and learn about prevention and awareness.

To learn more visit the following sites:

The Childhelp Hotline – for abuse

Cyberbullying.us – for online abuse

Stopbullying.gov – for bullying

Take the time this month to become more alert and aware of how you could potentially help a child.

The times of day when your kids need you to disconnect

Gifts from the Enemy

Children's Books Heal

Gifts from the Enemy

Trudy Ludwig, Author

Craig Orback, Illustrator

White Cloud Press,  Biography, 2014

Suitable for Ages: 8-12

Themes: Alter Wiener, Poland, Jews, Holocaust, Survivor, Courage, Kindness

Opening: “There are those who say that what I’ve lived through never happened. But I’m here to tell you that it did. My name is Alter Wiener and I am an ordinary person with an extraordinary past.”

Synopsis: Alter Wiener was a 13-year-old boy living with his family in Chrzanow, a small town in southwest Poland. His home was filled with love, laughter, food and books. Every Friday they shared their Sabbath dinner with a student or homeless person. When the German Nazi soldiers invaded and occupied Poland in 1939, Hitler ordered his army to imprison and kill millions of Jews. Alter’s father and older brother were taken when he was 13. The Nazis came for him when he was 15. He was moved to…

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Connecting the Generation Gap: Students Making A Difference

A great way for students to make a difference!

Cyber-seniors are now experiencing a new world thanks to students taking time to teach them about the Internet.

Learn more.

Securing Our Schools: The Need For Safety In The Classroom

250 years of Violence in our schools: a tragic timeline

Source:

Security Degree Hub

1764: Enoch Brown school shooting massacre: four Lenape American Indian entered the schoolhouse near Greencastle, Pennsylvania, shot and killed schoolmaster Enoch Brown, and nine or ten children

April 9, 1891: The first known mass shooting in the U.S. where students were shot, when 70 year old James Foster fired a shotgun at a group of students in the playground of St. Mary’s Parochial School, Newburgh, New York

August 1966: Charles Whitman opened fire from the clock tower at the University of Texas at Austin, killing 16 people and wounding 31.

April 20, 1999 Littleton, Colorado: 14 students (including shooters) and one teacher killed, 27 others wounded at Columbine High School in the nation’s deadliest school shooting. Eric Harris, 18, and Dylan Klebold, 17, had plotted for a year to kill at least 500 and blow up their school.

March 24, 1998, Jonesboro, Ark.: Four students and one teacher killed, ten others wounded outside as Westside Middle School emptied during a false fire alarm.

Oct. 3, 2006, Nickel Mines, Pa.: 32-year-old Carl Charles Roberts IV entered the one-room West Nickel Mines Amish School and shot 10 schoolgirls, and then himself.

April 16, 2007, Blacksburg, Va.: A 23-year-old Virginia Tech student, Cho Seung-Hui, killed two in a dorm, then killed 30 more 2 hours later in a classroom building. His suicide brought the death toll to 33, making the shooting rampage the most deadly in U.S. history.

Dec. 14, 2012, Newton, Connecticut: Twenty-six people — 20 students and six adults — were shot and killed at the Sandy Hook Elementary School by 20 year old Adam Lanza.
QUOTE: “This was like our 9/11 for school teachers.” – said by a teacher in Florida to the Associated Press

The cold, hard facts:

Since 1980, 297 people have been killed in school shootings.

Elementary schools saw the fewest shootings (17), while high schools saw the most (62)

Lessons learned, steps taken:

After the Columbine shootings:
Some schools across the country turned themselves into near-fortresses

Kindergarden students huddled beneath desks in a lockdown drill. Such drills have become common.

Some schools installed metal detectors and security cameras, banned backpacks, required students to carry IDs and posted police in the hallways — all in the name of keeping students safe.

In time, experts realized the first and best line of defense is always a well-trained, highly alert staff and student body.

The No. 1 way we find out about weapons in schools is not from a piece of equipment but from a kid who comes forward and reports it to an adult that he or she trusts

FACT: Allocations for the Department of Education’s Safe and Drug-Free Schools program were cut by a third between 1999 and 2008, to about $294.8 million. And a program that has put about 6,300 police officers in public schools since Columbine was scrapped by the U.S. Department of Justice after 2005.

FACT: A 2008 Secret Service report found that in more than 80 percent of instances of school violence, at least one person, usually a fellow student or peer, had knowledge of the attackers’ plans.

After the Virginia Tech massacre
38 states banned students from carrying or using weapons in schools – 16 of which have specifically banned guns from any part of a college campus.

EBay stopped allowing the sale of firearm parts and ammunition on the popular site after it was learned that the shooter had purchased 10-round magazines for his gun on the site.

Schools in the US as well as abroad made changes to their own school safety politicies and procedures in the aftermath of the Virginia Tech shootings.

Changes to then Federal Gun Laws were made and loopholes that allowed the shooter, who was deemed mentally unstable, to purchase a gun were closed. Now someone with a known history of mental illness like Seung-Hui Cho are not allowed to purchase guns or ammunition.

After the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre:
Some districts have trained teachers and school staff to carry guns in case of a school shooter.

Uniformed police are being hired to patrol the halls in some districts

Since January, 2013, about 4,500 people across the country have been trained in mental health first aid for children.

Schools need counselors, psychologists and officers building relationships with kids, because they are the best line of defense.

Districts are looking at how to harden the infrastructure of their schools.

Besides shoring up windows, schools around the country were busy over the summer doing things like installing new locks on classroom doors.
Administrators realized every school should have crisis teams that review their plans regularly; every school would be wise to re-evaluate its security measures.
Infrastructure changes: Some schools are building single, prominent entryways, and reduced landscaping that once provided a place to hide. Restrooms are being shifted away from entryways and moved. Simpler keyless entry systems on doors make it less tempting to prop them open. Elaborate announcement systems that let police address a shooter without speaking to every classroom are being installed.

Some schools (with money) have invested in a high-tech system called Security Alert for Education (SAFE). Here, teachers wear a pendant that amplifies their voice during lectures — but also has a panic button button that allows them to immediately alert 911 during an emergency. Cameras mounted in classrooms are integrated into the system
The NRA suggests having armed police officers in the halls

Experts say: Major components and tasks for creating a safe school climate include:

Assessment of the school’s emotional climate;
Emphasis on the importance of listening in schools;
Adoption of a strong, but caring stance against the code of silence;
Prevention of, and intervention in, bullying, cyber-bullying;
Involvement of all members of the school community in planning, creating, and sustaining a school culture of safety and respect;
Development of trusting relationships between each student and at least one adult at school;
Creation of mechanisms for developing and sustaining safe school climates;
Schools need systems for identifying violent children and proactively intervening in their lives;
Recognizing that sometimes, adolescent mood swings and behavior changes might not be due to hormones or stress, but to substance abuse.

LAST DAY FOR APP ENTRIES: Crowdsourcing to Hack Autism: App Ideas from the Community, for the Community

Today, one in 88 children is on the autism spectrum, according to a Centers for Disease Control study, and health officials have noted the prevalence is increasing.

As part of our commitment to innovation and an open network, AT&T has teamed up with Autism Speaks to host a “Hacking Autism” app contest to develop the most empowering and helpful app ideas from the autism community, and bring those ideas to third party developers.

All entrees must be submitted by Feb. 3. Finalists will be announced on Feb. 11. The authors of the top three app ideas in each category will receive a Pantech Element tablet. And the winning app ideas will form the basis of an upcoming AT&T Hackathon, where programmers will learn about developing for people on the autism spectrum and compete to bring the app ideas to life.

For more information on how to enter the contest, visit https://www.facebook.com/autismspeaks?v=app_306225262780703&rest=1

For additional details about the contest and how it came about, visit http://attinnovationspace.com/innovation/story/a7787166.

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Crowdsourcing to Hack Autism: App Ideas from the Community, for the Community

At least once a day I think to myself “what would I do without my smartphone?” No question — mobile technology has made our daily lives a little easier.

That sentiment is even greater in the autism community. Educators, parents and researchers have seen the benefits of touch screen tablets, mobile devices and apps to help individuals on the autism spectrum organize, learn and connect. This is particularly important because today, one in 88 children is on the autism spectrum, according to a Centers for Disease Control study, and health officials have noted the prevalence is increasing.

As part of our commitment to innovation and an open network, we’ve teamed up with Autism Speaks to crowdsource the most empowering and helpful app ideas from the autism community, and bring those ideas to third party developers. To that end, we’re hosting an app idea contest on the Autism Speaks Facebook page.  We’re asking for idea submissions in four categories: apps for those on the autism spectrum who are verbal, non-verbal, school-aged (K-12) and adults.

If you have a personal connection to autism and have an app that you would like to see made, enter by Feb. 3. Then, on Feb. 11, we’ll announce the finalists and the community will select the winners by voting for their favorite ideas. The authors of the top three app ideas in each category receive a Pantech Element tablet. And the winning app ideas will form the basis of an upcoming hackathon, where programmers will learn about developing for people on the autism spectrum, and compete to bring the app ideas to life.

At AT&T, we’re dedicated to fostering these important connections that spark innovation, teach us all things that we didn’t know before, and create new technologies to make our lives just a little easier.

Microsoft Encourages Teens to Take the Online Challenge!

Are you a parent concerned about your teens safety online?  Your teen tells you not to worry, they claim they are fine?  Challenge them!

Microsoft makes it easy for parents—and offers incentive with great prizes every teen wants!

The Safer Online Teen Challenge is an interactive contest where teens can teach others how to manage their digital lifestyle by creating a song, video, skit or other original work. It’s a perfect way for teens to put their own spin on how they navigate digital safety.

Here’s how it works:

• Teens ages 13 to 18 (where applicable), select an online safety topic from either the Microsoft Safety & Security Center or the “Resources” tab of the Safer Online by Microsoft Facebook page.
• They create their work of art (using one of Microsoft’s five categories: skit/presentation, video, story/cartoon, song, survey) and submit their entry by April 12 on the Challenge website.
• Then, Microsoft’s Safer Online Facebook fans will vote to select the winners of each category. Microsoft will post the winning entries on their website and the winners will receive prizes like tablets, gaming systems and more.

Check out the prizes!  Follow the Microsoft Safety Team on Twitter.

You have the opportunity to win cool prizes! One first and one second prize will be awarded in each category.