Deseret News Article on Troubled Teen Treatment
Have you ever wondered why there are so many residential treatment centers in Utah? A very informative article written in The Deseret News about Troubled Teen Treatment, explains why this is so. Brent Hall, the Executive Director at one of our sister companies, Discovery Academy, along with Jenny Wilder, founder of All Kinds of Therapy, were both interviewed for this insightful article.
As a parent, if you have found yourself in crisis mode with your child, and have started searching the internet for help, or even sought out the counsel of an Educational Consultant, you have probably found that most residential treatment centers are in Utah. Many parents have asked me why this is, as they have called Oxbow Academy looking for help for their son. There are a few reasons for this, one of them being the age limit of 18, as explained in the article: “Parents prefer Utah as a treatment venue,” said Brent Hall, Director at the Provo-based Discovery Academy, and President of the Utah Chapter of the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs. He said, “Utah laws allow parents to be treated as parents and kids to be treated as kids.” Brent is referring to the legal age of majority for medical care. In Utah, a child becomes an “adult” at age 18 and is, therefore, able to accept or deny any treatment.
The article examines other reasons troubled teen treatment centers are in Utah, such as the rural environment, to the friendly family upbringing, along with Utah lawmakers that help provide a great setup for many residential treatment facilities. Yet as a parent who is looking for help, this can be a very overwhelming and scary process. Many parents ask themselves, “Which program is the right one for my child? Have we tried everything we can here at home, and is this the next step?” Will my child be safe at a residential treatment center?” There are many ways to find the right program for your child, such as using an Educational Consultant who can help guide you to find the best fitting program for your child’s needs. You can find one near you at www.iecaonline.com. You can also seek out help at www.allkindsoftherapy.com, a comprehensive online database of youth therapeutic intervention programs throughout the country. There are many different resources that can help parents move in the right direction.
Once a parent has decided to take the step of placing their child into a treatment program, it is important to remember, “It takes work, not only from the ‘troubled teen’ who is facing any number of neurological, social, emotional, mental, or behavioral issues, but the entire family system must be committed to making it work,” Jenny Wilder stated in the article. She goes on to say, “Most fight it at the beginning … but they get used to it. For some kids, it’s a hard process. Ideally, their parents are on board.”
Jenny said it might seem counterintuitive to send a child away from their family in order to help the child and family function better as a whole, “but the entire system has to work. Families end up being an integral part of programs, with sibling and parent visits factored into the plan, to help everyone learn skills and see the participating child adapting and growing from their new environment.”
Oxbow Academy is one of the many troubled teen treatment centers available in Utah. If you are ready to take the next step and you’re wondering if Oxbow Academy is the place for your son, feel free to reach out to us directly at 855-676-4272 or by visiting our assessment page. Oxbow Academy is a residential treatment center that specializes in addressing sexual issues with teenage boys. We offer a 90-day assessment and evaluation to help determine the proper treatment and level of care for your son. This helps many parents who are unsure what is really going on, and what their son needs in regards to his sexual issues, since shame, embarrassment and secrecy often keeps the cycle going. You are not alone in this; there is help available.