Throughout history, many parents have chosen military schools for their children, as a punishment or as final resort for help in disciplining children. Today, things are different as military schools’ standards have changed, and they tend to be very picky when it comes to the selection of their future cadets; some might even decline the application of a troubled teen.
Still, parents need to be honest in their applications, because the truth will come out eventually, and the schools need to know what kind of a problem they are dealing with in order to help your teen. Young teens with behavior problems are not likely to conceal their natures just because they get into a military school.
Be sure that you make the right choice when you are deciding on what school you will send your child to, that it meets all your demands and has the appropriate program for your teen’s problems. Note that military schools usually can’t help teens with emotional problems or learning disabilities, as they don’t have the facilities and staff to deal with them.
Think of a military school as more of a prevention than a solution to a problem that went too far. If your child already has a criminal record, drug abuse problem and/or serious behavior problem, perhaps military school is not the right choice. Most schools will decline this sort of teen. Your first step should probably be some sort of other therapy.
On the other hand, if your child is just going through usual teen changes, but you are afraid that he might go the wrong way, for whatever reasons you have, military school can be a solution for you and your teen. It will build their character, get them away from the streets, fights, and alcohol and drug abuse.
Military schools have a special way of teaching teens discipline and making them better in so many ways. Building their self-esteem and helping them achieve goals, through a busy schedule and strict rules, children soon change and realize that it is better for them to stay out of trouble.
Causing trouble in military school can lead to some serious consequences, and students can be punished in ways that parents are too afraid or too soft to enact. Some parents just can’t help but give  their children anything they want, spoiling them, which has negative results both for discipline and for the child himself.

Troubled teens can have a difficult time in military school, until they realize they have to change their attitude. Restricted going-out and leisure time, monitored activities, punishments like labor or doing push-ups, room inspections and others will soon change your child’s behavior for the better.

Illegal drugs do not have any rightful place in society, let alone in academic institutions where young people are supposed to be busy building their future. When youths engage into these vices, reputation, relationships, wallets and academic grades suffer severely.

Governmental Initiatives to Assist Troubled Youth in California

There are a number of initiatives by the government that are geared to assist affected individuals together with their families. There is the California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs that is charged with administering prevention, treatment, and recovery services for drug abuse. This organization has an in-house treatment program to assist troubled youths to recover. Some of the programs involve initial assessment, counseling, detoxification and finally the long term outpatient treatment.

This organization has also managed to establish offices in all the counties in California that can assist troubled youths to find drug related services at convenient locations with their schedule. Among additional services being provided at the county level for this group of people are a toll-free telephone number for residents in need of alcohol related drug prevention and treatment information.

There are also prevention services for in state residents which are meant to reduce alcohol related problems.

There is also the California Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (CAADAC) which is the largest counseling certification organization in the state of California. This organization confers certifications to counselors who in return treat patients whom are struggling with drug addiction and other related vices. This organization, through its certified counselors, has managed to rehabilitate thousands of high school and college kids by offering them effective and timely intervention.

There is also the ten acre ranch which is a non-profit organization that is sponsored by the State of California Department of Alcohol and Substance Abuse. This organization has a unique model that emphasizes learning through doing while at the same time offering low cost drug treatment programs with a long term residential rehabilitation program. In the long run, this program will enable the troubled youth to become alcohol and drug free individuals after a period of around four week.

This organization has a facility with six beds in it that provides a lot of space to the patients for one-on-one counseling services, and the administration has managed to create spare time that can also be used for other mind building activities, such as recreation and fellowship within the treatment center.

Useful Links

http://www.caadac.org/

http://www.10acreranch.org/

http://www.adp.cahwnet.gov/

Military schools have become quite popular among parents of troubled teens.  Parents have high hopes that strict discipline and being forced to work as a team will help change their child around.

In many cases military schools do just that.  They equip a teenager with the skills they need for survival, respect for others, and teamwork.  There are two basic types of military schools: ones that take troubled teenagers, and ones that do not.  If your child has more than just a behavior problem or if your child has some special needs you may want to consider some of the other types of boarding schools.

Military schools that accept struggling teenagers are quite expensive.  The prices of each school vary, but the average cost is between $25,000 and $30,000 per school year.  That is a total for 9 months.

If a parent can’t pay the total upfront they may be offered a monthly payment plan.  That payment plan usually costs extra.  Just to be a part of the payment plan you can expect to tag on another $600.  So basically, you can expect to pay about $3,000 per month.  You must also consider the added costs of uniforms and personal items.  You need to add on an additional $1,800 to cover these costs.

Boarding schools for troubled teens should also be considered, especially if the child has moderate to severe behavioral issues.  These boarding schools specialize in helping children deal with their problems by getting at the root of the problem.  In addition to all of the academic requirements, students will also be required to attend therapy.

Therapy will be provided individually as well as in a group setting.  Attending a boarding school will still teach a child how to deal with schedules, following authority, and how to work as a team like the military schools do.  These schools just have an added program to deal with the reason the teens were sent to the school in the first place.

Boarding schools also are not cheap.  In fact they are more expensive than military schools because they have the added element of dealing with medical and psychological issues.  Parents can expect to pay around $6,200 per month.  On top of that there is a $2,200 enrollment fee.

If your child suffers from ADHD you can enroll them in a boarding school called Stone Mountain School.  This is a good choice for teens suffering from this condition because the school specializes in it.  You can be sure that the staff is extremely knowledgeable on the subject and how to help teens overcome it.

Teens will have to work on academics of course, but will also get the chance to work on any emotional or behavioral issues they may have as a result of ADHD.  Teens will learn how to control their anger, improve on their social skills, be respectful to others, and how to become responsible adults.

This school is not much cheaper than the average boarding school for teens with moderate to severe behavioral issues.  The tuition is $5,800 per month with an enrollment fee of $2,500.  The enrollment fee, however, does include everything else the child will need during their stay at Stone Mountain School.

It includes school uniforms, school supplies, camping equipment, and any personal items that might be needed.  That means you don’t need to worry about sending toothpaste or shampoo, and you don’t have to worry about what they will wear.

There are also boarding schools for teens with special needs.  These would be children with learning disabilities and developmental delays.  Special needs kids need extra care and nurturing.   They also require medical assistance and several different forms of therapy.

Some teens need 24 hour a day care which they would not get at a normal boarding school or military school.  Devereux GlenHolme is a boarding school for special needs teens.  The school costs $300 per day.  That comes out to $27, 375 per quarter and $109,500 per year.

There are also personal fees for the teen of $20 per month and the parents must maintain $500 in an emergency fund at all times.  These figures may seem outrageous, but almost no family pays for the entire amount.

Special needs teens are entitled to funds from many different agencies. One such agency is called the Department of Developmental Disabilities or DDD for short.  Money can also be obtained in many cases from the Board of Education.  Any leftover financial responsibility would fall on the parents of the teen and their family.

In many cases your financial status does not affect whether you can afford the school or not.  Some agencies cover the whole expense making it possible for low income families to utilize the school as well.

Special needs students will learn to become more independent in a boarding school and they will progress in their skills more rapidly than at home.  This is because the school has plenty of intense programs and is focused on helping your child 24 hours per day.

Each of these schools has the ability to help a teenager grow and mature into an adult that can function in society and contribute to it.  Finding the right boarding school for your child should be based on their individual needs or behavioral issues.

If your child could fit in to one or more of the above school categories you may want to plan a trip to check out the schools and meet with the staff.  You would also be able to discuss payment arrangements and financial aid options in a more personal manner.

Military Schools and Replacement Schools for Troubled Teens

The teenage years can sometimes be tough. Sure, you’re going to get an “Oh my gosh, this is so unfair!” every now and then, but that can be handled. Sometimes, though, teens can be at-risk, meaning they could get in trouble with the law, be expelled from school, or a number of other things.

If any of these happen, or have a good chance of happening, most parents take action by sending their teen(s) to military school or alternative schools. These alternative schools are ones in which, you the parent, order your child to go to, not the school system doing so.

In comparison, military schools are traditionally where parents send their troubled teens in order to turn them into productive members of society. Choosing to send your child to military school, however, does have several disadvantages. For example, sometimes they just aren’t the best choice for trying to get your teen back in line.

Admission fees and other expenses are usually collected upfront, and if your child gets expelled from the school, there are no refunds. Fortunately, there is another way to go about helping your teen and the pros of them outweigh the cons of the two types of schools.

Specialty Boarding Schools

Specialty Boarding Schools have some of the same qualities as military schools and more often than not are fit to help your teen get back into the swing of society. If your child has ADD/ADHD or other behavioral problems, there is also help for them. Troubled teens aren’t just those that are on the streets smoking cocaine, they can also be teens that are lonely or depressed. These conditions are ones that are important to address with a psychology professional, something that military schools do not offer to its recruits. The term specialty boarding schools is broad and sometimes hard to understand exactly what they are. Putting it simply, they can be, but are not limited to, therapeutic boarding schools, traditional boarding schools, and residential schools specializing in teens with ADD/ADHD.

Therapeutic Boarding Schools

Therapeutic boarding schools have traditional academics combined with therapeutic sessions, interventions, etc. to help troubled teens in their quest for fitting into society. Usually, teens stay at therapeutic schools for a full school year, about nine months. Most of them are strictly for high school students, but you can find some for middle school students and young adults between the ages of 17 and 24. Many of the schools are co-ed, but all girl and all boy schools are on the rise. They are well supervised, and are a great alternative to average military schools. Some specialize or are good for teens with ADD/ADHD and the like, but many are not. Some might be a little expensive, but it’s worth it, because so many miracles have happened at therapeutic boarding schools.

Boarding schools

Another alternative to your average military school is just a traditional boarding school. Traditional boarding schools allow your child to get away from their daily life and perhaps start their school life over. They are great for teens with low self-esteem from being bullied at school or any other cause. Boarding schools can be found all over the United States and can be fun for teens all while helping them learn how to deal with their emotional or behavioral problems with psychologists, counselors, or other adults that are licensed and trained to help them.

Though psychologists are not offered at every traditional boarding school, all boarding schools have counselors like regular schools do, so you can request scheduled visits for your teen with them. Teens can start at a traditional boarding school usually in the 7th grade, but there are many schools that do accept lower grade students as well. They are well supervised and you do have to pay for your teen(s) to go there, but they are a welcome alternative to military schools.

ADD/ADHD-specialty schools

Many other residential schools specialize in helping troubled teens and/or teens with ADD/ADHD. Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) is a condition with symptoms that include but are not limited to dreaminess, forgetfulness, and little or no management skills. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a disorder with symptoms such as distractibility, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Though there is no medical cure for either condition, sometimes all troubled teens with ADD/ADHD need is a change in setting, a residential school specializing in these two conditions could really help them get things under control. With a little searching on the Internet or other sources of information you can find residential schools in the United States for your teen(s) to attend. Of course, there is a fee but these schools can really help your teen manage their disorder, and get their life back on track.

Some people just don’t know or can’t tell the difference in a military school and an alternative school. To help you better understand the differences in military schools and alternative schools, here is a chart explaining the pros and cons.