You have finally come to the conclusion you need outside help, local therapy is not working, you may have tried a short-term residential program and even sent your troubled teen to a relatives to stay. It’s time to find the right therapeutic boarding school to help your teenager as well as your family.
Choosing the right residential treatment facility takes time and diligence since it’s imperative you choose one that best fits your child’s emotional needs but also is safe and qualified.
This is not always an easy task especially with the internet that has become a breeding ground for people to vent their negative experiences without any ramifications. The fact is the majority of people taking the time to post reviews are mainly derogatory.
Families that had positive experiences are usually too busy working on their family unity rather than spending time online. Today some therapeutic programs have employed online reputation management companies to help them control their reviews. It is not about removing the negative experiences; however it is about asking satisfied families to share their successes.
This is a process that is done with most all businesses since everyone now has the power of the keyboard that can literally take down a 20-year business in 20-minutes.
Negative Online Reviews for Therapeutic Boarding Schools
It’s very troubling when you read the overwhelming amount of horrific online reviews for the majority of therapeutic boarding schools for troubled teens in our country. In a time where parents and teens are in crisis, mental health access is limited and people are faced with statements from former students, guardians or others that are using their keypad to create fear and anxiety.
There are programs that have been in existence since the 1980’s and 1990’s that have never had issues with licensing or Department of Children and Family Service (never) for over forty decades, yet they are being slandered outright crucified on forums without any accountability.
If your child was harmed in a program, if your child was abused in a facility, if you were defrauded, if anything horrific happened to you or your family — would you post it online? The answer is likely yes, but wouldn’t you also file charges? OF COURSE YOU WOULD.
The founder of P.U.R.E.™ is the greatest example of this. She posted her story of her daughter’s abuse, how she was misrepresented and the lawsuit that followed. The result was the demise of 22 abusive programs.
In other words, all these people posting negative reviews, why aren’t they filing complaint with the state that the program is in? Why aren’t they filing with DCFS? With licensing? If they did — what were the findings? Why is the program still open?
It’s all about the power of the keyboard. This is not dismissing anyone’s experiences; this is about everyone doing their due diligence.
Are Reddit Reviews Credible for Teen Help Programs?
Reddit is not a fact-checked reference website. It is an open social media platform where anyone can post information, opinions, or personal experiences anonymously.
One of the most disturbing forums for the trouble teen industry is Reddit. Although Reddit can be helpful for different situations, when it comes to therapeutic boarding schools and programs it can be a venting machine without facts or legitimate references.
The majority of residential treatment centers and therapeutic boarding schools have a Reddit thread and most of them are not pleasant.
As mentioned earlier, it’s usually the negative people that will be the ones to share information online much faster than those that are living their lives.
A lot of the Reddit posts are anonymous and even more are well over 3-5 years old. If you are on a parent forum of any social media outlet and found concerning comments about a program you are considering, here are some questions to ask:
- If they claimed abuse, did they report it to the proper authorities or file a lawsuit?
- When were they enrolled?
- Do they have a relationship with their parent/family now?
- How does their parent feel today – if you can find out? Do they also believe the program failed?
- Why were they placed in the program?
This is not to dismiss anyone’s experiences, as much as it is to help parents sort through online and especially Reddit reviews. There are usually extenuating circumstances behind each post. Sometimes it is not possible to acquire this information, so ask the program owner or director directly about this former student’s statement. If you are not satisfied with the answer, move on to another program choice for your son/daughter.
It is also important to realize that anyone can become a keyboard warrior, but did they report the abuse, harm or neglect to the appropriate licensing bureau? Was the program flagged? Were they closed, suspended, or have any tarnishes on their record?
Reality is, there are no perfect programs, and no one condones abuse, however if a child is being harmed, it’s imperative that it is reported and filed through the appropriate channels. Simply venting online doesn’t stop the harm.
Also read:
Do Therapeutic Boarding Schools Work?
5 Benefits of Residential Treatment Centers
How to Search Online Safely for Teen Help
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