You type the name of a therapeutic boarding school you are considering for your troubled teen in your search box and suddenly you are shocked.
The reviews are so horrific, can you actually make this big step? However, your child’s behavior is escalating and needs intervention. Your therapist is recommending residential therapy and you know deep down your teen needs more than you can give them.
One simple online search for “therapeutic boarding schools” yields over 5 million results! It is overwhelming and daunting for parents to sift through the information and determine cyber fact from cyber fiction — and what is in the middle.
Maybe you are considering a program that comes highly recommended but you discovered ugly online content and are now having serious concerns, not only about the program, but if you will get your teenager the help they need at all.
Troubled Teen Websites and Fearmongering
For decades teen help programs have existed, and sadly they haven’t always been regulated or even licensed properly.
The purpose of P.U.R.E.™ is to educate parents on finding safe, qualified therapeutic schools and programs after our own experiences over 20 years ago, with a very troubling teen help industry.
Today so much has changed for the positive for therapeutic boarding schools, but what hasn’t changed is the need to help our young people. Over the past several years the mental health crisis has doubled for adolescents. Parents are desperate for the right help, especially when therapy isn’t working at home.
Websites, screens and reviews
As a parent is anxiously trying to research a program, they will likely stumble on troubling websites and/or reviews that are intended to give them pause. Whether they are former students, parents or employees, it’s time for you to dig a deeper.
We are not here to dismiss negative reviews as much as we are here to help parents sift through the internet to determine cyber-fact from cyber-fiction (or misinformation). The teen help industry is a big business, there ‘is no doubt, they want your business — so you need to be a smart consumer.
It is time to learn to analyze places to send trouble teens reviews to sort through what can be consider as distorted truths and possibly outright lies to discourage parents from getting their child help.
Netflix carelessly promoted documentaries to fearmonger parents without educating parents of qualified and safe ways to find healthy resources. That is why we are here to “educate” you about how to navigate this industry to find the right therapeutic setting for your teenager.
The Reddit Rabbit Hole
One of the most troubling forums for the trouble teen industry is Reddit. Although Reddit can be extremely helpful for people for different situations, when it comes to therapeutic boarding schools and programs it can be a venting machine without facts or legitimate reference.
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.
Most of the comments are dated, in fact, some are 3-5 years old and recent ones can be up to a year old. Most are posted by anonymously and give out links to websites that believe all residential programs should be closed down. If you reach out to these sites, they will tell you there isn’t any good programs and continue to get your teen therapy at home. Exactly how has that been working out for you?
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:
- What program? Is the program still open or closed now?
- 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?
This is not to dismiss anyone’s experiences, as much as it is to help parents sort through online 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.
Steps for Vetting and Interpreting Reviews
1. Verify Claims with Authorities: Since many online claims may lack context, independently verify a school’s standing. Contact your state’s Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) or the local sheriff’s office to check if there are any official incident reports or pending investigations regarding the facility.
2. Look for Recurring Patterns: A single complaint may stem from a financial dispute or an early termination of a contract. However, if multiple reviews consistently point to the same systemic issue, such as poor communication or aloof administration, treat it as a red flag.
3. Interview the Program Director: Directly ask the school’s leadership about specific negative reviews you find. A transparent, professional explanation is a good sign, whereas defensiveness or evasion is a strong indicator to look elsewhere.
4. Request Parent References: Schools will naturally provide positive references. To get actionable feedback, ask these references targeted questions like, “If you could change one thing about this school, what would it be?” or “Was there anything that ever concerned you?”
Also read:
How to Choose the Right Therapeutic Boarding School
5 Benefits of Residential Treatment Centers
How to Search Online Safely for Teen Help
Image credit: Magnific, shurkin_son
