What to Ask When Looking at Therapeutic Boarding Schools
You've made one of the hardest decisions a parent can ever make: you're sending your child to a therapeutic boarding school. Although you feel guilty, you know it's for the best. But how to choose a boarding school that you can feel good about?
The best way to select the best option for your child's needs is to visit each school that you are considering and look around. More importantly, ask questions of staff and faculty.
Some important things to ask:
- What is the success rate? A school should be able to provide some statistical evidence (not just anecdotal) of success. For example, if the focus is on children with substance use problems, how many graduates remain drug and alcohol free — and for how long?
- What are staff credentials and staff to student ratio? Faculty and staff should be qualified to handle the type of student catered to and there should be sufficient staff to meet the needs of every child.
- What is the staff turnover rate? Sometimes high turnover of key staff indicates practices in a program that are unacceptable.
- What are the living arrangements? What are the facilities like, how many other students will your child be living with and what is the ratio of residential staff to student?
- Describe the social and emotional component of the program. How much and what kind of therapy is offered? How are rules enforced? How is time structured? Are there progressive levels of freedom for positive gains?
- What about the academic program? A good academic program will address any shortcomings or strengths your child has and allow him to catch up on missed coursework.
- To what degree are parents kept informed and involved in the program? Are there regular updates and communication, an opportunity for family therapy? Is there any aftercare offered?
- What is the number of student runaways (if any) per month or year?
- Is the school under investigation for child neglect or abuse or has it settled a civil law suit out of court in connection to child abuse? While most therapeutic boarding schools do not have such problems, there are a few that do.