| Today children, teens and young adults struggle with | | | | professionals, support staff, field supervisors and |
| many behavioral, emotional and psychological issues. | | | | teachers, many of whom have education and training |
| Their struggles are with adoption, body image, | | | | in psychology, social work or counseling, as well as |
| oppositional behavior, academics, drugs, alcohol, social | | | | medicine (psychiatry.) |
| skills and attention deficit, to name a few. | | | | In addition to individual counseling, most intensive |
| In many cases the issues are fueled by divorce, peers, | | | | therapeutic programs and schools provide group |
| family conflict or psychiatric problems. Sometimes the | | | | therapy as well. It is not unusual for hikers in the |
| struggles are years in the making, some even the | | | | wilderness or students in a therapeutic boarding school |
| result of pre-natal or early childhood trauma. | | | | to stop "in their tracks" so that an individual or group |
| A family's first intervention for a struggling child often is | | | | issue is processed in the moment. Positive peer culture |
| psychotherapy, which in our society usually consists of | | | | is another characteristic shared by many therapeutic |
| one 45-50 minute session, once per week. Sometimes | | | | programs. |
| the psychotherapy is coupled with medication. Both | | | | For the young people who are on medication while |
| approaches, either alone or in combination, can be | | | | enrolled in such programs, the feedback on the |
| powerfully effective. | | | | medication's efficacy is thorough. The feedback is |
| The two approaches can also be powerfully | | | | usually developed by a team of professionals who are |
| ineffective. Psychotherapy can be ineffective, for | | | | observing the child's behavior on a daily basis, |
| example, when the child refuses to engage fully, when | | | | throughout a range of activities. |
| the issues are more than "once per week deep" and | | | | There is a mythology, often perpetuated by |
| when environmental factors such as family and peers | | | | well-meaning, but ill-advised people that "sending a child |
| impede the child's progress. Medication therapy can be | | | | away" for an intensive intervention is an "extreme |
| ineffective when the feedback to the prescribing | | | | measure." We assert this countervailing view: It is the |
| doctor is inaccurate or incomplete (for example, when | | | | failure to intervene that is harsh. |
| feedback is not provided regarding a child's behavior in | | | | Consider the consequences possible when a family |
| recurring classroom and/or social situations over an | | | | fails to intervene effectively. A family that fails to |
| extended time period,) or when the child is not | | | | make an appropriate intervention potentially places a |
| compliant with the medication regimen. | | | | child at risk for: |
| When traditional psychotherapy and/or medication | | | | - increased depression |
| therapy are not working--or when the child needs a | | | | - self-harm |
| "wake up call"--but not boot camp--it may be that an | | | | - school failure |
| intensive therapeutic intervention may be in order. | | | | - inappropriate behavior |
| "Intensive" typically means 24/7; that is to say, some | | | | - family dysfunction |
| form of residential or in-patient program, the duration of | | | | - failed relationships |
| which can range from ten days to twenty four months | | | | --and later, failure in life. These are harsh |
| or longer. Such interventions are provided by | | | | consequences indeed. |
| thousands of residential treatment centers, wilderness | | | | Families, school counselors and mental health |
| therapy & outdoor therapy programs, therapeutic | | | | professionals are encouraged to seek out a |
| & emotional growth boarding schools, young adult | | | | professional intervention consultant to help determine |
| transitional living centers, and so on. | | | | the best possible program(s) for a struggling child or a |
| Not all "programs" share the same high standards. | | | | child at-risk. These struggling, at-risk youth rarely heal |
| Some, in fact, enroll inappropriate students simply for | | | | themselves. Often, they need help. More often, they |
| the revenue, while others lack high professional | | | | need lots of help to realize the hope and promise they |
| standards in what is a largely unregulated environment. | | | | once held. Far from an "extreme measure," most |
| Common to reputable programs is that they are | | | | therapeutic programs offer an opportunity for a |
| therapy intensive. Children are observed, counseled, | | | | life-changing experience--for the child, as well as for |
| coached and, if need be, medicated in a setting where | | | | the family. |
| their behaviors are observed by mental health | | | | |