Bridging Families
We believe in the impossible
Horizon Family Solutions, LLC
October 2008

www.GuidingTeens.com
www.TroubledTeenHelp.com
Teen Intervention News Blog
www.OneSizeDoesNotFitAll.info

Greetings!

A survey on substance abuse among teens was released in August that really lowers the boom on parents.

The annual survey from the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University calls out parents for contributing to drug and alcohol use among kids ages 12 to 17.

Some parents fail to monitor their children's activities, do not safeguard medications at home that can be used for abuse, and do not set good examples for their kids, the report said.

Almost half of the teens surveyed -- a nationally representative sample of 1,002 teens and 312 of their parents -- said they leave the house to hang out with friends on school nights. Among those teens, half who come home after 10 p.m. said they had been drinking alcohol, smoking marijuana or doing other drugs.

Just under 30% of those who come home between 8 and 10 p.m. said they had been drinking or using drugs.

In contrast, only 14% of the parents said their teens leave the house to hang out with friends on school nights. Who is telling the truth? The report suggests that parents are pretty clueless about their kids' schedules and how they spend their free time.

No one said parenting was easy, and parents in the survey said overwhelmingly that it's harder today to keep kids safe and raise them with good moral character than it was in previous generations. It would probably be helpful for all of us who are parents to get our heads out of the sand. Times change, and the culture kids are growing up in today is different from back in our day. For example, the survey also found these hair-raising trends:

42% of the teens said they can buy marijuana in a day or less.
For the first time in the survey's 13-year history, more teens said prescription drugs were easier to buy than beer.
Half of the teens ages 16 and 17 said that among their age group smoking marijuana is more common than smoking cigarettes.
Of the teens who drink, almost 30% said their drink of choice was hard liquor mixed with soda or something sweet compared with 16% who said they prefer beer.
One-quarter of teens said they know a parent of a classmate or friend who uses marijuana and 10% of those teens said this parent smokes marijuana with teens.

When I asked some of the kids and parents I have worked with or are currently assisting, about this survey, their comments are as follows:

"Enough with the parent bashing already, just for the sake of flashy headlines. This is so annoying."

"I went through the pain of a teenager becoming obsessed with drugs. I was not clueless about my 15 year old stepdaughter's activities. I knew she was spending every waking moment trying to obtain drugs and alcohol. Unfortunately, my (now ex) wife was at first in denial, even when overwhelming evidence was staring her in the face."

"My parents gave me boundaries, but not too many, which is key because you don't want kids to rebel against you. Also I started drinking and smoking marijuana when I was sixteen and I still do. I am now 22."

"We lived in a generation where the standard of living has risen to the point that both parents have to work to sustain a family, a home mortgage. Lack of love, care, parental presence for the children has created guilty feelings in parents, which in turn overcome this guilt by pleasing the children, letting them to indulge and adhering to their wants not their needs."

"Well, big surprise, today's parents don't want to be parents."

"We routinely put children on speed (Ritalin and Adderal) or other mind altering drugs like Prozac, Paxil, or Seroquel. Today's culture is one that view psychoactive drugs as an answer to just about every problem. How can we possibly be surprised that the message "you don't need drugs to feel good" doesn't seem to resonate with teenagers today?"

Adolescence is a time of transition during which young people explore and search for independence.As adolescents move toward independence, they try new roles and test limits. As might be expected, the relationship between adolescents and their parents also changes. Friends often become more important.

And teens want their privacy.Parenting takes time and effort.

As the youth grows and matures into an independent, responsible adult, both parents and adolescents can look back over the journey through the teen years and appreciate the changes that have occurred.

Dore E. Frances, M.A.
We believe that the choices you make regarding your adolescent's or young adult's education and life steps are among the most important decisions a family makes.

Considering a Private Residential Treatment Program for a Troubled Teen? Questions for Parents to Ask
Dad considering

Private residential treatment programs for young people offer a range of services, including drug and alcohol treatment, confidence building, educational assistance, and psychological counseling for a variety of addiction, behavioral, and emotional problems. Many of these programs are intended to provide a less-restrictive alternative to incarceration or hospitalization, or an intervention for a troubled young person. When you are a parent or guardian and believe you have exhausted intervention alternatives for a troubled teen, you may be considering a private residential treatment program.

These programs go by a variety of names, including "Christian boarding schools," "residential treatment centers," "schools for troubled teens," "therapeutic boarding schools," "emotional growth academies," "teen boot camps," "behavior modification facilities," and "wilderness therapy programs" just to name a few.

No standard definitions exist for specific types of programs.

The programs are not regulated by the federal government, and many are still not subject to state licensing or monitoring as mental health or educational facilities, either.

A 2007 Report to Congress by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found cases involving serious abuse and neglect at some of these programs. Many, many programs advertise on the Internet and through other media, making claims about staff credentials, the level of treatment a child may receive, program accreditation, education credit transfers, success rates, and endorsements by referring professionals.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation's consumer protection agency, cautions that before you enroll a child in a private residential treatment program, check it out: ask questions; ask for proof or support for claims about staff credentials, program accreditation, and endorsements; do a site visit; and get all policies and promises in writing.

These are the exact same questions we ask and items we request during our on-site visits at Horizon Family Solutions on each and every program in which we make a recommendation.

Questions to Ask

Here are some questions to ask representatives of any program you may be considering. The responses may help you determine if the program is appropriate for your child when you are choosing to make the search on your own.

Are they licensed by the state?

When the answer is yes, find out what aspects of the program the license covers: educational, mental/behavioral health, and/or residential. When the program claims to be licensed, get the name of the state agency that issued the license and contact the agency to verify that the license is current.

Often, the licensing will be through a state Department of Health and Human Services or its equivalent. When the program's representative can't provide the name of the licensing agency, consider it a red flag.

When the program is unlicensed and you still want to consider it, contact the state Attorney General (www.naag.org), the Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.org), and the local consumer protection office (www.consumeraction.gov/state.shtml) where the program is located. Regardless of whether a program is licensed, when contacting any of these groups ask for copies of all publicly available information, including any complaints or actions filed against the program, site visit evaluations, violations, and corrective actions. Pay particular attention to any reports of unsanitary or unsafe living conditions, nutritionally compromised diets, exposure to extreme environmental conditions or extreme physical exertion, inadequate staff supervision or a low ratio of staff to residents, medical neglect, physical or sexual abuse of youth by program staff or other residents, and any violation of youth or family rights.

Can I contact/speak with my child when I want? Can my child contact me when he/she wants?

Some programs prohibit, monitor, or otherwise restrict verbal or written communication between you and your child. Find out what is allowed and prohibited before you enroll your child.

Horizon Family Solutions does not endorse nor believe that in most situations restricting communication between a child and their family is in the best interest of the child. This will be different based on whether your child is in residential treatment or an outdoor adventure wilderness program.

Do you conduct background checks on your employees?

When the answer is yes, find out who does the background check and how extensive it is. Call the company to confirm that it provides background check services for the treatment program.

When the answer is no or the program does not conduct background checks, consider it a red flag.

Do you have a clinical director? What are his/her credentials?

Typically, a clinical director is responsible for overseeing, supporting, and maintaining the quality of care for the program.

A clinical director may have an advanced degree in a related field, like clinical psychology, and may be involved in providing individual therapy, assessment and consultation, staff training and development, and managing or supervising the components of the program. An emotional growth program and those that do not provide clinical services will most like not have a clinical director on staff.

Do you have relationships with marketing companies and "paid" individuals that provide educational and referral sales type services?

Some "companies" may provide "services" to parents in crisis, claiming to match their troubled kid with an "appropriate" treatment program. Be aware that although some of these marketing services represent themselves as independent consultants, they may not be independent from the company at all. They may actually be operated by a commission based marketing company or paid by one or more of the treatment programs for each child they can get "into" the program. Ask the person on the phone / service if it receives commissions or any type of payment from any of the treatment programs it is recommending to you and even ask for a signed statement by them for confirmation. The selling of a child to a program by someone with no educational background or training in working with youth is a red flag. Once your child arrives at the program you have no further assistance form this person if things go sideways, as they have their money.

Do you provide an academic curriculum?

When the answer is yes, is it available to all program participants? Do you have teachers who are certified or licensed by your state? Some programs may offer only self-study or distance education. Sometimes, educational options are not made available until a resident has reached an advanced phase of the program. In addition, some programs may claim that academic credits will transfer to the resident's home school and count toward a high school diploma. Check with the board of education in the state where the program operates - and with your state board when you live out-of-state - to verify that academic credits will transfer.

How experienced is your staff? Have they worked at other residential treatment programs? When the answer is yes, where and for how long?

Ask to see current certifications in CPR and other emergency medicine. For wilderness programs, also ask for proof of relevant training and expertise.

How do you define success? What is your success rate? How is it measured?

Some programs make specific success claims in their advertising materials and on their websites. One independent research company, Canyon Research and Consulting, with oversight by the Western Institutional Review Board conducted a study.

Results of this study were presented at the 114th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association - August 2006.

How do you discipline program participants?

Ask about policies and procedures for discipline.

Horizon Family Solutions has discovered all kinds of different discipline policies including one program still using "paddling / spanking", and another where physical discipline including measures involving the denial of food, water, sleep, and bathroom privileges was used as a way to achieve behavior modification, all of which we absolutely oppose. No one has the right to denigrate another human being on the basis of race, sex, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, disability,arrest and court record, or sexual orientation.

What about accreditation?

Several independent nonprofit organizations, like the Joint Commission (JACHO), the Council on Accreditation (COA), and the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), accredit mental health programs and providers.

CARF International is an independent accreditor of human services providers in areas including behavioral health, child and youth services, and employment and community services. (www.carf.org). COA is an international child- and family-service and behavioral healthcare organization that accredits 38 different service areas, including substance abuse treatment, and more than 60 types of programs. (www.coanet.org). JACHO accredits and certifies more than 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the U.S. (www.jointcommission.org). Ask whether all components of the program are accredited, for example, the base program, the drug and alcohol component, and the wilderness program. Then contact the accrediting organization for confirmation. The GAO's Report noted that one program claimed to be accredited by the JACHO, but in fact, only the base program was accredited. Neither the wilderness program nor the drug and alcohol component was accredited. The organizations above grant accreditation and certification after evaluating the quality of services provided by a treatment program. Parents and guardians should be aware that some other organizations that claim to accredit schools may serve merely as membership organizations, and may not conduct site inspections or otherwise evaluate the quality of the programs they certify.

When a treatment program claims to be certified or accredited, parents and guardians should contact the accrediting organization and ask about the standards the organization uses when issuing a certification.

What are the credentials of the staff, especially the counselors and therapists, who will be working with my child?

Do they have appropriate and relevant advanced degrees like a Masters in Social Work, a license to do clinical social work (LCSW), a Ph.D., or an M.D.? Are they certified or licensed within the state? When they are, by what agency or organization?

Ask to see copies of relevant documents, and consider contacting the certifying or licensing organization to confirm the staff credentials.

The GAO found that some program leaders falsely claimed to have credentials in therapy or medicine, which led some parents to trust them with teens who had serious mental or physical disabilities requiring different levels of treatment. When your child has a specific need such as Aspergers, conduct disorder, certain health issues, language disorders, reactive attachment, or anything that requires specialization, please make sure that the program has dedicated trained staff regarding your needs and ask for certificates or documentation showing as such. Oftentimes a program will state they can "handle" the situation you describe, without really having anyone on the staff knowledgeable about that may mean.

What are the criteria for admission ? Do you conduct pre-admission assessments? Are they in person, by phone, or over the Internet? Who conducts them?

When your child has serious addiction problems or psychological issues, take special care to ensure that the program is equipped to deal with them. Discuss the appropriateness of the program with your child's psychologist, psychiatrist, or other healthcare provider. When working with Horizon Family Solutions we always take great care in this area.

We usually speak with the academic director, clinical director, and any other relevant staff besides admissions when it comes to making this type of decision.

Will you provide an individualized program with a detailed explanation of the therapies, interventions, and supports that will address my child's needs? When is this done? How often will my child be reassessed?

Ask whether your child will have group or individual therapy sessions, or both. When the answer is yes, ask how often the sessions will take place and who will conduct them.

Once enrolled, confirm with your child that the promised level of care is being received.

When working with Horizon Family Solutions we ensure that all of your child's treatment plan needs are being met.

What are the costs? What do they cover? What is your refund policy if the program doesn't work out?

Addiction treatment and private residential treatment programs often charge anywhere from $4,000 a month to $12,000 per months. Wilderness outdoor programs run anywhere from $395 to $795 per day. While health insurance sometimes may pay a limited amount, for the most part, the youngster's family is responsible for paying the fees and bills. When faced with the challenge of paying for private residential treatment, you deserve to have choices. Clark Behavioral Health Financing (CBHF) can help you find a financial solution.

Horizon Family Solutions believes that the choices you make regarding your adolescent's or young adult's education and life steps are among the most important decisions a family makes.

Success Learning Systems - Raising the Bar for our Children - Tim Law

Perhaps the biggest challenge we have in our nation today is the "mind pollution of the young." Due to a variety of cultural influences, our children are literally bombarded from all directions from a number of violent and explicit sources. All of this exposure is taking place at much too young an age for many kids to absorb and comprehend. Much of this material is coming from the Hollywood/Entertainment field who care little about our black, white, yellow, brown and red children but only cares about the GREEN (as in money)!

Today's parents have to be incredibly vigilant with the continuous onslaught in all directions of this material and do their best to protect the young, impressionable minds of their children. What does the Hollywood/Entertainment field say?

"If you don't like it, turn it off!"

This is a sad commentary coming from them because their lack of responsibility and concern is unconscionable! Turning it off when we are flooded from so many directions is not an easy thing to do but one that a good, vigilant parent must make if their children are to have a chance at a happy, healthy childhood and life. The key suggestion here is to raise the bar on your standards as a parent on what you will allow your children to be exposed to. Please do not get caught up in the weak argument that kids have to learn about life sometime. Make that sometime well off in their future when their minds have matured enough to handle some of the negative material. Continually monitor what your kids are watching on TV, online, music, movies, etc. Talk to other childr.en's parents about what their standards and expectations are as well. Always tell your children how much you love and believe in them and encourage the highest standards of conduct and behaviors from them.

Do not compromise your high parental standards!

Even when it seems "everyone is doing it!"

There is a very high price to pay for low standards. Set the bar high! Remember, you are the parent! Be the parent, not their buddy!

Your children are worth it and will thank you someday!

Tim Law
Middle School Social Studies Teacher and Coach
Formerly at Hancock Central School-NYS
Eastern Guilford Middle School-NC
Coach and Consultant-Success Learning Systems
York, PA
tlaw5@yahoo.com
717-332-1689

Listen to a telesiminar by Tim Law regarding this article - "Some of the challenges we have in our society today"

TEENAGERS WITH EATING DISORDERS

A teenager with anorexia nervosa is typically a perfectionist and a high achiever in school. At the same time, they suffer from low self-esteem, irrationally believing they are fat regardless of how thin they become. Desperately needing a feeling of mastery over their life, the teenager with anorexia nervosa experiences a sense of control only when they say "no" to the normal food demands of their body. In a relentless pursuit to be thin, they starve themselves.
This often reaches the point of serious damage to the body, and in a small number of cases may lead to death.
The symptoms of bulimia are usually different from those of anorexia nervosa. The teen binges on huge quantities of high-caloric food and/or purges their body of dreaded calories by self-induced vomiting and often by using laxatives. These binges may alternate with severe diets, resulting in dramatic weight fluctuations. Teenagers may work very hard to hide the signs of throwing up by running water while spending long periods of time in the bathroom.
The purging of bulimia presents a serious threat to the teen's physical health, including dehydration, hormonal imbalance, the depletion of important minerals, and damage to vital organs.

With comprehensive treatment, most teenagers can be relieved of the symptoms or helped to control eating disorders.

Treatment for eating disorders usually requires a team approach; including individual therapy, family therapy, working with a primary care physician, working with a nutritionist, and medication.

Many adolescents also suffer from other problems; including depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. It is important to recognize and get appropriate treatment for these problems as well. Research shows that early identification and treatment leads to more favorable outcomes. Parents who notice symptoms of anorexia or bulimia in their teenagers need to ask their family physician or pediatrician for a referral to a child and adolescent psychiatrist who works comprehensively in the treatment of eating disorders and can coordinate the treatment team or refer them to residential treatment.

Eating Disorder Treatment for Pre-Teens and Teens - Anorexia, Bulimia, and Other Eating Disorders

What Makes a Great Educational Consultant?

As an Advocate and Educational Consultant I am convinced that parents need to consider the intention, integrity and strengths when deciding on a choice of an educational consultant. Taking my experience and that of other educational consultants I have associated with over the years, I have identified 10 attributes that distinguish truly great Educational Consultants.

An ability to learn from errors. To be a successful Educational Consultant, you must be willing to acknowledge and learn from your mistakes.
A gift for inspiring others. One of the key qualities of a great Educational Consultant is their ability to communicate goals to the family, the student and the program.
A moral compass. Only honest and strong Educational Consultants have the courage, intention and integrity to follow their convictions when there is a risk of losing the family as a client.
A compassionate touch. The best Educational Consultants have an intuitive awareness of people's feelings, a sense of when to wait and when to approach.
A willingness to change. Conditions in this world change each and every day, and the best Educational Consultants keep up with the 21st Century kids and all the changes in the industry..
A capacity to relax. I can only speak for myself on this one. I take an hour of complete quiet time every evening. No computer, no phones, no TV. This allows me a few precious moments away from the pressures of the day. I laugh and I weep to clean the day away.
Emotional intelligence. An Educational Consultant must encourage their closest advisers (and yes, I have them and hope others do as well), to give their best and remain loyal. Whether it is associates or colleagues or employees, transmitting strength to others so that they feel more determined to do their jobs well is an absolute asset.
Self-confidence. A good Educational Consultant surrounds themselves with people of diverse perspectives who can disagree with them and even push them (emotionally) without fear of retaliation. I have had some fiery conversations that provided me with a wide range of advice and opinion all with the best of intentions.
Self-control. Great Educational Consultants manage their emotions and remain calm in the midst of client troubles. Parents are going to get angry and frustrated when in crisis, and you need to give their emotions free rein and not take any of it personally.
The courage to stay strong. An Educational Consultant needs the ability to withstand adversity and motivate themselves in the face of frustration. From childhood, I have been determined to rise above that of which I was born into. Despite failures that would have felled many others, I have never lost my faith of self and my higher power and I knew I would eventually succeed. Sometimes adversity expands greater sensibility. After having cancer I emerged from that ordeal with greater powers of concentration about life and greater self-knowledge. After the experience of my daughter attending a residential therapeutic program, I was able to put myself in the shoes of other parents to which fate had dealt them that same situation.