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Troubled Teen Programs

If you would like to learn about some of the options we offer for helping your teen, please visit long term residential treatment programs, or if you are unsure please choose unsure for a tool which will help you understand the type of help your teen needs.

White River Academy Therapeutic Boarding School

WRA is a special troubled teen school because we use the powerful and proven Postive Peer Culture System to teach teens accountability, responsibility, teamwork, self-reliance, and self-awareness.

Once a teen realizes how his or her actions affects others, change can begin.

Change is accelerated when teens help each other to realize that it is better to be good for the right reasons than to be bad for the wrong reasons.

Our school incorporates a modern emotional growth design to effectively work with troubled teens.

WRA is an alternative school for troubled teens which focuses on permanent lifestyle changes in the physical, mental, social, and emotional aspects of a struggling teen's life.

Our teen parent counseling also helps troubled teens appreciate the validity of being responsible for their actions and accepting accountability for the consequences of those actions.

WRA's therapeutic school utilizes an independent teen study curriculum that covers courses six thru twelve as well as college and GED preparation.

Parents and siblings of troubled teens are provided with the necessary skills to constantly support and reinforce the positive changes made by the student after graduation from the adolescent residential treatment program.

Our school's students participate in emotional growth Positive Peer Culture group sessions, self-esteem building, goal setting and goal review sessions. Troubled youth may also participate in individual teen therapy as often as it is determined necessary. Click troubled teen enrollment to learn more about our teen school's programs. We have a full time therapist who gives individual teen counseling and who is dedicated to helping each at risk teen have a clear and positive outlook on life.

We have Parent-Teen Weekends regularly to meet with the parents and evaluate the progress of their teen and readjust their individual searvice plan if necessary. Parent Weekend also allows the teens and their parents to do some very fun activities together which is encouraging for the teen and educational for the parent. Parenting teens today demands self-control, discipline, wisdom, sensitivity and deep insight into your teen's problems. We help you develop the skills you need to get back control of your family.

When a student in our school for troubled teens refuses to comply with the above mentioned requirements, they lose trust, drop stages, eliminate opportunities to gain privileges, and delay graduation from our troubled teen program.

A fitness and Wellness Coordinator at our school for troubled teens oversees a daily calendar of sports and physical fitness activities for teens as well as daily calisthenics, inspections and uniforms. All troubled teen students are required to participate in fitness activities to assist in improving balance, coordination, endurance, strength, and general health. On campus teen activities include basketball, football, volleyball, baseball capture the flag, as well as many other onsite activities. Off campus activities include Spelunking, site seeing, repelling, hiking, camping, Intramural Sports, swimming, working out at a local gym, bowling, movies, dances, horse back riding, and many other fun filled activities. Troubled teens in our military school for boys are only allowed to participate in these activities when they have reached an appropriate level of trust. To see a sample troubled teen activity schedule and explanation of each item please go to the schedule.

Confused by the many names and types of programs for troubled teens? Below are general definitions that should clear things up a bit. Keep in mind that despite the classification of a program, each program is different and you verify it’s state licensing and talk to parents who’ve previously enrolled students.

A Residential Treatment Center (RTC) is a facility which provides mental health care and treatment for substance abuse 24 hours a day. The center may also offer behavior modification, counseling and therapy. Some also provide accredited academic courses as well.

A troubled teen school provides guidance and academic support for adolescents who have begun to resist the authority of parents and teachers. Sometimes these are called “wake-up calls” or “scared straight programs.”

Troubled teen programs are basically the same as troubled teen schools. They help troubled youths find their way back to a useful and fulfilling life. This may include therapy, education, and work programs which guide adolescents back into society where they can integrate as a constructive citizen.

Residential Treatment Programs are designed to help teens who have severe problems. These are usually live-in facilities which have certified staff to aid rebellious teens to become responsible adults through positive peer culture groups, one on one therapy and academic programs.

At risk youth programs target teens going down a path of self-destruction/life failure. They are geared toward first ridding them of addiction, and negative behaviors, then instilling problem solving skills, basic life goals and social skills

In therapeutic boarding schools such as WRA, students are given the aid of therapists, psychiatrists, and certified teachers to guide them in reconstructing their lives. These schools provide a stable, drug-free and safe environment for teens that are out of control. Best long term results are achieved from enrollment for periods of six months to a year.

An adolescent residential treatment center is simply an RTC targeted at teens. One-on-one therapy sessions with a licensed professional counselor uncover the underlying causes of the teen's substance abuse and behavioral issues. Counseling by an LPC also brings a reality check to the teen.

A troubled teen school provides room and board for rebellious teens. It also fills the students' schedules with productive activities such as service in the community, sports, exercise, and classroom time. At White River Academy, students attend class year round. If a student is behind in their schooling (frequently the case), this academic program helps them to rapidly catch up and possibly surge ahead. The number of students in each class is kept to 9-15 so the teacher can give personalized instruction to each teen.

A military school for boys prepares a teen for college by teaching the value of productivity through strict schedules, a structured environment, and an emphasis on discipline. The best teen treatment centers guide teens through their problems and teach them how to continue being successful after they leave the center. Struggling teens at White River Academy work with trained professionals who aid them to complete educational studies, participate in community improvement programs, and emotional growth and self esteem building workshops.

Behavior modification programs focus on changing behavior by positive and/or negative reinforcement. As the behavior improves, the teen gets more privileges or points, etc.

The best Troubled youth programs strive to teach responsibility, self-awareness, accountability, teamwork, and self-reliance. At White River Academy, troubled teens learn how to cope with their mental, social, and emotional problems with guidance and assistance from licensed professional guidance counselors.

Choose a Troubled Teen Program that is Not in Your State or Your City

Many troubled teen parents search for a private school that is located close to their house. Sometimes they search for a military high school for troubled teens in their own city. This is not recommended as it makes it too easy for the troubled teen to communicate with peers who have a negative influence. Choosing a military school which is far away and in a rural setting will help your teen forget his old ways and start a new life. We have had great success with teens from large cities such as:

• Tucson, Mesa,and Phoenix from Arizona the Grand Canyon State
• San Jose, Long Beach, Fresno, Sacramento, Oakland, Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego from the California the Golden State
• Denver, and Colorado Springs from Colorado the Centennial State
• Washington from District of Columbia the Federal City
• Miami
• Jacksonville from Florida the Sunshine State
• Atlanta from Georgia the Peach State
• Honolulu from Hawaii the Aloha State
• Chicago from Illinois the Land of Lincoln
• Indianapolis from Indiana the Hoosler State
• Louisville from Kentucky the Bluegrass State
• Baltimore from Maryland the Old Line State
• Boston from Massachusetts the Bay State
• Detroit from Michigan the Great Lakes State
• Minneapolis from Minnesota the North Star State
• Kansas City from Missouri the Show Me State
• Omaha from Nebraska the Cornhusker State
• Las Vegas from Nevada the Silver State
• Albuquerque from New Mexico the Land of Enchantment
• New York from New York the Empire State
• Charlotte from North Carolina the Old North State Cleveland, Columbus from Ohio the Buckeye State
• Oklahoma City, the Sooner State
• Tulsa from Oklahoma the Sooner State
• Portland from Oregon the Beaver State
• Philadelphia from Pennsylvania the Keystone State
• Nashville,and Memphis from Tennessee the Volunteer State
• Houston, Dallas, Austin, Fort Worth, El Paso, and San Antonio from Texas the Lone Star State
• Virginia Beach from Virginia the Old Dominion State
• Seattle from Washington the Evergreen State, and Milwaukee from Wisconsin the Badger State.

If you are looking for a teen school, youth boot camp, or boys home for troubled teens in your area, please click the appropriate link:

Troubled Teen School Definitions:

Wilderness: that part of the physical world that is removed from human habitation.