As of 2017, there were over 13,500 teen treatment centers in the United States. That’s a lot of treatment centers to review! And even as you narrow down by location and facilities that specifically treat adolescents, you’re still having to evaluate an entire list of treatment programs.
Which ones are legit? How long would my child be in treatment? How safe will my child be?
Questions like these may be running through your mind and you may be wondering what you even need to know to determine what treatment center is best for your teen.
Take a look at some of the top questions you should ask teen treatment centers to get the information you need to make the best decision possible.
1. Do You Specialize in Adolescent Treatment?
The very last thing you want for your teen is a treatment center that serves as a catch-all, providing treatment to people of all ages. Rather, you want a treatment center that specializes trauma because an adolescent’s brain is still going through a significant amount of growth and development. You want a program like Red Mountain Colorado that understands adolescent brain development and has a teen-specific approach to treatment.
2. Does Your Treatment Facility Address My Teen’s Behavioral Problems?
Your teen’s mental health challenges probably didn’t just spark over night for no reason at all. When searching for a treatment center for your teen, you’ll want to ask how they approach treating mental health conditions. Only treatment centers that are trauma-specific and treat mental health issues will be able to effectively help your teen recover.
3. What is Your Client to Staff Ratio and How Long is Treatment?
When your teen goes to treatment, you want to be sure they’re getting as personalized of care as possible. This just isn’t possible in a treatment center that has a 10-person staff to treat 50 kids at once. You want a treatment center that has a small client to staff ratio, so your teen gets individualized care and doesn’t get lost in the crowd.
You’ll also want to ask about how long treatment actually is. Research suggests that the most effective teen mental health treatments last 90 days or longer. The longer the residential treatment program is, the more effective it’ll be for your teen’s recovery.
4. Will My Child Be Safe During Treatment?
As a parent, your top priority is your child’s safety. Sending them to a residential treatment center isn’t the same as sending them to school every day. When they go to school, you see them in the morning before class and see them in the evening afterwards. But in treatment, you won’t be with them day in and day out.
When vetting treatment centers, ask about their safety measures. What is supervision like? How many people will be watching your teen throughout the day? What are the credentials of the people treating your teen? A credible teen treatment center should be able to understand your safety concerns and answer your questions in great detail.
5. Do You Take Insurance?
It’s no surprise that another one of your top questions and concerns revolves around how to pay for treatment. When talking to an admissions specialist, make sure you ask what payment options are available.
Insurance is one of the best ways to help cover the costs of treatment, so ask which insurance providers they work with and find out how willing they are to help you through the insurance verification process. A trustworthy teenage treatment center will understand the stress and pain you’re feeling and work as hard as they can to guide you through the payment process.
Red Mountain Colorado Can Answer All These Questions, Plus More
At Red Mountain Colorado, your teen’s healing from mental health issues is our top priority. We are specialized in depression and trauma, and follow a personalized, safe and rewarding approach to treatment.
We know you have a lot of questions and need reassurance that your teen and family will be able to recover from the difficult time you’ve been going through. That’s why we’re here!
Contact us today to learn more about our program and find out how to get your teen started.