Insider's Guide: How to Pay for Therapeutic Boarding School
7/24/2014
Before we dive into understanding the options for Therapeutic Boarding Schools, let's quickly review what they are
The Rise of Therapeutic Boarding Schools
As public schools across the country have slowly been pruned back by state legislatures, funding for behavioral, emotional and academic support have nearly dried up. Therefore, it's not surprising private institutions like boarding schools and private schools have exploded. One of the fastest growing kinds of boarding schools is called Therapeutic Boarding Schools. Therapeutic boarding schools maintain the advantages of traditional boarding schools such as intimate class sizes, individual attention, great academics, developing student self-reliance, and the fun of living with peers in a completely “child-friendly” environment.
Some therapeutic boarding schools specialize in helping teens overcome certain psychological problems such as Attention Deficit Disorder, Bipolar, Asperger's and even Depression. Others have programs for overcoming substance abuse problems or achieving weight loss. Some specialize in helping students who lack motivation get a fresh start in a nurturing environment. Most have some sort of family or parent involvement piece to ensure a team approach (ie. Weekly family therapy via phone or Skype).
Expense or Investment?
Parents often find themselves in a desperate situation with a troubled teenager. Their daughter runs away from home again, gets caught with the dealer down the street, crashes another car, and has yet another arrest. Parents become afraid for their teen’s lives as their teen’s risk-taking and lifestyle keeps becoming more extreme as the parents' ability to set boundaries and expectations seemingly erodes.
It's hard to think clearly and find solutions at times like this. Therapeutic boarding schools and therapeutic wilderness programs can provide answers, but they come at a price, with some programs running upwards of $50,000 a year.
But cost doesn’t have to be an insurmountable obstacle in getting your teen the help they need. Parents in similar situations have come up with creative ways to finance therapeutic boarding school, knowing that their child desperately needs an intervention.
Top 10 Ways to Pay for Therapeutic Boarding School
Here are 10 ways families just like yours found to finance their teen’s therapeutic program:
1. Hire a Case Manager: Make sure they are UNAFFILIATED with any program and have the clinical expertise to help advise and guide your family through the whole process. Some clinical educational consultants that specialize are able to handle this. A great case manager will be able to create a treatment plan, explain the process for getting a comprehensive psychological evaluation, walk with you through the intake process, support you while your teen is in the therapeutic boarding school, and coordinate discharge planning to ensure a seamless transition back to home or college. The last piece is essential - making sure your teen has everything they need to succeed after they return. Great case managers also know how to secure reimbursement from insurance providers for teens that attend therapeutic boarding schools. There are definitely some tricks and inside knowledge necessary to make this happen.
2. Find the Program's Financial Aid Officer: The private school or wilderness program should have a financial aid officer who can advise you about how to finance your child’s education. You should ask this person what programs, loans, discounts, or financial aid the school offers. Find out exactly what is included in the tuition and board bills, and if there are additional expenses such as buying uniforms or paying special fees for sports.
To read more (since we only have limited space here at go to the Official Fonthill Counseling blog - ?p=763
