Parental Assessment
| 1. Does your child argue with you frequently? |
Yes Sometimes No |
| 2. Does your child refuse to follow your rules? |
Yes Sometimes No |
| 3. Does your child engage in behavior that is contrary to your values? |
Yes Sometimes No |
| 4. Does your child avoid talking with you by isolating him/herself? |
Yes Sometimes No |
| 5. Is your child verbally aggressive (cussing, name calling, threatening) with you or others? |
Yes Sometimes No |
| 5. Does your child abuse drugs or alcohol? |
Yes Sometimes No |
| 6. Do you suspect that your child's friends are using drugs or alcohol? |
Yes Sometimes No |
| 7. Has your child's behavior or emotional state changed significantly over the past year? |
Yes Sometimes No |
| 8. Does it seem that your child is negatively influenced by peers? |
Yes Sometimes No |
| 7. Is your child experiencing academic difficulties? |
Yes Sometimes No |
| 9. Is your child having difficulty with hyperactivity and/or distractibility? |
Yes Sometimes No |
| 10. Does your child have behavior problems in school? |
Yes Sometimes No |
| 11. Is your child skipping school? |
Yes Sometimes No |
| 12. Does your child engage in behavior that you believe may lead him or her into legal trouble? |
Yes Sometimes No |
| 13. Is your child manipulative? |
Yes Sometimes No |
| 14. Does your child act is if he/she feels entitled to whatever he or she wants without working for it? |
Yes Sometimes No |
| 15. Does your child appear to be struggling with emotional difficulties such as depression or anxiety? |
Yes Sometimes No |
| 16. Has your child talked about hurting him/herself or wanting to die? |
Yes Sometimes No |
| 17. Has your child attempted suicide? |
Yes Sometimes No |
| 18. Has your child engaged in self-injurious behavior such as cutting or burning him/herself? |
Yes Sometimes No |
| 19. Does your child become easily overwhelmed with stress? |
Yes Sometimes No |
| 20. Does your child have an eating problem (anorexia, binging, bulimia)? |
Yes Sometimes No |
| 21. Does your child engage in risky behavior that could lead to serious injury or death? |
Yes Sometimes No |
| 22. Is your child promiscuous? |
Yes Sometimes No |
| 23. Does your child appear to lack motivation? |
Yes Sometimes No |
| 24. Do you believe your child may be struggling with adoption or attachment issues? |
Yes Sometimes No |
| 25. Does your child have a problem expressing anger appropriately? |
Yes Sometimes No |
All of the questions concern behaviors that are problematical.
Some of the questions point to very serious difficulties. If you
answered YES to at least several questions, it is likely that
your child needs some type of intervention. If you have answered
YES to any of the self injury questions, your child needs immediate
intervention.
Four important questions will help guide you in your decision making
process:
1. Are your child's problems becoming more severe?
2. Is the relationship you have with your child becoming better
or worse?
3. Do you believe that your child needs to get away from his or
her current environment (friends, neighborhood, school, etc.)
to start "walking forward" in life?
4. Are you afraid for your child's safety and his or her future?
Many types of interventions are available. A brief description
of a variety of out-of-home placement options follows.
Educational Consultants: Educational consultants are professionals
who work with parents to find appropriate educational and treatment
resources for children and their families. Educational consultants
have extensive knowledge of educational and treatment programs
and can guide families to appropriate and effective placements.
Educational consultants work for the family, not for specific
programs. Therefore, they focus on meeting the needs of the family.
Resources for finding an educational consultant include the Independent
Educational Consultant Association or www.strugglingteens.com.
Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Programs (also known as Wilderness
Programs): ANASAZI is an outdoor behavioral healthcare
program. The outdoors is used in conjunction with caring staff
to help the child make changes in his life. Wilderness programs
vary in approach. ANASAZI relies on well-trained,
caring staff who develop strong relationships with our teens who
we call YoungWalkers. We invite YoungWalkers to come to a "change
of heart", building a foundation for good choices and relationships.
Wilderness programs remove the child from all distractions, allowing
him or her to focus on what's important so he or she can "walk
forward" in life. Wilderness programs are an effective form
of treatment for teens who have behavioral, emotional, substance
abuse, and school problems. Significant change is seen in most
teens who attend a good, clinically supported program. When choosing
a program, family involvement and aftercare services should be
considered.
Inpatient Hospitals: Children may need to be hospitalized if their
condition is imminently dangerous to themselves or others.
Residential Treatment Centers (RTC): Teens who need long term treatment
may be well served in a residential treatment center. Treatment
length may vary from 30 days to a couple of years. A placement
in a wilderness program before a placement at an RTC often well
prepares the child for the further treatment he will need. Teens
leaving an RTC may be helped by placement in a wilderness program
before returning home or going to a boarding school.
Therapeutic Boarding Schools: These schools provide therapy and
an education. Some may be licensed as Residential Treatment Centers,
and if they are, will provide the same type of care as an RTC.
Emotional Growth Boarding Schools: The emphasis at these schools
is on both education and emotional growth. Therapists may work
with the students at these schools, but the therapeutic component
would be less intense than that at a therapeutic boarding school.
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