Educate Yourself on the Hard Questions

It is important you all get the help you need while working to reunite the family unit as soon as possible.There are many questions surrounding outcomes of residential treatment centers. You will find experts on all sides of the issue. It is important to understand the questions that have been raised and be very involved with your child and the residential treatment center. There are very good centers and there are those that have very bad reputations.

 

Is It Appropriate to Move My Child to Another Residential Treatment Center?

If you do not believe that your child is getting the appropriate care, be empowered to make arrangements to move him or her. Moves are difficult but leaving your child in a situation where they are not receiving appropriate care can be much worse. You and your child are on a journey and during their time in residential care, you may both need different types of services. Again, moving the child to get the best care is very important. There is also a concern with institutionalization effect of a child living in a facility. It is important you all get the help you need while working to reunite the family unit.

Which Groups are most Outspoken about the Controversy?

The most outspoken opponent of residential treatment is the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law (www.bazelon.org). The basis of the argument is that treatment in a center or institutionalized setting is not as conducive to positive outcomes as treating your child while they live at home and in the community. According to an entry in Wikipedia the issues most commonly cited are:

Alliance for the Safe, Therapeutic and Appropriate Use of Residential Treatment (ASTART) and Community Alliance for the Ethical Treatment of Youth (CAFETY) are both grassroots organizations that monitor RTC’s. There reports have spurred congress to hold hearings on inappropriate discipline techniques that led to the Stop Child Abuse in Residential Treatment Programs for Teens Act of 2008.