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WARNING SIGNS
& QUESTIONS TO ASK
By Isabelle
Zehnder
March 2007 / Updated May 10, 2008
Listen to these
shows:
Behind-the-Scenes
The Rose Moore Show with CAICA Founder and President, Isabelle Zehnder
A look into the industry
What can happen
when parents don't do their homework
Parents who are considering sending a child to a
residential facility or program away from home:
Many parents today are at the end of their rope and feel they must act
quickly when it comes to dealing with a troubled child or teen. Once
parents make the call to inquire about placing their child in a
facility, they are often pressured to sign their child up quickly,
pressured into thinking that without the program, their child will
surely die. When in reality, many children sent to these programs could
have benefited from help in local communities close to home,
in-person or phone coaching, therapy, etc., rather than
being sent thousands of miles from home, separated from their families
and friends.
Some parents will act too quickly without taking
the time to thoroughly research the facility where they will send their
child (click here to read some of
their stories & opinions). Some have admitted they did more research
when purchasing a car or refrigerator than when seeking residential
treatment for their child or teen. The reason, they have indicated, is
that they were not thinking clearly or rationally at the time. They were
distraught and felt they needed help. It is well documented in the pages of this
website, and
others, that children have been neglected, children have been
abused, and children have died at the hands of those who were supposed
to help them. Please, don't allow this to happen to your child. Please
take the time to read this list.
There are other
options. The Founder and President of CAICA, Isabelle Zehnder, has
become a Certified Family Coach. After hearing from so many families,
hearing the same stories over and over again, hearing all of the
regrets, Isabelle decided she would focus her energies on helping
families before their children or teens are sent away. She and other
family coaches are working to help parents:
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Break
through barriers
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Avoid common mistakes
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Regain confidence
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Feel grounded in their ability to parent their
pre-teen and teen
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Apply a calm and consistent approach
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Communicate effectively
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Maintain relationships with
their kids that are based on trust and respect
Isabelle is now offering
telephone coaching to parents, teens, and pre-teens. For more information visit her website at
www.positivefamilysolutions.com. She has a wealth of
information and works to help parents be pro-active. Parents, if you
have teens and are struggling to maintain a loving connection, coaching
can help. Time with teens is precious. Don't waste it! What you do today
could pave the path to a wonderful, loving, meaningful relationship with
your child or teen.
Warning Signs of
Potentially Abusive Facilities:
1. The
facility is not licensed.
2. Verbal
and/or written communication between the child and his parents,
siblings, grandparents, etc. is
prohibited, restricted, or monitored on any level.
3. The
facility requires that the parents and/or child sign a form releasing
the program of liability in the
event of injury to the child.
4. The
program requests/demands/recommends that they have legal custody of
children.
5. The
program requires that children live in foster or "host" homes instead of
allowing them to reside with
their parents.
6. The child
and parent are forbidden from discussing the daily happenings at the
facility. Often this policy is
called "confidentiality."
7. The child
is denied access to a telephone.
8. Phone
calls between children and parents are monitored.
9. The
program uses confrontational therapy.
10. Parents
must fulfill requirements of the facility before being permitted to
visit their own children.
11. The
facility is located outside the jurisdiction of the United States.
12. Children
are restrained or otherwise physically prevented from leaving the
facility.
13. The staff
includes former students/clients of the facility.
14. Staff
members claim that self-injury or cutting/carving on ones body is normal
behavior for a child in
treatment.
15. Parents are
not allowed to remain with their child during the entire intake/entry
process.
16. The program
inflicts physical punishments on children such as exercising for
extended periods of time,
bizarre cleaning rituals (ie scrubbing floors with a
toothbrush) or food restrictions.
17. The program
uses humiliation to "break them down."
18. The program
forces children to remain in solitary confinement/isolation/time-out for
an unspecified amount
of time.
19. The
facility considers homosexuality to be a behavioral problem.
20. The
facility claims to be able to "treat" homosexuality.
21. Reading
materials are prohibited or severely limited.
22. The
facility does not have a clearly visible sign outside the building or
descriptions of their location are
vague.
23. The
facility claims to modify behavior, yet has no licensed therapists on
staff.
24. A licensed
doctor or registered nurse is not present at any time during normal
operating hours.
25. Current
clients/students participate in the intake/entry process.
26. Staff
members offer to help parents obtain a court order forcing the child
into, or keeping the child in, the
facility.
27. Children
are observed while bathing, dressing, or using the toilet on any level
of the program.
28. The
facility claims to treat drug abuse, but does not conduct a drug screen
prior to entry.
29. The
facility does not allow children to follow their religion of choice.
30. Staff
members must "approve" family members, siblings, friends, or employment.
31. Children
are not afforded an education in accordance with state requirements.
32. Medication
is recommended, prescribed, approved, or dispensed by anyone other than
a medical doctor.
33. Children
are denied medications that have been prescribed by an MD.
34. Staff
members, admissions personnel, referrers, etc. make statements
indicating that "your child will die
without" the program.
35. Children
escort/supervise other children.
36. Children
have to "earn" the "right" to speak during group/therapy sessions.
37. Children
are denied outside activities on any level/phase.
38. Staff
members must approve the withdrawal of children from the facility.
39. The
facility expects total and unquestioned support of parents.
40. Children on
any level/phase are forbidden to speak to other children in the
facility.
If you have any
concerns about your child who is in a facility, or would like to explore
other options, please contact
info@caica.org.
Parents whose child is already at a youth
facility:
If your child is in a facility and he/she is
writing home or telling you over the phone that any of the things listed
below are occurring, I would urge you to listen to your child and make
an unannounced visit to the facility to see for yourself. Program staff
will claim the child is being manipulative when in reality it is often
they who are being manipulative, not the child.
Parents attending seminars:
And finally, if the program your child is attending
requires you to attend seminars, please ask yourself if what you are
experiencing sounds anything like what this family has experienced (click
here).
QUESTIONS TO ASK:
General Information:
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Is the facility
licensed?
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Who is the Director
and what are their credentials and background?
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Will I be able to
speak with my child? How often?
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How often can I
visit my child? Are there required visits for parents?
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What types of
financing is offered? Do they have scholarships?
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Are there extra
fees over the tuition?
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Will my insurance
cover any of the tuition?
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What is the average
stay? Is there after-care?
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What is their
success rate? Do they have a guaranty?
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If my child turns
18, can they stay if they are willing to?
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Do they offer open
enrollment?
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What are the
average age and how many students are in the school?
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If it is coed, are
they kept separate? How?
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What form of
discipline is used? What are their consequences?
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Is their staff
qualified for their position with the school? Do they do background
checks on their staff prior employment?
Educational:
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Is the academics
accredited? Through what organization?
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Will their
transcripts be accepted at their local school?
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Are the teachers
credentialed? What is their experience?
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Do they offer
special education or help with learning disabilities?
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Are SAT, ACT or
other college placement tests available at the school?
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What is their extra
curriculum? Do they offer music, sports, arts, etc?
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Do they offer
vocational courses or college courses?
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Are there extra
fees for special classes?
Medical and Therapy:
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Is therapy offered
and is it included in the tuition?
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If not, what is the
fee and will my insurance cover it?
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Where is the
nearest hospital to the facility?
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Is there a doctor
or nurse on staff? If not, how often to they visit?
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Do they accept
children on medication? Do they believe in medication?
Behavior:
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Will they keep a
child that doesn’t want to attend?
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Do they accept
children that are escorted?
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Can the child be
expelled? If so, what must they do to get expelled?
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Do they accept
teens that are extremely aggressive?
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Do they accept
Court Appointed teens?
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Do they accept
teens with criminal records?
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What types of
children are accepted into the school?
Safety Measures:
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If a teen runs
away, what procedure is taken?
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Is the facility
staff secured 24 hours a day, 7 days a week?
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What are the
credentials of the staff?
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What is the
staff-to-student ratio?
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Is there
regulations put on mail and phone calls?
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Do staff members
read the mail? Do they monitor the calls?
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