Parent’s Frequent Fears about Treatment- FAQ
1. It will make my teen’s mental health worse if they have to miss activities because of treatment.
For many kids, their extra-curricular activities are what give them a little joy in what may be an otherwise dark time. The goal of treatment is to get your teen prepared to return back to their day-to-day routine as soon as they are ready. We realize how important it is to create a structured environment that will set them up for long term success versus a short-term change. In the moment, it may feel better to push off treatment so your teen can finish the season, however, by pushing off treatment you can put your teen’s mental health at risk. Earlier intervention will allow the recovery process to begin as soon as possible and will increase their ability to participate in things they love for the longer term! Research shows early intervention can provide the best possible outcome for long-term recovery.
2. Will my child fall behind in school while they’re in treatment?
A teen’s education and academic success are of great importance to the teens and families we work with. We have a certified teacher on site at our Residential and Partial Hospitalization Program levels of care so we can support your loved one by assessing their academic needs while in treatment, supporting them with a plan to stay on track with their education, and set them up for success when returning to their home school environment.
3. I don’t want my teen to learn new behaviors.
Many parents worry that their teen will “learn” unhealthy behaviors while in treatment. While this is possible, we know finding a treatment program that creates a community of safety and recovery can be of great value. Our staff is trained to work with clients in a group setting and support them in creating healthy boundaries with one another, practicing accountability with each other and having clear expectations about what is and isn’t okay.
4. I don’t know who will be supervising my teen.
The idea of dropping off your teen and leaving them in the hands of people you don’t really know can feel scary. It is important to align yourself with people that can best care for your child. Finding a team that is clinically trained in treating adolescents should be a priority. At Lightfully, all of our staff participate in extensive training that requires them to demonstrate competency in all parts of their jobs with a high focus on client and staff safety. Our clinicians complete intensive training prior to and throughout their time in the programs. Our on-site leadership teams have many years of experience supporting adolescents with mental health challenges, and are experts in providing a safe and clinically sound environment for healing.
5. There are so many programs to choose from. How do I know Lightfully is the right program?
As a parent or guardian of an adolescent, all you want is for their health and happiness. When deciding to come to treatment, parents typically have a lot of questions. Specifically, they’ll want to know that putting their teen into treatment is the right thing and that it will be successful. It’s important to remember that recovery and healing is not a linear process. There will be ups and downs, but the goal is over time you will generally be moving in a healthy direction. In order for treatment to be effective, it does require engagement from the adolescent and the family. At Lightfully, we have designed a teen treatment program that includes both the adolescent and the family on the road towards recovery. Our clinical program creates an individual treatment plan for each teen to best treat your child’s specific challenges. We collaborate with the family and the adolescent throughout the treatment process to ensure we are making every effort to progress towards the goals we have identified.
