Although the decision to send your son to a full-term therapeutic facility is intimidating and emotional, it can also be the best thing to do for your troubled teen. Many parents consider options like a boot camp for teens, military school, or summer camps for troubled youth, but we have found teens attending a program a little further from home show greater improvement for several reasons. Some of these include:
- A unique environment that allows teens to start over with a clean slate in surroundings free of old triggers and influences.
- Temporary and healthy time apart in order for both parents and teens to focus on their individual challenges. While temporary distance can be very valuable when reestablishing the relationship, it is almost impossible to get while both parties reside in the same home and are at the mercy of negative routines and habits.
- Therapeutic programs offer emotional and physical respite for parents exhausted by the toll of helping a troubled teen. Families can rest easy knowing that their son is embraced in a positive environment devoted to helping him overcome his challenges and become happier and healthier.
These are only a few of the reasons why parents have been selecting Liahona Treatment Center rather than a boot camp in Louisiana for 20 years. Unlike teen boot camps or military schools, which are often short-term fixes focused on discipline and compliance, Liahona provides a therapeutic approach that addresses underlying issues such as anxiety and emotional well-being. Located in scenic southern Utah, Liahona Treatment Center is ideally placed for the unique combination of therapy, academics, and healthy play that has been so successful for thousands of boys. Highly trained therapists and counselors work individually with each teen in order to craft a plan of care that is unique to him and will give him the greatest chance for success.
Some of the issues teens in Louisiana are dealing with include:
- 15.8 percent of children in Louisiana between ages 4-17 are diagnosed every year with ADD/ADHD.
- Anxiety is a common challenge among troubled kids, along with depression, substance abuse, and behavioral problems.
- Louisiana is 6th in the nation for teen pregnancy with 4,625 babies born to girls under 20 in 2016.
- Louisiana is 30th in the nation for teen suicide.
- A 2017 report showed that 13 percent of Louisiana teens drink alcohol and 13 percent admit to binge drinking. Marijuana use among Louisiana teens was 37 percent and other illicit drug use was at 10 percent.
- Juvenile arrests in Louisiana in 2018 included 362 arrests for drug abuse, 204 arrests for aggravated assault, 891 arrests for larceny, 49 arrests for robbery and 106 for weapons violations.
- Louisiana reported a 78.1 percent high school graduation rate for the 2016-2017 year.
Please watch this brief video explaining how the program at Liahona Academy is more likely to help your son than those you may find in Louisiana. We understand that this process is new and daunting and our goal is to guide you through the process.
At Liahona, the environment is structured to support healing and growth, unlike some programs that isolate teens from friends and family. We encourage healthy relationships and peer support, recognizing the importance of positive friendships in recovery. While summer camps and wilderness programs for troubled youth can offer healing and skill-building, Liahona’s therapeutic setting is designed for troubled teens and troubled kids—not younger kids—and addresses a wide range of teen's challenges, including emotional, behavioral, and mental health issues.
Bad behavior can sometimes reemerge after a teen returns home from a program, but Liahona provides ongoing support and resources for parents to help manage this transition and maintain progress. When considering different options, it’s important to weigh the risk of harm in punitive environments like some boot camps, and to ensure that underlying mental health issues are addressed for lasting change.
As you can see, Liahona Academy is dedicated to helping each boy discover his potential, no matter what his challenges are. Contact us at (800) 675-8101 for a free consultation to discuss your son’s needs and determine whether our program can benefit him. Since 2001, we have guided thousands of parents looking for boot camps in Louisiana toward a more effective therapeutic option. No matter where you are located, we want to help you today as well.
