Red Flags When Choosing Programs
Deciding that your teen needs a higher level of mental health care can be one of the most difficult decisions a parent ever has to make. Most treatment centers can provide life-changing treatment. However, not all facilities are created equal, so it is important to be able to spot the signs that a treatment center may not be suitable for your teen’s needs. These may not be warning signs of a bad treatment center, but they could also indicate that certain standards are not being met.
Red flags in teen residential treatment could make the experience harmful rather than healing. From unethical treatment programs to poor safety standards in adolescent treatment, being informed can help you make the right choice for your child.
This page can help you learn how to spot unethical treatment programs by exploring:
- The red flag in treatment to look out for
- How to verify residential treatment credentials
- Where to find evidence-based treatment centers
Recognizing Red Flags in Teen Treatment
When choosing a treatment facility for your teen, it is important that you verify the residential treatment credentials and look out for warning signs of a bad treatment center. If you can tour the treatment center prior to your child being admitted, this can make it easier to spot unsafe teen mental health facilities. However, if you are unable to tour the facility, speaking with the admissions department could give you some valuable insights into the program, which could help you make your decision.
First things first, it’s important to know the warning signs of a treatment center that might not be evidence-based or have proper accreditations. So, the following are some major red flags to look out for and how to spot unethical treatment programs.
Offering Guaranteed Outcomes
Either over the phone or in person, treatment centers will often discuss what to expect throughout your teen’s stay, including treatment decisions and progress indicators. However, ethical programs will never guarantee certain milestones or talk about a teen being “cured.”
In times of crisis, these claims may give you hope when things feel hopeless, but no program can guarantee a 100% success rate. So, a discussion about cures or “miracles” might be a sign of teen mental health scam programs.[1]
In contrast, an ethical program will talk about treatment modalities, crisis prevention and intervention, and what to expect without providing definitive results. These discussions should feel realistic and focus on in-the-moment targets as well as future-focused goals for when your child is discharged.
Insufficient Family Involvement in Treatment Planning
Throughout the treatment planning process, a teen’s family should be involved in the consent for and participation in mental health treatment. Whether it’s decisions about treatment modalities, medication, or discharge planning, families should be made aware of major changes in a teen’s treatment. This includes the process of discharge planning when the clinical team thinks they are ready to step down to a lower level of care.
If a program does not provide resources to the family throughout the process or doesn’t give regular updates about progress, this could be a major red flag. Also, generally, families are involved in weekly family therapy during residential treatment, with virtual options for family members who live further away.4 As this form of involvement is often integral for the success of treatment, it is important to ask questions about how you will be involved and how decisions are made for treatment.
A Lack of Licensed Therapists
When choosing a residential facility, make sure to do your due diligence and research the clinicians who will be caring for your child. Licensed clinicians will have titles after their names, such as LCSW, LMFT, LPC, or PhD.[2] Lack of licensed therapists in teen programs can mean that they hire staff as “mentors” or “peer advocates” who work with patients. However, while mentors and advocates can play an important role in treatment, they typically do not have degrees or qualifications to provide mental health treatment. Therefore, it’s best that mentors and advocates work under the guidance of a licensed professional.[3]
Additionally, even if there are licensed clinical staff, it is also important to know that there is a low staff-to-patient ratio to ensure adequate time with your child.
Vague Communication Policies
When trusting a program with the care of your teen, it is important that there are clear expectations and boundaries for when and how your child can connect with you during their stay. Many residential programs limit cell phone and social media use for the sake of allowing teens to disconnect from the pressures of social drama and fully engage with treatment. However, your child may feel more comfortable knowing when and how they can connect with you.
Additionally, in the case of an incident in care, you want to know that your child has the ability to report things to a trusted adult.[1] Talking to the program about clear expectations and boundaries regarding phone calls, text messages, and emails can help you spot potential issues.
High Staff Turnover and Staff Complaints
Both high staff turnover and complaints against staff can be major red flags for a residential program. While staff turnover at residential facilities can be generally high, if a center is known for particularly fast turnover, this could be an indication of systemic issues. Whether staff are leaving because they don’t believe in the way treatment is being provided or they are being asked to leave due to complaints, these are red flags that shouldn’t be ignored.
Understanding how teen rehab abuse reports are dealt with is important when making sure your teen is not placed in a facility with poor safety standards for adolescent treatment. You can check with mental health organizations or state-accreditation bodies to determine if complaints have been filed against staff.
Your teen’s safety is paramount when choosing a facility. An ethical residential center has rigorous screenings for staff working with your child and will ensure that any staff member with complaints is adequately investigated.
Verifying Residential Treatment Credentials
Effective websites and marketing campaigns can feel enticing, but it’s important to do your own research into a potential center for your child’s treatment. A legitimate facility should be both willing and proud to show you its receipts and feedback.
Start by asking for their accreditation requirements for residential teens. If they aren’t accredited in the United States by the Joint Commission (JCAHO) or CARF, this is likely a red flag. Accreditation from these associations means that the treatment center has gone through rigorous, third-party audits to ensure your child’s safety.[2]
Beyond certifications, look for teen treatment center complaints through the Better Business Bureau or your state’s Department of Social Services. If you begin to notice patterns in staff complaints or reports, it may be time to question the treatment center.
Plenty of people leave reviews when they are frustrated, feeling hopeless, or are at the beginning of their treatment journey. But a consistent history of teen rehab abuse reports with similar citations for poor safety standards in adolescent treatment is likely an indication to seek help elsewhere.
Questions to Ask When Choosing a Treatment Center
Choosing a residential center should feel like you’re building a relationship with the therapeutic team, not like a car dealership. If you feel the pressure to make a deposit in order not to lose a spot in the program, you are likely seeing warning signs of a bad treatment center.
As mentioned, one of the other red flags in teen residential treatment is a lack of mental health oversight, such as not having licenced or board-certified clinicians on staff. But there are many indicators that may show that a treatment center is not ethical. So how can you keep your teen safe? The process starts with asking the right questions. Below, we provide a safety checklist of questions you can ask.
Safety First Checklist
When aiming to protect your teen in treatment, you may have to ask uncomfortable questions to ensure their safety. You can use the following list of questions during your initial tour or phone call to find out essential information needed to make an informed decision about your child’s care.[4]
- “What is the staff-to-student ratio? How do you avoid shift-change issues or lack of supervision overnight?”
- “What is your rate of staff turnover in residential facilities?”
- “Can I speak to my child privately? Are all calls supervised or recorded?”
- “Who handles medical emergencies? Are credentialed and qualified medical or mental health staff available during overnight emergencies?”
- “How are treatment decisions made throughout treatment?”
As you ask these questions, red flags might arise. Any program that doesn’t allow for private, unrecorded calls with parents, can’t identify protocol for verifying medical or professional credentials, or has a history of high staff turnover may not be the program for you.[4] You are the expert on your child, so if something feels off, it’s important to investigate. Choosing the right program and avoiding the wrong one for your child’s needs requires a combination of information and intuition.
How Mission Prep Ensures Your Teen’s Safety
You are the expert on your child, and it’s important to trust your gut. At Mission Prep, we take a collaborative approach to your teen’s treatment. Our residential programs are accredited and employ licensed professionals who are committed to protecting your teen in treatment. While we don’t guarantee a cure, our data shows that the Mission Prep modalities can offer relief. In fact, 84% of our clients would recommend Mission Prep to others for treatment. Plus, according to our outcomes analyses, clients with depression saw a 47% improvement in symptoms, and those with anxiety saw a 42% improvement. This means that teens who come to our facilities with moderate symptoms typically leave with mild, manageable ones.
Staff in our residential treatment centers in Virginia and California are proud to be able to protect teens in treatment. By incorporating families in treatment decisions, offering transparent communication guidelines, and having strict hiring practices, your child is safe with us. We offer many specialized programs, including modalities like CBT, EMDR, somatic therapy, narrative therapy, and many more.
Our programs prioritize high-quality clinical treatment while also offering accessible payment options. Contact our team today to begin your teen’s journey to healing.
