School for challenged teenager
hello, reaching out to see if anyone has recommendations for our troubled teenage relative who recently moved in with us. As a child she was taken away from her mother due to abuse and lived for several years with her grandparents until they became afraid of her due to her escalating behavior. We stepped in to support both her and them, but are finding that, despite good therapeutical support, we are encountering the same issues and are unsure if we can keep her in our house due to concerns of violence.
we do not wish her to be in foster care and wondered if some kind of therapeutical school (perhaps residential) where she could receive more intensive therapeutic support while attending school might be an option until she reaches the age of majority (a year and a half). Do any of you know of such a program?Any additional advice would be most welcome. None of what she is going through is her fault, of course, and yet we are feeling unsure that we can keep her in our home.
Parent Replies
This sounds like a really challenging situation. To learn more about schools and appropriate therapeutic support, you may want to consider attending the next Willows in the Wind meeting in either Oakland or San Rafael. This is a parent-led support group for parents of challenging teenagers. The group discusses in-home (local) solutions as well as residential treatment options. It's a great place to pose questions like one you have asked here, and to feel less isolated. I have listed the Willows in the Wind meeting times below. Feel free to contact me in the meantime--I'm a volunteer support group leader: Sarah [at] willowsinthewind.com
You might also try enrolling yourself and your loved one in a Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) course either through Kaiser or Clearwater Clinic or Oakland DBT and Mindfulness Center in Oakland. The course teaches invaluable skills in de-escalating emotionally charged situations, and more. And finally, you could look at the NEABPD site to see if you might be eligible to sign up for a Family Connections class: https://www.borderlinepersonalitydisorder.org/family-connections/family…
Wishing you the best...Sarah
When: Saturday, December 15, 2018
Time: 1:00 - 3:00 PM
Location: Kaiser Medical Building
3600 Broadway, Lower Level, Conference Room C
Oakland, CA, 94611
When: Sunday, June 24 , 2018
Time 1:00 - 3:00 PM
Location: Center for Families
1104 Lincoln Avenue
San Rafael, CA.
I only recently became aware of a treatment option that falls between weekly therapy and residential treatment. It is called Intensive Outpatient Therapy (IOP). It is a program for a few hours a day, 4 or 5 days/week. BACA (Bay Area Clinical Associates) will do a free assessment and suggest what treatment plan they recommend. They also know of many other programs in addition to their own. If you have Kaiser, you will need to get a referral from a psychiatrist or therapist. If you can keep her out of foster care, that would be better for everyone. Good luck!