When your teen is dealing with mental health and wellness concerns, it can be challenging to know what to do. Many Canadian parents look for treatment programs to help their children, but how do you know which ones provide quality care?
The good news for parents is that there are programs in Canada that have always provided quality care and helped teens make positive and lasting change. Venture Academy is one such program. Since 2001, Venture Academy has provided accredited treatment programming and has been dedicated to helping pre-teens, teens and young adults overcome mental health and wellness concerns, allowing them to live up to their full potential.
It’s natural to feel apprehensive about seeking treatment for a teen, so it’s important to learn as much as possible about how to identify a quality treatment program that will be right for your family.
Seven Key Factors of Quality Treatment Programs for Teens in Canada
So, what should you look for as a parent when you are considering treatment for your child? Here are seven factors to evaluate when making a decision, helping you find quality care.
One: Treatment Program Accreditation
The first sign to look for when seeking treatment for your teen or pre-teen in Canada is accreditation. Accreditation assures parents that a program or facility undergoes ongoing vetting to ensure standards or care are continuously met. Quality programs in Canada should be accredited by recognized organizations like CARF (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities).
Venture Academy has programs that are accredited by CARF. CARF accreditation consists of ongoing consultation and in-depth on-site reviews to help our organization achieve the highest quality of care for our clients and funders. Accreditation is crucial as it signifies that our organization adheres to provincial, national, and internationally recognized service standards and best practices. It assures the public that we strive to provide the highest quality services, demonstrating our ethical behaviour and robust quality assurance practices. By subjecting our service delivery and business processes to external scrutiny, we continually improve the quality of our programs.
Two: Family Involvement
High-quality treatment programs for teens in Canada actively involve the family in the treatment process, offering family therapy sessions and regular communication with your child through phone calls, video calls and/or in-person visits. This helps in reintegrating the teen into a supportive home environment. Many parents report to us that other programs and services do not really involve the parents and family and worse yet parents are even blamed.
Family is a crucial part of the treatment process for teens and young adults. Family therapy can strengthen relationships and communication with their loved ones. Parents are appreciated and seen for their love and support throughout treatment. Venture Academy is committed to family involvement to help parents know how to support their child in treatment and after they successfully reintegrate back home.
Three: A Comprehensive Assessment Process For Your Teen
Programs that lack a comprehensive assessment process aren’t ideal for parents who are looking for safe, effective, quality treatment for their child. Look for programs that offer thorough assessments to understand the teen’s unique needs. This helps in creating individualized treatment plans instead of a one-size-fits-all approach.
At Venture Academy, our 30-Day Assessment and Intervention program allows us to assess issues, problems and concerns and how to best address them. We identify underlying issues and provide appropriate interventions. Recognizing that every individual’s journey with mental health or substance issues is unique, we avoid a one-size-fits-all model, opting instead for customized care that guides your child toward successful recovery.
Four: Holistic, Evidence-Based Treatment
A sure sign of a quality treatment program for pre-teens and teens in Canada is whether or not they utilize evidence-based therapeutic approaches like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), family therapy, psychotherapy and more. These methods are proven to be effective when treating teen, laying the foundation for long-term success.
A holistic approach to treatment is also a sign of a quality program for teens. This means that the program works to help achieve true personal growth by addressing the mind, body and spirit through a variety of programming to be more effective.
Venture Academy delivers a holistic, attachment-based, and solution-oriented approach to treatment. This means we focus on healing the mind, body, and spirit while employing evidence-based methods and best practices to ensure comprehensive recovery. Our team of skilled professionals is adept at addressing issues and fostering positive transformations.
Five: Safety Inside the Program and Outside
Safe programs ensure a secure environment with appropriate supervision, low staff-to-student ratios, and clear policies to handle emergencies and crisis driven issues.
It’s also important that teens are kept safe from negative outside influences that could deter or interfere them from making progress in treatment. Venture Academy focuses on keeping students focused on making positive changes outside of the influence of those who could hinder their growth such as negative peers.
Six: Qualified, Well-Trained and Experienced Staff
Ensure that any treatment program for teens employs qualified and experienced professionals, including psychologists, therapists, and educators. The staff should have specialized training in adolescent care and mental health and in some cases, addiction, as well. Support staff should also be well-trained and experienced, and have proper oversight.
The team members of Venture Academy are selected for their integrity, compassion, and expertise in working with school-aged adolescents, ensuring they can facilitate real, noticeable changes in the lives of these young individuals.
Our clinical professionals and support staff are meticulously chosen for their ability to foster significant improvements in both the teen’s mental health and their overall well-being. We focus on helping teens overcome obstacles and build healthy, productive lifestyles and relationships with their families and peers.
By guiding teens away from self-limiting or self-destructive behaviours and towards health, wellness, and a positive outlook, our dedicated staff supports both the teens and their families throughout the entire process, ensuring they get back on the right path.
Seven: Educational Support
Therapeutic programs for teens in Canada that integrate academic support are important for long-term success and positive transformations. Many programs do not, which put school age participants even further behind when engaged in treatment. Venture Academy is a treatment program, not a boarding school, however, we prioritize and support teens in continuing with their education so that students can stay current with their academic work while receiving treatment. This includes psycho-educational assessments to identify or rule out any learning disabilities that school systems do not normally pick up.
This is a unique feature of our program, as not all treatment programs in Canada help teens maintain academic progress. Conversely, many boarding schools for struggling teens aren’t equipped to provide therapeutic treatments. Venture Academy expertly blends both, providing academic support while also addressing the underlying issues that can contribute to challenges in school.
See the Canadian schools we’ve worked with and where our students come from.
Contact Us Today To Learn More About Our Treatment Program for Teens in Canada
Venture Academy is committed to working closely with parents to ensure their teen receives the personalized care they need, and providing peace of mind that they have chosen a quality treatment program. Our team is always happy to answer any questions you may have. Call us today at 866-762-2211 or contact us online.
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