My opinions on the subject........Every state has halfway houses or group homes for people with mental illness and drug addictions. I attended three programs for a total of three years, including Cross Creek, and would not recommend this for your daughter. Anyone who is less than a year until their 18th birthday just counts the days anyway. My experience at programs was traumatic and I witnessed many of the abusive/questionable practices described on this site by others. I harbor resentments eight years later towards my mother for the abuse she paid others to inflict upon me, rather than keep me at home, love me and try to work with me.
People, we have recovering drug addicts in every state! Also those with mental illness who've turned their lives around with therapy! Are therapists in every other state entirely useless? Are they all unequipped to deal with severe crisis scenarios?
The program sales teams present an unrealistic scenario to parents, trying to convince them that there are no suitable alternatives in their own states. It doesn't have to be that far away or that expensive. Everyone who tries to sell you on a program gets a commission. There's no commission if they refer you to a local, government agency or outside resource. These packs of wolves are like used car salesmen, so please continue with your research before making a decision.
Would locking your daughter up guarantee that she would temporarily have less access to street drugs? Yep. Will it traumatize her and irreparably damage your relationship with her? Yep. Will she fake her way through therapy in order to move up in the program and gain privileges? In my experience, about a 90% chance of that. And in the end, when she's 18 and leaves, you'll be far, far worse off than where you are now. Without a doubt.
