There are no good instances of "The Program" because "The Program"---defined by its characteristic components--is a lousy, ineffective "treatment."
There are good, medical-model RTC's for teens with serious mental illnesses. So those would be good places to refer to if the teen has a major mental illness and is presently dangerous---or is willing to accept inpatient help to get stabilized. It would be good for someone to investigate and pass on a list of those.
There are good drug rehabs. Those would be good places to refer to for kids with substance abuse problems. It would be good for someone to investigate and pass on a list of those.
Kids with substance abuse problems who are mentally ill need to go to the medical model RTC to get stabilized and from there to the good drug rehab---that's the proper order of services.
There are good community-based programs (as opposed to The Program) for helping genuinely wild teens to cope better and follow the minimum social norms of respect for the property and rights of others.
It would be a good idea for someone to investigate those, make a list of the best ones, and put together an advocacy class on how to get public officials, health providers, and perhaps "corporate citizens" to cooperate in setting up good community-based treatment where you live.
Frankly, if their kid is doing crimes--other than the victimless kind--it's necessary and appropriate for those parents to call the police. This is on the theory that a genuinely criminal teen is a danger to the community like any other criminal. The parents are liable--morally and not just legally---for what they do once they know their kid is criminally victimizing others.
And, of course, if a kid is genuinely criminally victimizing people, his ass belongs in juvie.
Which is still likely to be more humane than The Program.
Parents whose kids are in deep trouble need options.
But they need good options.
Those are the forms the good options take.
Researching specific implementations of those good options and trying to ensure quality care or just, humane punishment, as appropriate, would be helpful.
Any referrals to the Programs are dangerous and wrong, because the Program itself is dangerous and wrong.
Julie
