I am a social worker in a group home for teenage boys. And I would agree with you. It should not be a social worker's place to determine when a child is ready to return home- it should be the family's decision. This should be based on progress occuring in family therapy and home visits. All too often I see clients come to our facility who have spent time in jail. They always walk in our door professing how they have changed and saying "yes sir, no sir." This has served them well while in jail and i fully believe their intent to change. However, the real challenge occurs when they have to regulate themselves within the same environment where they first got into trouble. Often old behaviors and patterns begin to resurface. This would explain other postings about sending your child back if they "forget" what they have learned. It's not that they have forgotten, they never learned how to apply their newfound skills to their family situation. A program that treats children in the wilderness may prepare children for thriving in the wilderness, but not within the context of their family. The only way this will happen is for their family to be involved in treatment. My suggestion is to find a program that encourages as much family contact as possible and that will actually have the entire family in the same room for therapy sessions.
By the way, social workers may not be you would expect. They do not just work for children's services. They are qualified to do therapy. In fact, the majority of therapists out there are social workers nowadays. I did note that several of the therapists at Sagewalk did not appear licensed. In addition to educational level, social workers are typically licensed for practice by a regulatory board in their state. LSW's are licensed social workers, while LCSW's/LISW's are licensed clinical/independent social workers (can practice without supervision). My guess is that since there is no regulation of these types of programs, Sagewalk does not require it's therapists to be licensed.
