5 ways to choose a teen drug rehab.

Everything about a child's addiction to drugs or alcohol is difficult for parents, and even after the decision is made to get help, even choosing an appropriate treatment facility can challenge at a time in life when you could only wish there were some easy answers.

Drug and alcohol rehab is expensive, it's a big commitment, and more importantly; the stakes are high, and you want to do everything in your power to choose a drug and alcohol rehab facility for your troubled teen that has the very best chance of offering them a happy and productive future of sobriety.

The options are many, and unfortunately, the level of care you get may be partially determined by the degree of insurance coverage you posses and your ability to finance private care. But there will likely be a number of options available to you, and you will need to make a choice between many. There are some intangibles that cannot be quantified and yet remain important, and if something about a facility strikes you as "off" it's a good idea to listen to your heart, but having some objective measures from which to evaluate a facility can assist you in narrowing down the options.

Here are 5 criteria that you may want to use when selecting a drug and alcohol rehab for your teen:

1…Is the rehab for teens only?

Teens do not do well in adult specific treatment, and although there are many facilities that will accept adolescents into a general rehab, these are rarely a good choice and offer a slim chance of success. Teens have different needs, and require different programs.

Teens do not suffer from the same types of problems as do adults, will not likely relate well to other addicts in recovery, get little value out of group sessions, and fail to get teen specific programming.

Emerging through adolescence and into adulthood is hard enough even without the complication and challenges of addiction or substance abuse. Teens suffering a problem with drugs or alcohol deserve to get help at a facility that can assist them with their unique, school, peer group and psycho social needs; and whatever an adult facility might maintain, they will not be able to do an effective job with this.

2…What about school?

Although the number one priority for teens in a drug or alcohol rehab program is the bettering of abuse and addiction, school should not and cannot be overlooked in its importance.

Teens with substance abuse problems too often enter into rehab already suffering academically from their period of drug abuse, and ideally they may use the period of rehab to boost academic performance as they better addiction.

Quality teen rehabs will employ professional educators, well equipped and trained to handle discipline and behavioral issues in the classroom, and the teacher to student ratio in the classroom should be low enough that teens can get the individual and remedial attention they need to catch up on what they missed, and maybe even excel past their peers.

Drug or alcohol rehab should never be a vacation from school responsibilities, and a quality academic component is necessary at any drug or alcohol rehab for teens.

3…How much family involvement is encouraged?

The single greatest factor influencing success rates at drug and alcohol rehab for teens is the level of family support and participation in the therapies of rehab. Teens are not yet adults, are having a very hard time, and as much as they may maintain a brave face about their ordeals; they do still need their mom and dad for help during such a tough period.

Family involvement doesn’t just mean occasional or even daily phone calls--although the more contact the better--it also means an active and involved participation in the therapies of rehab. Parents should ideally be invited to participate in group and family specific therapy sessions, in educational seminars and other for programming. By including the family throughout recovery, parents and siblings can heal together with the teen addict, and can also learn how best to support and encourage a teen recovering addict once out of treatment and back in the home.

Family participation is invaluable, and you should be very wary of any teen facility that does not encourage a high level of family involvement.

4…What types of aftercare are offered, and for how long?

Ideally, drug and alcohol rehab consists of two separate but equal phases of treatment, and although the first residential phase gets all the attention, the second "aftercare" phase is arguably just as important.

Aftercare simply means continuing therapeutic involvement once finished with residential rehab and back in the community. Aftercare may mean continuing group meetings, may be 12 steps based, may be individual therapy; and at best should probably be a combination of all of the above.

Continuing participation in therapies during the months and even years after rehab is extremely important for long term sobriety, and all quality rehabs will offer aftercare programming, and usually inclusive in the price of admission.

If a rehab facility does not offer aftercare, they may not be the best choice for your son or daughter.

5…What type of assessment is given prior to treatment?

While a comprehensive teen rehab facility should be well equipped to treat the majority of teens abusing drugs and or alcohol, there will be some kids with problems either so severe, or requiring of a treatment so different, that they are not well equipped to handle their needs.

Teens who may be suffering from a concurrent psychiatric illness may benefit more from a different type of treatment, and teens with antisocial histories of problems with violence may also not get the help they need at all types of rehabs. It's important for a rehab facility to administer a pre assessment questionnaire to get an initial idea of the problems they are facing, and to determine if they are equipped to offer legitimate and beneficial treatment.

If a rehab facility claims they are able to treat all teens, regardless of their personal histories, this should raise some alarm flags as to the true quality of the rehab facility.

Get the best care for your son or daughter

The vast majority of teen specific treatment facilities run quality programs and are staffed by committed and dedicated professionals, truly hoping to help your teen overcome their problem with addiction. There are unfortunately enough rehabs that do not offer this high level of care that you need to do a bit of homework prior to selecting a rehab.

Think about what is important to you, and add this to the list of criteria above. Speak with staff at rehabs under consideration and get a feel for the atmosphere. Find out what percentage of kids finish treatment, ask your doctor what he or she thinks…get as much information as you can and make the best choice your able to.

You can never be sure, and you can only do your best; but by getting some information you are in a far better position to evaluate your options, and ultimately choose a quality rehab facility.