The Blog of P.U.R.E. and Sue Scheff

Don't be a parent in denial. There is help. After the tragic events of Sandy Hook Elementary the world sits in a state of horror and mourns for the children and heroes we lost. The questions linger, could this have been prevented?  Is it about gun control?  Is it about mental health? Working with parents of at-risk teens on a weekly basis, I know firsthand that families are at their wit's end searching for help.  Some are literally scared of their own child.  Some are scared of what they read online about residential treatment centers.  I don't blame them - I was once a victim of this industry myself, which is why I am a Parent Advocate today.  I have made it my mission to help parents find safe and quality residential therapy for their struggling teens. Let's discuss if your teens does need residential care? How To Know When It's Time to Try Residential Therapy You have read most parenting books and behavioral strategy -- removin...

Not able to recognize your teen anymore? Are you considering residential therapy for your teen, and recognize those program names? Stop and read on.... You find yourself surfing the net.  Your once happy baby, turned toddler progressed into elementary school then suddenly hit adolescence and something changed.  But what was it? After all, your teen is smart, they are good looking, usually very athletic, capable of getting A's yet bringing home C's, you are getting reports that they are skipping classes, if they aren't skipping school all together - then you suddenly see a shift in their choice of friends.... what is going on? Some parents will think - typical teen - maybe it is.  However when do you know when it is time to intervene?  It always it!  It is a parent's responsibility to know when safety trumps privacy. Keeping the lines of communication open, even when your teen clams up.  It isn't easy, but talking is your road to finding out what ...

This is  big decision, take your time! Are you confused yet? Looking for teen help and realizing this is a BIG BUSINESS? So, your teen is driving your crazy.  You are at your wit's end . You have finally decided you need outside help. You have exhausted all your local resources.  Local therapy doesn't help, heck, you can't even get your teen to attend.  Your teen is failing in school, he/she is very smart yet doesn't want to attend school and believe they know it all.  Many say, " typical teen ", but as a parent, we know it is more than that. Where did our good kid go?  Good kids making bad choices - and they don't need to be placed in an environment that will make them worse in my opinion - learn from what happened to me! As a victim of the WWASPS organization - I am often called or receive many emails about our (my daughter and I) experiences with them.  Obviously not pleasant.  Though I am happy to say the program she wa...