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

  Why Parents Should Listen to Paris Hilton’s Story   I get it, it’s Paris Hilton, socialite, reality star and entitled child that seemed to have it all.  Why would anyone take advice from or even want to listen to her? Well, I’ll speak for myself, as a mother – Paris is not someone I would consider a role-model or even someone I ever thought I could learn from as a parent, but I was wrong.   In the weeks leading up to the “ This Is Paris ” documentary, I was initially frustrated at why anyone needed to hear from her in the middle of a pandemic when many are struggling with unemployment and just trying to make ends meet – not to mention back-to-school and all the difficulties online learning brings.   Then on a Sunday morning, there she was on a reputable morning show I always watch, being interviewed by a respectable journalist about “This Is Paris”. I was taken aback when I realized this wasn’t a spoiled brat wanting more airtime (or should we say fac...

As a  parent advocate  I am always receiving emails and phone calls on a variety of schools and programs from parents and students that have first hand experiences. My personal experiences are with  Carolina Springs Academy  that is now closed -- I have heard it is reopened as  Seneca Ranch .  WWASPS  (Worldwide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools) is the umbrella  organization that runs these programs.They also have others in the United States - at last glance there was Red River Academy (now US Youth Services ), LA, Second Chances, River View, UT and you never know when more will pop-up in different names. Although the like to claim they have no affiliation  -- when people dig deeper, the roots can get exposed as it did last summer with Midwest Academy (which was shutdown). Diamond Ranch Academy , sadly, though I don't have first hand experiences, I continue to receive negative feedback about the program .  I wrote abo...

Parent Universal Resources is a service to parents and families to assist them with Parent Awareness regarding Therapeutic Boarding Schools, Residential Treatment Centers and Teen Help Programs for troubled teens on the East Coast. This industry is extremely competitive and can be very confusing. The “ desperate parent " is at high risk of making wrong decisions that may be detrimental to you and your child. Since we were once in that position, we want you to take comfort in the fact that you are not alone and give you the opportunity to learn from our experiences and more importantly, gain from our knowledge.  Researching can be time consuming and tedious, yet very important. How do you know if a program or school is right for your child or if they really are who they claim to be? We speak from our hearts and our experiences to give you a feeling of ease. Restricting your search to a geographical area limits your chances of finding the right placement for your child. ...

Just because your teen has turned 18 doesn’t necessarily mean they are an adult. As a matter of fact, I have spoken with many parents and explained that if they are having issues at 14, 15 and 16 — when 18 rolls around, it can seem like an earthquake. The problem is, teens  believe  they are an adult, yet their actions are still screaming child! There are excellent young adult programs that can inspire, encourage and educate your son or daughter. These programs offer structured support, typically education in accordance to what their needs are (whether they need to get their high school diploma or start college courses), life skills, enrichment and wellness programs to help them lead a healthy and balanced lifestyle. Some offer the therapeutic component as well as ongoing medical care if your child needs this. The biggest hurdle can be convincing your son or daughter to attend. Most parents are surprised that it can be easier than they thought. Whether they are fa...

Midwest Academy: Ex-students say they were tortured - NY Post - program is shut-down Make no mistake, when parents reach their wit's end with their troubled teenager they can be vulnerable and believe just about anything when they are searching for help. I was there once. My story or should I say nightmare , seems to be repeating itself with the headlines coming out of Iowa -- with the alleged WWASPS affiliated program Midwest Academy  (now closed). According the the latest news report; Midwest Academy Is Accused of Locking Students in Tiny Isolation Boxes for Days or More This is not any different than we heard from students a decade earlier in their many other programs that are now closed. It's sad that we are now years later and this type of abusive behavior is still going on. This is why I created my organization to help educate parents about the big business of the teen help industry .   It's not about frightening you, as I firmly believe that p...

As I share with parents, residential therapy is a major decision not to be taken lightly.  It's not about teaching your child a lesson, it's not about punishing your teen or scaring them straight -- residential therapy is a huge financial and emotional decision that is made after you have exhausted all your local resources. Residential therapy is a choice made out of love to give your child a second chance at a bright future. Usually a parent has reached their wit's end ; they have been to local therapy, some have even tried having their teen stay with a relative.  Some have been through extensive out-patient programs but it isn't until you remove (residential therapy) the teen from their environment that they will be able to heal and gain an objective view on what is the root of the issues. In the majority of families that contact us, these are not bad kids, these are kids that come from good families - raised with morals and taught right from wrong, however...

As I share with parents,  deciding on sending your child to a therapeutic boarding school  is a major decision not to be taken lightly.  It’s not about teaching your child a lesson, it’s not about punishing your teen or scaring them straight — residential therapy is a huge financial and emotional decision that is made after you have exhausted all your local resources. Residential therapy is a choice made out of love to give your child a second chance at a bright future. Usually a parent has reached their  wit’s end ; they have been to local therapy, some have even tried having their teen stay with a relative.  Some have been through extensive out-patient programs but it isn’t until you remove (residential therapy) the teen from their environment that they will be able to heal and gain an  objective  view on what is the root of the issues. In the majority of families that contact us, these are  not  bad kids, these are kids tha...

Let's face it, our teens are very smart or they wouldn't be keen enough to manipulate parents into believing they are as innocent as they aren't! On a weekly basis I receive calls from parents about their highly intelligent teens that are smoking pot, using drugs, drinking and other risky behavior.  These kids can also be extremely good athlete's that have recently lost interest in their sport too.  What is going on?  Is it peer pressure, low self-esteem or something else?  Are they being bullied in school, did something happen that we don't know about?  Either way it is time to get your teenager help before it escalate into addiction or worse. Your intelligence at 16 is a strong indicator of how much and how often you will drink throughout adulthood. Over the last 55 years, in the U.S. and U.K., several studies have been conducted that show a direct relationship between childhood intelligence and adult alcohol consumption. Controlling for a huge plethor...

What does this say to parents of teenagers?    Are the parents too trusting of the teens or are the teens too smart for the parents? Are you still digesting that?    Let's understand this. One in four teens (24 percent) reports having misused or abused a prescription drug at least once in their lifetime (up from 18 percent in 2008 to 24 percent in 2012), which translates to about 5 million teens. That is a 33 percent increase over a five-year period.   -According to Drugfree.org That is a lot teens using illegal prescription drugs to get high or alter their moods.  Where are they getting these drugs from?   Parents, grandparents, a friend's home or simply buying them off the street.    This isn't   blame game it is time to get a grasp on it and communicate to your kids about the risks of prescription medicine when it is not taken for the reasons it is prescribed for by a doctor.   Sometimes it takes a ne...