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

I remember those dreadful years raising a defiant teen - and the threat of running away.  When they finally do it, it can be a parent's nightmare.   If you are currently dealing with a runaway, act immediately. Do not waste any time in utilizing every resource you can to find your child. The list below details a plan of action and tips for finding help. Tips For Finding a Runaway Keep an updated phone list with the home and cell numbers of your teen’s friends. Using the phone list, call every one of your teen’s friends. Talk immediately with their parents, not their friends, as teenagers will often stick together and lie for each other. The parent will tell you anything they know, including the last time contact was made between their child and yours. They will also know to keep closer tabs on their own child. Keep an updated photo of your child on hands at all times. With this photo, create one-page flyers includin...

Help your teen arrive safely to get the help they need. It is a common question, "how will I get my teen to the program, he is refusing to do anything?" We help parents with struggling teens that are looking to give them a second opportunity at a bright future -- many times this includes a residential treatment center or therapeutic boarding school. Rarely does their teen want to attend these programs.  By the time the parent calls us, their teenager is usually at the point of defiance, maybe experimenting with drugs, alcohol, sneaking out, failing in school, and possibly worse. Getting help in not in the teenager's immediate plan - they would prefer to "hang" with their new less than desirable peer group. With this many parents have had to hire transport services. Don't panic, like with everything on the Internet - you can find the good and the bad online. I encourage parents to do their due diligence when it comes to selecting your transpor...

Many parents call us all the time with two scenarios. 1)  My teen refuses to go to a therapist or counselor or 2)  My teen has been in therapy for years and it hasn't made a difference.  Even has changed therapist several times and nothing changes. So why will residential treatment make a difference? Fact is, we don't have a crystal ball but there is definitely a difference.  The one-on-one therapy once a week at home (in a doctor's office) is completely different than being in a therapeutic setting where all your child's activity is geared towards building him up to make better choices and also helping him to reflect on why he was making the negative ones that brought him to where he is now. Removing your teen from their comfort zone of home and mostly of their peer group can substantially change the way they think and react to situations.  You can finally peel back the layer they have to protect their egos (attitudes) and determine where all this...