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

Be careful where you click into! I was made aware that the program that used to be Carolina Springs Academy, where my daughter was harmed, was just re-opened as Seneca Ranch in Due West, SC. As a parent advocate , I encourage parents to do their due diligence when researching programs for their teenager. The Internet is full of wonderful websites and toll-free numbers that will sell you many things. When it comes to your child, learn to separate the Internet fact from the Internet fiction.  There will always be those forums of slander - former institutionalized kids that believed they were wronged by the system - and many still don't have relationships with their family. Though I feel for them, I also understand that there are many good programs in our country - as well as a handful of not so good ones.  You will never please everyone, however when you have the same repetitive stories over and over - from different kids at different times from different parts of the...

There was a day you gave birth to a child that you believed was your heart and soul and you would protect that child from all the bad things in this world.   From infancy to toddler to elementary school and hanging that beautiful finger painting artwork up on your refrigerator door, the joy and pride of parenthood kept growing. Then we start the tweenage era.   That middle-school itch.   The peer pressure, the "where do I belong" and "who will be my friend" in the lunchroom.   Today life growing up from a child to a tween to a teen is escalated by technology of the digital access that kids have today.   It is like they are growing up in the Jetson generation only hundred times faster.   It is advised that parents should have the "tech talk" with their kids even before the "sex talk."   That is a strong indicator of the importance of how cyber-life has taken over our lives--both young and old. Drug dealers have figured this ou...

"Out of Reach" is a special documentary created by a teen filmmaker who captures the issue of teen prescription drug abuse as it exists in his world. The issues contained in the film are a reflection of this issue across the country. It was created in collaboration with director Tucker Capps (of A&E's "Intervention") and The Partnership at Drugfree.org 's Medicine Abuse Project. With the holiday's around the corner, it is imperative that parents not only know what is in their medicine cabinets, but also be aware of what their parents (grandparents) have in their homes.  As you visit relatives and friends this holiday season, it can also be an opportunity for your teen/tween to scout out a variety of bathrooms and medicine cabinets. Be an educated parent - you will have safer and healthier kids. Learn more from The Medicine Abuse Project .

No matter what time of the year it is, dealing with a teenager that is pushing the limits and creating friction in your home can be a stressful time. Compound that with the holidays approaching and knowing there will be time off from school, can be a bit overwhelming.  Will they get into more trouble or will they be busy with constructive projects?  Maybe get a part-time job? In most cases, my colleague and I hear from parents that are at their wit's end and realize that if they don't intervene the consequences could be serious. Holiday time is not always the most opportune time of year, however troubled teenagers don't know when to take vacations. When parents call us for help in searching for residential therapy , many want to try to keep them as close to home as possible. There are some concerns we express when we speak with the parent about selecting a program as it pertains to the location: Convenience is nice, however the priority is what is best for yo...

Making the right choice is not always easy. A question my colleague and I are frequently asked during this time of the year is, "The holidays are here, should we send our teen into a residential program now or wait until after the holidays are over?" Parents' Universal Resources Experts has been helping families for over a decade, actually over 12 years now, and the answer hasn't changed. If you wait for the holidays to be over, you may be risking your teen getting  into further trouble as well as causing more stress and friction during your family holiday season. As school is out teenagers, if they don't have constructive plans, will sometimes get involved with hanging out in places they shouldn't be with people they shouldn't be with.  Today we are facing a time when many parents are working full-time and it is difficult to monitor our kids 24/7 and nearly impossible to tell them who to pick as their peer group. We explain to parents, as dif...