Therapeutic Boarding Schools

These boarding schools work on a year round schedule and are designed to support students who struggle with emotional and/or learning challenges in order to participate in a full-length school day. Extracurricular activities may include those offered in more mainstream school programs but also target peer relationships, building personal and community responsibility, and developing leadership skills (sports, arts). Individual and family therapy, as well as focus on help with learning disabilities are present in varying degrees in different program models. Many therapeutic boarding schools prefer that students enter from an outdoor program or other treatment program, as willingness to participate is generally a pre-requisite. Therapeutic boarding schools vary as to gender and grades served, style of academic and therapeutic support offered, particular clinical specialty, and extracurricular activities offered. Schools differ in their strength of focus on substance abuse treatment and relapse prevention. Psychopharmacology is available and ability to accommodate health and medical challenge differs. Length of stay varies, but is generally one to two school years.