Look, Listen and Ask Questions
As part of the research process, Abelson encourages parents and kids to visit prospective schools. Drop by the counseling center and talk with the staff. If your child has a specific issue or disorder, ask if there are special resources for the disorder and how it would be handled. Ask about psychiatric resources and cost of treatment. Some colleges will provide short-term counseling or short-term psychiatric care, but not longer-term care. If your child has issues that could require psychiatric treatment while at school and the school does not offer that treatment, you may want to consider researching off-campus providers. Does the school have active student advocacy groups and peer-to-peer support groups? Look for meetings sponsored by Active Minds, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Alcoholics Anonymous, or other local 12 step and non-12-step programs. Talk with students about their experiences with academic pressure, social pressure and mental health support at the school, if possible.Find a Sober School
If your child has a co-occurring problem with alcohol or drug abuse, you may want to browse the Princeton Review’s 2016 list of “stone-cold sober schools.” The list ranks the 20 driest schools in the U.S. based on surveys of 136,000 students at 380 top colleges. Not surprisingly, many schools that made the list have a military or religious orientation (Brigham Young University has been named the most sober school for 18 years running), but others on the list have no religious or military affiliation. For example, City University of New York-Brooklyn, Mills College in Oakland and Simmons College in Boston all made the list. Other top 20 lists, which appear in the review’s Best 380 Colleges guide, include schools with lowest marijuana use (winner: U.S. Coast Guard Academy), lowest beer consumption (Brigham Young) and the best health services (University of California-Davis). Keep in mind that even after doing your research, you probably won’t find a perfect match for your child. There are drawbacks to every program. Here are additional things to look for in a college:- Where is the CAPS facility located? Is it close to where your child will be living?
- How long is the wait between making an appointment and seeing a clinician?
- What is the cost of treatment?
- Are the clinicians professionals or graduate students?
- Does the school have at least one licensed psychiatrist?
- What is the ratio of counselors and psychiatrists to students? The international standard is one clinician for every 1,000 to 1,500 students.
- What kinds of services does the program offer? Does it cover your teen’s disorder?
- Are there student support groups for the disorder?
