Educational Consulting Trends | A View from Intake
Posted by Hannah Cleveland on Tue, Aug 04, 2009
While examining the anatomy of our educational consulting intake calls, I have noticed two disturbing trends in the therapeutic placement domain.
First off, the average age of the potential client is on the rise. We are hearing from an increasing number of families seeking help for kids who are 17 and older. Laws as they are, there is a very small window of opportunity to get struggling students the help they need. Parents are often referring to this as their last chance, yet it is the first time they have sought a therapeutic placement.
The other alarming educational consulting trend is an added layer of alcohol and substance abuse on top of the mental health issues we often see in our intakes... and it appears that hard drug use is becoming more of an issue.
What factors are contributing to these educational consulting trends? While the state of the economy is causing many people to hesitate, those who are approaching the age 18 threshold with children are driven to finally act.
Why the hard drugs in these dual-diagnosis cases? One can only surmise. On one hand, upwardly skewed ages could be yielding greater access to these tougher drugs. Perhaps tough economic times drive experimentation of the ‘street drugs.' Or maybe, once again, we're just seeing those cases that have culminated to a point beyond where they normally would in better economic times.
If you are a practicing professional, we would love to know if you are seeing similar trends, and if you have any thoughts on the matter...