| News
& Views
- Oct, 1993 Issue #24 |
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A TRANSPORT
AGENCY
Joey Dusina, WEST SHIELD ADOLESCENT SERVICES
Newport Beach, California
800-899-8585
Your child is a person who may
be having troubles or confusion. This may require you to get
him or her some residential professional help. But, when you
cannot get your child to the school or program of your choice
on your own, there are some excellent transport companies
that can help you. Unfortunately, along with the good ones
there are some bad ones. Here are a few suggestions to make
your choice a wise one.
1. Find out the type of education
and ongoing training the transport company requires of the
agents. It is necessary to keep educated on current approaches
for the different disorders that may arise and the pertinent
laws of the various states. This knowledge is necessary to
increase the chances of the transport being a positive experience
and to avoid legal pitfalls.
2. How long have they been
doing adolescent transports, number of transports, and success
rate? You need to know the experience level of the company.
Knowing this can help you to determine their competency in
whatever may arise in your particular situation.
3. Do they use restraints,
and if so, why and how often? A good transport company
uses mental powers rather than physical powers. Some agencies
treat children as if they were criminals instead of troubled
youths. These children do need counseling, but need to be
put in the right frame of mind to go to the facility with
an open mind. If at all possible, the children need to look
at this as a positive event that will enable them to become
individuals who can make good decisions for their future.
Treating them as criminals during the transport can easily
create more trauma for everyone involved, as well as reduce
the potential effectiveness of the school or program.
4. How many trained staff?
The variety of staff members allows the company flexibility.
After doing a psychological and physical profile on the child,
the company can determine the agent or agents who can best
work with the child during the transport.
5. What other services can
they provide? Some agencies can locate runaway children,
some can hold children for a few days until the school or
program is ready for them, some have private airplanes at
their disposal and others have undercover agents to infiltrate
various segments of society. These are all important items
that may be required in handling your situation.
6. What is their availability?
Being in a crisis situation, you need to know the agency's
hours of operations and ease of availability.
7. Ask for references and
letters from other parents. These items should be readily
available to you.
8. Use your gut instinct.
Is the transport company really involved in helping your child,
or is it primarily after the money? Go with your instinct,
and with the facts that you have gathered so you can make
a good educated decision.
Copyright
© 1993, Woodbury Reports, Inc. (This article may be reproduced
without prior approval if the copyright notice and proper
publication and author attribution accompanies the copy.)
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