Teen Transport for Troubled Teens

Clint Hardy, owner of New Start Transports, was kind enough to provide us with the helpful information below. Clint’s experience goes beyond that he’s gained since starting his company based in Utah, he was once in the same shoes as some of the teens he is so passionate about helping. If you’re a parent with a teen in need of some “help” we hope this article is of some help.

What is teen transport?

Teen Transport can be defined as the transition of a teen from the place of pick-up to the destination chosen by their parent (or guardian).

Why is this step so important to do well?

The teens that are usually very anxious and at-risk. To be more specific; the teens may not willingly want to go to the destination the parent guardian(s) has made placement arrangements for. It is not uncommon for a teen to be unaware of the placement until a transport service is present at the place of pick up.

Teen transport associates should act as mediators between the parents, programs, and teens during the transition to the chosen facility.

Many teens that find themselves in need of transportation services share one or several of the following characteristics or behaviors:

Drugs, alcohol, and other substance abuse

The use of tobacco

Poor school performance

Defiant to parents and authority figures

Legal issues

Runaway history

Dishonesty

Physically acting out such as but not limited to: destruction of property, fighting, attempting suicide, and so on…

Stealing

Poor choice of friends

Family issues

Any other issues that a temporary, out of home placement may assist with

More details about the actual transportation:

The place of pick up for a teen transport is most commonly at the home of the parent guardian(s) where the teen lives. Other places of possible pick up may include but are not limited to the following: adolescent hospitals, schools, treatment programs, a friend’s home or other private residences, courts, police stations, work, airports, any other public or private location that the teen transport services are authorized to pick up. It may be important for the transport service to consider the support of law enforcement in all pick ups away from the private home residence of the parent guardian(s) making the placement.

The placement and/or drop off location for the teen is usually a treatment program such as but not limited to the following: outdoor therapeutic wilderness program, specialty boarding school, Christian school, therapeutic program, residential treatment center, and any other private program placement for a troubled teen. Teen transportation may also be provided to the following locations: airports, hospitals, home, another parent’s home, schools, therapy, and any location chosen by the parent guardian(s) of the teen. It is important for a youth transport service to only transport a teen with the consent of all applicable parent guardians. If a parent wishes to make an out of state placement of a teen, they should have both parent guardians’ permission and/or a court appointed document giving us permission to transport the teen.

The words transition, mediation, and intervention are very important terms to quality transport services.

• Transition: the transport service may do more than just transport a troubled teen from point A to B, they should transition the teen. This transition offers opportunity and time for a teen to be more prepared to arrive to the program.
• Mediation: the transport service should mediate between the parent(s), teen, and program(s) to give the teen an opportunity to cooperate with the program placement willingly without incident. Teen transport services are usually not on duty law enforcement and they should use the tool of mediation rather than dictating and intimidation. All parties in a teen transport intervention process should be considered equals, but the teen may be required to cooperate with the requests of their parent guardian(s) as the law supports. A transport service offers a third party intervention source, as they are not involved with the program(s) and/or parent(s) making the placement. This outside source of mediation often makes it possible to transition a teen willingly to a program, without incident. Parents and professionals should look for a company that has a history and reputation of successful transports
• Intervention: A transport service directly intervenes with teens to provide a safe transition with as much opportunity for positive preparation for the program prior to the teen’s arrival. In this intervention, the transport service should not attempt to solve the problems leading up to the placement but should work with the troubled teen and parent guardian(s) to allow this transition to occur as safely as possible while implementing the principles of integrity, compassion, and respect those present.

How to choose the best teen transport agency:

Choosing a Teen Transport Agency can be a very tough decision emotionally and financially. Parents and referring professionals are encouraged to look into the insurance bonding of the teen transport service they choose or refer to along with other important credentials that would seem necessary to ensure a safe transport of a potentially at-risk and anxious teen. These are some of the credentials to consider:

• • Insurance specific to the Teen Transport
  • A Business License for Teen Transportation
  • Accredited Crisis Prevention Training provided by the Teen Transport Agency
  • Qualifications and accountability of employees and/or contracted associates - review and look for personal pages on-line
  • References from both parents and professionals

These are only a few of the many things to consider in choosing a transport service for an at-risk teen. Please use your own good judgment and check references.

Clint Hardy

Former Youth Program Participant

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