Inn Holland

Review of Solstice East RTC

I am a former employee of Solstice and see both th...

I am a former employee of Solstice and see both the good and the bad in the program, so will give my best to leave a fair review.

So Solstice has worked wonders for many of the teens who have been in the program, however it is not a great fit for all troubled teens. Their substance abuse program is a little lacking (this isn't rehab). Also please don't just send your child here if they are rebelling (rebellion is a part of adolescence, and sending your child to an RTC should be a LAST RESORT), or if they are extremely sensitive to critical feedback (it's big here!), as the program could result in more harm then good.

The program itself is pretty good and I benefitted from it greatly myself as a staff. In many ways it helped me find healthy mechanisms of coping with anxiety/depression and I left a better, more stable person. Most staff are warm and caring, but a few can be a little less so and are more strict than they need to be (tip: it's important to view each teen as a different individual with different needs). The food is pretty good and the setting is beautiful, and when things are functioning well it felt very homey/family like.

However, my biggest issue with the program include some of the mechanisms of "intervention". Students at times can be placed on "self-focus" or "safety" for various infractions, which are normally pretty substancial (ex. running away, SH, making threats, bullying). Part of these interventions include a "silent treatment" from staff and students. While this could be beneficial for maybe a day of self-reflection, I highly encourage Solstice to revise their policy for multiple day use of the "silent treatment", as it can be quite damaging, especially for adolesents. Additionally, I would also encourage Solstice to discourage the hands on approach if the student is not at imminent risk of harming self or others (not for things like refusals!! even in the most extreme cases! or punching a wall/other non-living things {put a pillow in front of it}). Apart from that and some chaos/bullying that comes with the setting (though discouraged and/or prevented by staff), it does not seem to be the worst RTC out there and is trans friendly which is a plus! However again, to parents, please try to keep your teen at home if at all feasible; RTCs in general are rather restrictive settings.