FAQs for Parents
Q Can my child be in driver’s ed (or another time consuming after school activity) and participate in DBTeens?
A It is difficult to attend Driver’s Ed with our schedule. We require teens to attend a variety of services at different times of the day. The teen and support person(s) attend a weekly skills training class that is one day/week between 5-7pm. Those classes are offered Monday-Thursday. Teens also attend a nightly pm meeting, which is 7:15-7:45 every night except Saturday.
Q I am concerned about the wide age range of youth in the program. 12-20 years old seems like such different stages of life. How does this work?
A Our program is based upon skill-building vs healing through connection with peers. What this means is that while we encourage clients to engage together in the topics we are discussing, we don’t encourage them to befriend each other or share their history or serious concerns within the group setting; that is done in individual therapy or skills coaching. Our group sessions are focused on learning skills, determining how to use skills throughout the day, and practicing mindfulness. We believe that the wide age range actually can encourage a focus on skills vs. developing relationships with peers. Many of our clients struggle with feeling left out in social situations. Having a wider age range of clients lessens this struggle for many teens.
Q I heard this program talks about suicide and self-harm. My child doesn’t cut or talk about suicide. Should I be worried?
A It is true that many of our clients struggle with self harm and suicidal ideation. While sometimes teens may bring up that they are struggling with one of these two things, this is not the focus. The focus is on mindfulness, regulating emotions, and coping with distress. Facilitators work with teens to help them look at the situations/emotions/thoughts/body sensations that are leading to life-interfering behaviors.
Q Doesn’t talking about suicide make my child more likely to attempt suicide?
A There is no research that supports this idea. In fact, there is research that shows that asking youth if they are having thoughts of suicide is a prevention strategy.
Q Do we need to attend all of the sessions each week?
A Yes. There is a correlation between amount of improvement and attendance; kids who attend more have a more successful outcome. We want your child to get the most out of this program that they can, and attendance is a necessary component.
Q Do I really need to print out all of the handouts?
A Yes- we encourage (beg you, really) to print out everything prior to the start of the program. We provide you with 2 binders: one for the youth and one for the support person. We ask you to print everything out and organize it within the binder. This helps everyone be prepared and come ready to sessions.
Q My child is refusing to attend and I really think this would help him. What can I do?
A We recommend that you have the person who your teen is most likely to listen to bring up the idea of this program. That could be their therapist, a young adult they trust, a school counselor, or you.
We encourage you to focus on the idea that this program can help them feel better (less depressed or anxious, calmer, more connected with other people). While we want kids to work on life-threatening behaviors, most are more motivated by the idea of feeling better.
Sometimes parents offer external rewards or have natural consequences attached to the program. For example, sometimes teens who are suicidal cannot get their driver’s license until they complete the program and work on suicidal ideation. Other teens may get a reward such as more freedom upon successful completion of the program. Many parents find it helpful to discuss these contingencies with their child’s outpatient therapist or school counselor.
Q How do I know that my child is participating?
A Every Sunday you and your teen will be sent an attendance log for the week.
Q I don’t think my child will like being in an online program. Do you offer anything in person?
A We do not. All of our programming is intentionally virtual so that youth throughout ME and NH can participate. Our staff are skilled at engaging kids via zoom, text and email. Our goal of addressing skill-building through repetition is well met using virtual service delivery so that youth can meet with a team member 2-3 x/day every day.
Q My child doesn’t want to keep their camera on in group sessions. Do they have to?
A Yes. Cameras need to be on during all services so that staff can both make sure the youth are ok and participating, as well as ensure privacy and confidentiality by making sure there are no other people in the room during sessions.
Q Our family is going on vacation during the 12 weeks of the program. Can we make up the week at the end?
A Unfortunately, no. If you go on vacation during a week of your 12 week program, you will miss that week of sessions and they cannot be made up at the end.
Q How does insurance work for your program?
A That is a complex question, and depends upon what type of insurance plan your child is covered under.
For most insurance plans, we obtain prior authorization after the intake session. This is true whether we are in network (Anthem) or out of network and requesting a single case agreement (sometimes called an out of network exception). Sometimes this process is quick (can be done in one phone call) and sometimes it entails a series of phone calls/form submissions that can take up to 14 days. Please reach out to us with specific questions.
Q If insurance doesn’t cover the program, will we be changed for the cost of the intake and commitment sessions?
A No, you will not be billed for the intake and commitment sessions if your child’s insurance does not agree to pay for the program.
Q How much does the program cost?
A If you choose to self pay, the cost is $1,000/week for a total of $12,000 for the 12 week program.
If you prefer we bill insurance, the cost depends on what portion your insurance covers. Please reach out to us to discuss.