FAQ

Crossman Educational Consulting works with a very broad range of programs, including traditional boarding and day schools, therapeutic boarding schools, wilderness programs, residential treatment programs, transitional living communities, home schooling programs, community based support services, and other specialized settings. In conjunction with your child’s therapeutic, healthcare, and other advisors, your consultant will help to identify which options are most promising for your child.

If you have any responsibility for the child’s living arrangements, support, education, or emotional well-being, then you are in a position to at least begin the discussion with a consultant. A consultant can work through with you any special issues affecting the child, whether that be custody issues or other legal status matters. Although Crossman Educational Consulting does not offer legal advice, our legal training and access to knowledgeable legal counsel do help us to guide you to the resources that are most appropriate to your needs.

Most people find that the fees of an educational consultant are well worth the investment. A consultant will have first-hand experience visiting and speaking with the staff at the various schools and programs you will consider. In addition, the consultant will be able to help you navigate the vast and confusing array of choices that are out there. There is no central database of programs around the country, and the nuances of treatment, approach, and philosophy of each program are not something that could be conveyed in a simple website or by casual word of mouth. Finally, given the nuanced differences among programs and their approaches and styles, it is important to communicate clearly and accurately to the program about the circumstances and needs of a given student and to help the parents tease out which characteristics in a program would best suit their child. An educational consultant can help parents not only to identify a promising program, but to ensure that the most important aspects of the student’s situation are properly framed and presented to the program.

We will be pleased to share with you a copy of our standard consulting services agreement for your consideration. Although the points in this frequently asked question list are intended to help you to find your way in this process, they do not form a part of the consulting contract. To ensure that everyone’s expectations are clearly spelled out, all of the terms of our contract are contained in the standard form of agreement, in what we hope is clear language so you know exactly what to expect.

At Crossman Educational Consulting we do not provide medical, psychiatric or clinical advice, but we can put you in touch with professionals who have substantial experience with away-from-home schools and program interventions. In our experience, some skilled professionals lack sufficient familiarity with such programs and so may not be prepared to advise fully on the pros and cons of such a change. In our view, the best decision is an informed decision, so you should ensure that before you select any particular course of action, you have adequate advice on all of the available alternatives. If your existing provider is not able to advise you on all alternatives, it only makes sense to get that advice from another professional.

It is common for adolescents and young adults in crisis to miss and fall behind in school. The good news is that most residential therapeutic programs will have it as one of their goals to assist your child in catching up in school. The academic aspect of making a match is one of the important factors that we consider in finding the optimal placement for each child. If your child isn’t currently behind in school, we will help you find a program where they can stay on track with their education and earn the required credits toward graduation.

No, boarding schools are highly varied and it is important to understand the differences to determine what is most appropriate for your child. Among other things, schools differ in size, distance from urban areas, ratio of day to boarding students, diversity of students, whether they are co-ed or single sex, whether the educational philosophy is traditional, developmental, or progressive.

No, there is a boarding school out there for every type of student and with every type of atmosphere. There are schools that focus heavily on providing a solid and rigorous pre-college curriculum, but there are also other types, such arts schools that allow students to pursue advanced study in subjects such as dance, writing, theater, music, and/or visual art and those that build into the schedule considerable time to pursue a particular sport or activity.