FAQs

Our services at Lakeside Academy include general program costs, chemical dependency and mental health treatment services, behavioral therapy, plus room and board. There is no additional charge for client enrollment in the local Southwest Metro school district (Intermediate school district 288).

For licensed chemical dependency treatment and mental health services:

The cost of services for your son will depend on your son’s needs as assessed during a clinical evaluation, and in combination with a review of applicable healthcare insurance.   Our goal is to minimize your out-of-pocket expenses, while ensuring your son receives the appropriate level of services and care.  MN residents may qualify for additional funding support; our Admissions team will provide more information.

For therapeutic boarding school and behavioral health services:

Financial assistance may be available to MN residents based on need.  Please contact our admissions team to discuss costs.

Health/Medical insurance does not cover tuition for residential behavioral programs. However, if supplemental mental health, drug treatment, or other medical services are required while your son is enrolled at Lakeside Academy, then personal insurance may cover a portion of costs.

Limited financial scholarships may be available, based on need, to cover a portion of program costs. Our Admissions team has more information.

Our program is divided into 4 levels and takes between 6 and 12 months to complete, depending on the student’s progress and engagement. Most complete in about 9 months. Our admissions team can provide more information about how students progress through the four levels.

Studies showw that it often takes up to a full year for adolescents to let go of bad habits and create new healthy behaviors.  When boys graduate from our program, most admit to us (and their parents) that “real changes” in their thinking and values started to take place after they decided to engage — within 3-6 months at Lakeside Academy… and only then did they dig in to complete the program and make true and lasting changes.

Our program is made up of 4-levels and typically takes 6-12 months to complete depending on one’s engagement; most will complete in about 9 months.

As a Christian Behavior and Recovery Center, we’ve used Christian principles to develop our program and curriculum, and we rely on those principles in all that we do. While at Lakeside Academy, we encourage each student to develop his own personal relationship with Christ.

Yes, your son may attend Lakeside Academy regardless of faith or religion. However, we are a Christian Behavior and Recovery Center.   If a Christian program is not what you are seeking, Lakeside may be able to provide a list of referrals for you. There, he would be able to receive chemical treatment and mental health services in a secular (not faith-based) environment, if he so chooses.

See Packing List. <link>

No, Lakeside Academy is a tobacco-free environment.  All cigarettes, e-cigs, vaping and chewing tobacco are prohibited.

Yes, but there are some requirements.  Medications should be discussed early in the application process.  Students who come into the program on medication must come under the care of a local doctor.  Any medication changes will be handled through a licensed physician.  It is understood that some students will need to stay on medications for the duration of the program.

We accept clients on certain Medication-Assisted Treatments (MAT); in addition, we provide on-site psychiatric and ambulatory detox services. Medication-Assisted Treatments are part of our reviewable medication list; client applications involving MATs are considered on a case-by-case basis.

Examples of reviewable medications include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Medical Marijuana
• All medications used for the treatment of Alcohol or Opiate dependence and/or withdrawal¹
• All Barbiturates
• All Medications used Specifically for Weight Loss
• All Benzodiazepines
• All Medications for Smoking Cessation²
• All Muscle Relaxants
• All Stimulant Medications³
• All Performance Enhancing Steroids or Supplements
• All Narcotic pain relievers and pain reliever with potential for dependence & abuse
• Sleep aids⁴

1. Suboxone (Taper no longer than 90 days) or Naltrexone/Vivitrol will be considered for limited use, on a case by case basis, under the direct supervision of a Licensed Prescriber
2. Clients are allowed up to a 10 week taper of Nicotine Patches
3. Only Strattera & Intuniv are allowed for treatment of ADD/ADHD
4. Only Melatonin is allowed as a sleep aid

OTC Medications: Please note that Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge has an Approved list of OTC Medications That Clients may Purchase on their Own.

We understand that a troubled teen boy may be reluctant to come to any program.

For a behaviorally-challenged boy with minor or no substance abuse issues, we require only that he is aware that he is coming to Lakeside Academy and that he walks in under his own power (i.e. he is not forcibly dragged into a building).  We are not a lock-down facility or a crisis-care facility.

For a boy in need of licensed treatment for substance use disorder, we require that he is open to receiving treatment, as this will impact his outcome and ability to break any addiction.

Yes, while at Lakeside Academy your son will be enrolled in the local Southwest Metro school district <link>. Students have the ability to earn high school credits, which can allow them to graduate, or earned credits may be transferred to either private or public schools following the student’s completion of their program.

If beds are available, the Admission process typically takes 2-14 days.  An intake may take place as soon as your application and supplemental paperwork has been submitted, reviewed and accepted, and initial tuition and deposit fees are paid.

Yes, we accept students year-round.  Please call our admissions department to learn more.

Before choosing any residential or therapeutic boarding school most parents have already tried working with local resources such as school counselors, church advisors, family friends, social workers, and mental health counselors in attempts to address and resolve issues.

If you have exhausted these options, then Lakeside Academy may be the best next step for your son. We specialize in working with troubled adolescent boys and helping them get back on the right track.  Please let our Admissions counselors know more about your son’s specific issues so we can help him, and help your family heal.

Mental/emotional issues, such as anger, anxiety, or depression, can show up in many different forms and outlets.  Our team will work alongside you to determine your son’s needs based on an individual assessment and then create an appropriate treatment plan for him.

It is common for students who enter our program to exhibit issues and behaviors such as:

Rebellion/Anger/Defiance

Depression/Loss of Interest

Deceitfulness/Cheating/Theft

Manipulation

Promiscuity

Risky and dangerous behavior

Abuse of drugs, huffing, alcohol abuse

Hatred of parents or anyone in authority

Expulsion from school for failing grades

Hatred of religion and turning away from God

In our society today, behavioral or academic issues in teenagers most often coincide with some level of substance abuse, which can be hidden from parents.  Yet, it may have a profound effect on your son’s attitude, and it may be the main reason for his inappropriate behavior.   In reality, it can take months away from drugs (even alcohol or marijuana) for your son to begin demonstrating better attitudes, decision making, and impulse control.

With some substances, addictions can arise from even one use; they must be addressed before they become a life-long problem.  Lakeside Academy offers the best opportunity for overall recovery, by allowing teen boys to truly get their motivations and lives turned around and back on the right track.

We provide licensed chemical dependency treatment, mental health counseling, and cognitive-behavioral therapy — all based on the individual needs of each client.  Counseling sessions typically include individual therapy as well as group sessions. Our treatment interventions are designed to help clients manage their thinking, improve behaviors, and recover from substance use, as necessary.

The ratio of teachers to students is typically 1:10 or less, but this ratio will fluctuate based on enrollment.  In no case will the ratio exceed 1:15.

There are four extended breaks per year in the summer, fall, winter, and spring.

1. Please complete intake packet to become officially enrolled in SW Metro
2. SW Metro will contact the boy’s home district and pull in his records and history
3. Assessment: Each student will be assessed based on his current grade level, history, any existing IEPs along with his comprehension of reading, math, science, and social studies in accordance with Minnesota standards
4. A personalized learning plan will be created for each student, based on his assessment results.

Once your son is enrolled in the Southwest Metro school district, operated onsite at Lakeside Academy, our program staff will contact your son’s home school district to integrate his records and history, including any existing IEPs, into his academic plans.

No, Southwest Metro is part of the local public school district. It is a secular program being administered onsite at our faith-based residential facility.

Learning pace: The education for each student is highly personalized; the pace of the curriculum will be based on his abilities and on his personal learning plan, IEP, or 504 plan.  Many students graduate high school while attending Lakeside Academy.  When that occurs, they may begin to take college classes online.

No, the 2 programs are in completely separate cities.

LADC, MHP and the pastoral counselors are licensed in the State of Minnesota.

Before your son enters the program: Contact our admissions team.

During your son’s stay: Staff can be reached via email or by phone. In case of emergencies, there is a 24-hour line.

The minimum is 1 staff member to every 8 students; however, there are many times throughout the student’s day that it is most often 1:2.

We are a Christian Behavior and Recovery Center, blessed with an incredible staff, and with an extraordinary location and facilities.  We offer one of the lowest tuition levels in the industry, thanks to our generous donors. We provide licensed chemical dependency treatment, mental health counseling, cognitive-behavioral therapy and character formation courses designed to help establish a strong foundation for long-term success. We accept most insurance which may cover a portion of CD and mental health services. Our students attend MN licensed public school, on-site at our facility, with a student to teacher ratio of 10:1.  We offer project-based learning and a variety of outdoor activities throughout our 48-acre site.

We provide licensed chemical dependency treatment, mental health counseling, and cognitive-behavioral therapy — all based on the individual needs of each client.  Counseling sessions typically include individual therapy as well as group sessions. Our treatment interventions are designed to help clients manage their thinking, improve behaviors,  and recover from substance use, as necessary.

We provide cognitive-behavioral therapy, licensed chemical dependency treatment, and a range of mental health services – all based on assessed need.  Each treatment intervention is designed to help clients manage thinking, improve behaviors, and recover from drug or alcohol abuse, if applicable.

Our core curriculum also includes emphasis on character formation, building healthy relationships, responding positively to authority, and spiritual development.  Our Admissions representative can provide more information.

You can see the results–right relationships, restored families, truly content and purposeful lives, and refocused futures.

There are many different winter activities.

Tubing, sledding, snowboarding, ice fishing, ice skating, broomball, boot hockey just to name a few!

Our full-size gym is accessible during winter months so the students can continue many of their “summer activities”.

In order to set up a tour, please fill out an online inquiry or call our admissions department.  After talking to our admissions staff, he will walk you through the steps to schedule a tour.

Our residence hall has all the modern amenities and currently sleeps 32 residents.  Each boy is paired up with 2-3 other individuals per room.

Positive behavioral support: We use a behavioral grading system that emphasizes making positive choices; students are rewarded for complying with accepted behaviors and for demonstrating good character.

Traditional family counseling is not offered at Lakeside Academy. However, we provide regular scheduled updates from your son’s counselor and academic supervisor, and parent weekends to allow families time to meet individually with their son’s counselors. During parent weekends we also provide family education through group discussions, role playing, networking with other parents, and offer access to a range of resources.