FAQ - Springboard

Frequently Asked Questions

If you have any questions regarding any of the above, or other questions regarding the Springboard program, please contact our office at 520-887-8773. We want you to have as much information as possible prior to enrolling your daughter in the Springboard Home for Youth in Crisis.

What does the Springboard Program Cost?

When compared to the typical 30-day program (sometimes costing as much as $30,000), the Springboard program fees are exceptionally reasonable. As a ministry, it is our desire to help you and your family and we have kept our fees affordable, especially when comparing the success rates of traditional programs (3-11%) to the well-documented success rate of Teen Challenge – 86%! The breakdown is as follows:

Intake fee: $500 (one-time, non-refundable). This fee reserves your daughter’s Intake date into our program. A date for her intake cannot be scheduled until this fee has been received.

Program Fees: Please contact our Intake Coordinator at (520) 887-8773 to learn more, and discuss applicable fees.

Is Springboard covered by my insurance?

Is financial aid available?

What does the Program Fee cover?

The program fee for Springboard covers all costs associated with your daughter’s stay once she arrives at Springboard. Her meals (at least 270 of them!), lodging (cost of home maintenance, utilities, telephone, etc.), 24/7 supervision from qualified and well-trained staff, customized Teen Challenge Nationally Accredited curriculum, recreational / educational activities, program travel, special event clothing, etc.

NOT included are incidentals, such as toiletries, clothing, books, prescriptions or travel for family visits, medical care, personal requests or damage/vandalism done by the student.

What do you mean by 'faith-based'?

Teen Challenge is known to be the most successful program of its’ kind with a well-documented independent study reporting an 86% success rate! The key? Jesus.

We are a program designed to get to the root of whatever the problem might be…our desperate need as sinners to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Every aspect of our program – the curriculum, counseling and 24/7 ministry – is Christ-centered and focused on teaching these young women that there is a hope, a future and a plan for their lives through Jesus. Springboard students participate in daily devotions, Bible study, foundational Christian curriculum, chapel, church / worship services, Scripture memorization and the daily living of Godly principles for relationships, personal responsibility and attitude. While Teen Challenge of Arizona and the Springboard Home does not refuse admission to any child on the grounds of race, religion or ethnic origin, these activities are not optional activities in our program. Please do NOT enroll your daughter in our program if you or she are unwilling to agree to her full participation in all planned activities.

What is your policy on substance withdrawal management?

As it is our desire to teach a dependence upon the Lord for the strength to overcome all addictions, Teen Challenge has a ‘coldturkey’ policy in place for all addictions – nicotine, alcohol or narcotic drugs. No substitutes will be allowed, including, but not limited to nicotine patches, gum or lozenges, etc. It is expected that your daughter will have detoxed prior to coming in for our intake process.

What if my daughter doesn’t WANT to participate in these activities?

Each one of us has to make a decision of whether we want to accept the message of the Gospel or not. It is a personal decision that no one can force on anyone else. While we understand that not everyone may agree with the message, or appreciate the activities, we do require respect towards these areas and participation in all activities. Completing the curriculum is a requirement of our program, regardless of whether or not someone agrees with the message. Attending church services are required and we ask that an attitude of respect is shown even if they do not desire to participate ‘whole-heartedly’. There will never be consequences given to a student for a student’s lack of agreement in what we teach.

Are you a locked facility or can my daughter run away?

No. We are NOT a lock-down facility and your daughter can walk out the doors anytime that she desires. We will not physically restrain her from doing so and will not chase after her. Should they decide to run from Springboard, or any place where we are visiting (church, concerts, banquets, etc.) our policy is to notify the police immediately. Their name is placed on a nationwide runaway bulletin and they will be detained upon being picked up. Parents are then responsible for retrieving their child and her belongings. While we rarely have students run away, most of will decide that remaining at Springboard is the preferable choice to running and the consequences that brings with it.

A note of caution: If your daughter has a history of running from facilities such as ours, has family in the Tucson area or other contributing factors to be considered that would make this a high-risk situation, a lock-down facility, or program in an unfamiliar area or different style of program may be a better option for her own protection. For referrals please contact our Intake Coordinator at (520) 887-8773.

Will my daughter go to school while at Springboard?

No. Springboard does not provide traditional academics. As a short-term program, we make the most of the time that we have with your daughter to help her change her life-destroying behaviors. That is why we focus on the Teen Challenge curriculum instead of providing more traditional scope and sequence subjects.

Many schools DO award school credits for much of what we do here at Springboard. Although it will vary from school district to school district, many times our graduates are awarded credits in physical education, home economics, language arts, choir and community service. (Christian schools may award Bible credits as well!) At the end of your daughter’s successful completion of the Springboard program, we can provide you with a letter outlining the credit subject and hours of participation for your school’s consideration.

What are the qualifications of the staff at Springboard?

As a state-licensed agency and nationally accredited Teen Challenge program, Springboard has minimum requirements for its staff. Minimally, each of the Direct Care staff (house-parents) has been fingerprinted, trained in CPR/First Aid, de-escalation, and meets annual Teen Challenge CEU requirements (24 per year). Springboard is continually providing training to ensure that our staff is the best it can be!

Additionally, the counselors on staff are Biblical counselors, well-trained in the dynamics of Biblical Counseling and working with troubled and at-risk youth. The Teacher on staff is a Nationally Accredited Teacher with Teen Challenge USA, having met the requirements of certification with our national office. Their work is overseen by a well-qualified Director.

In general, Springboard is proud to not only meet the minimum requirements set forth by the State of Arizona and Teen Challenge USA, in regard to education and experience, but far exceeds those requirements in all areas. All members of the staff are caring, compassionate and well-qualified!

What if my daughter does not want to go to Springboard?

Not many of the young ladies that come to Springboard are thrilled when they first come to the home. They are scared, resistant to change and a little defiant. That is to be expected. Chances are… this was YOUR idea for them and not theirs. The young ladies that come to Springboard must agree come into our program and comply with the rules of the home and participate fully in the activities of our program. They do not have to be happy about it.

After a short period of adjustment, most realize that Springboard isn’t all that bad and that they can, with the right attitude, actually learn a thing or two while they are here! We have strict rules and high expectations of them but they will typically rise to the challenge and follow the rules relatively well. Occasionally (very rarely), we will have a young lady who refuses to comply and becomes incorrigible and defiant refusing to comply with any rules of the program or participate in any activities. We will do everything we can to encourage their participation however we will not ever physically force them to participate. If they continue in this manner, and we are unable to convince them otherwise, we will be left with no choice but to dismiss them back into your care and help you find a program that can more forcefully encourage their participation.

What if my daughter has pending legal problems?

Your daughter’s legal issues may not prevent her from getting the help she needs at Springboard. Simply fill out the information on the Application and provide us with all of the information requested. Remember that you will still be responsible for any transportation to and from court appearances. If you are from a state other than Arizona, you will need to secure an Interstate Compact from the state prior to your daughter coming into the Springboard program as Teen Challenge of Arizona abides by the Interstate Compact on Juveniles and Indian Child Welfare Act. Contact the Arizona Secretary of State’s office for information.

What if my daughter has pending medical problems?

Your daughter’s medical issues may not prevent her from getting the help she needs at Springboard, however, we require that any routine doctor / orthodontist visits be taken care of before they enter our program. While we will immediately respond to any medical emergency that may arise, routine or scheduled doctor/orthodontist visits remain your responsibility and will only be allowed during regularly scheduled family visit times.

What if we are coming from out of state and my daughter needs to fly home for visits or at the completion of the Springboard program?

It is generally strongly discouraged that you have your daughter fly home for visits and/or completion of the Springboard program without supervision. However, we understand that from time to time, you may not have any alternative. Should it be necessary for you to schedule flights for your daughter to take, we require that all flights be direct, non-stop flights from Tucson to your final destination. You must coordinate all of these (pre-approved by the Center Director) arrangements with your daughter’s counselor as you are reliant upon them for transportation to and from the Tucson International Airport. Parents must meet their daughter upon arrival and immediately contact specified Springboard staff to confirm safe arrival and departure for return to the Home.

What if my daughter is a vegetarian/vegan or has other dietary needs?

As a state-licensed facility, Springboard is required to maintain a menu consisting of a well-balanced diet for all of our students. We do NOT make special menus for those who are vegetarians / vegans and require that they eat what is served here at Springboard which will include meat and other proteins. For those struggling to come off of drugs, it is not uncommon for students to want to exercise control over what they eat instead. We track eating habits and insist that all students eat the well-balanced meals provided.

If your daughter has a severe food allergy, we ask that we be notified of this prior to scheduling an intake date. Some food allergies are very difficult to accommodate in a group setting such as ours and we want to make certain that we are not putting your daughter at risk. Most allergies are not a problem to accommodate however, for our records, we would need to have written documentation of this allergy from her primary care physician to place in her file. We cannot guarantee that there will be no cross contamination of food.

What is required of me during my daughter’s stay at Springboard?

You are requested to be an active participant in your daughter’s recovery. It is essential that you participate in regularly scheduled family counseling, weekly visit phone calls, family weekend retreats/workshops as scheduled, parent counseling assignments, financial support/fundraising, on-going medical care of daughter, and understanding and cooperation with the program rules. Your counselor will request that you read books on specific subjects or work on specific assignments for family counseling. These will help you understand your daughter’s experience at Springboard and how you can best help her now and when she returns home. We appreciate and need your cooperation and participation. An unwillingness to participate may limit the long-term success of your daughter’s recovery.