Choosing residential treatment for your son brings important questions. How will he continue school? Who will provide his care? How will your family stay connected?
Lakeside Academy in Buffalo, Minnesota, serves boys ages 14–18 through residential care, substance use treatment, mental health counseling, and on-site education. Understanding how these services work together can help your family prepare for enrollment.
Discuss Your Son’s Needs With the Team
Before enrollment, the admissions team reviews your son’s application and considers whether Lakeside Academy can meet his needs.
Share your concerns, describe previous treatment experiences, and explain what your family hopes to accomplish. Ask the team which services they recommend, how they establish goals, and how they track progress.
Include your son in these conversations whenever possible. Encourage him to ask questions and share what matters to him.
Help Your Son Continue His Education
Lakeside Academy’s on-site public school combines conventional, online, and project-based learning. Students continue their education while participating in therapeutic programming.
Before your son arrives, discuss his current coursework and any existing IEP or 504 plan with the team. Ask how staff transfer school records, address learning needs, and share academic updates with your family.
Explore Lakeside Academy’s academic program to learn more about educational support.
Understand His Counseling and Treatment Plan
Lakeside Academy provides licensed substance use disorder treatment and mental health counseling. The team considers your son’s needs when recommending services.
Ask staff to explain:
- Who will provide his care
- How providers coordinate counseling and other services
- Whether his plan includes medication management
- How your family will participate in treatment
- How the team responds when his needs change
If your son needs medical withdrawal care, confirm who will provide it and where he will receive it. Ask how providers will coordinate that care with his ongoing treatment.
Explore Daily Routines and Skill Building
Residential care gives students a consistent setting for treatment, education, and everyday activities. Your son can practice communication, responsibility, self-advocacy, and healthier decision-making.
Lakeside’s program overview describes how students adjust to campus life, identify challenges, practice new behaviors, and prepare for the transition home. Ask staff how current programming supports each stage.
Consider asking:
- Which goals will my son work toward?
- How will staff help him practice new skills?
- How do staff explain expectations?
- How do they respond when he struggles?
These conversations can help you understand how the team connects daily activities with your son’s goals.
Learn About Recreation, Hands-On Learning, and Faith
Lakeside Academy offers opportunities for recreation and hands-on learning alongside treatment and academics. Ask the team which activities and vocational experiences students can currently explore.
Lakeside also incorporates faith-based programming into its approach. Discuss how staff include spiritual activities in daily life and what participation looks like for your son.
Read about a typical day at Lakeside Academy for a closer look at campus routines.
Stay Involved in Your Son’s Care
Before intake, ask how your family will communicate with your son and his care team. Confirm current guidelines for calls, visits, progress updates, and family participation.
Keep a list of questions between conversations with staff. Share your observations and ask how you can reinforce your son’s treatment goals during calls and visits.
Staying involved gives your family opportunities to understand his progress and practice communication together.
Plan for Your Son’s Next Steps
Start discussing your son’s transition home or next level of care early in the program. Ask the team how your family can prepare for continued treatment, school, and daily responsibilities.
Questions to discuss include:
- How will the team assess his readiness for the next step?
- Which services might he need to continue?
- How can we prepare our home and family routines?
- Who should we contact if concerns arise?
Work with the team to clarify responsibilities and identify resources that can support your son after he leaves campus.
Talk With Lakeside Academy’s Admissions Team
You do not need every answer before reaching out. Lakeside Academy’s admissions team can explain current services, discuss your son’s needs, and help you explore whether the program fits your family.
Call 844-768-8336 or contact our admissions team to start the conversation.