Our Process

NOTICE: WE ARE NOT ACCEPTING NEW STUDENTS AT THIS TIME

Admission Process

For boys age 14-17 who are getting into trouble, we provide a maritime-based, structured educational alternative to those provided in harsher juvenile programs. Boys in minor trouble with the law or who are exhibiting bad behavior or who are disrespectful are taught responsibility, self-respect, and respect for others through around-the-clock mentoring and counseling as well as education.

Safe Harbor is open to all teenage boys who qualify for the program, regardless of religion, race, color, creed, or national origin.  Safe Harbor is NOT a free or government-subsidized program, nor does medical insurance cover the tuition.

After you initially contact us, the first step is to complete the online Screening Inquiry, a short questionnaire to help us identify important information about your boy. We will send you that once you inquire online or by phone.

YES! I am Interested in Learning More about Safe Harbor for My Boy. Please Call or Send Me More Information…

A counselor will contact you via email with more information, questions for you to answer, or schedule a telephone interview (typically takes about 30 minutes. At that point, it will be determined if an application is warranted. Once an application is completed, returned, and reviewed, a counselor will schedule an interview with the family.

Once the interview is complete, the counselor will advise the family if the child is appropriate for admission to the program. At that time, placement can occur immediately or be scheduled for a later date.

We always have many more prospects for admission than we have openings. The counselor can advise you of an approximate time to admission during the telephone interview. We do not knowingly admit children from the same neighborhood or school. We also admit children with various problems to maintain a balance among peers.

Long-term use of medications for psychological, behavioral, or emotional problems is not appropriate in this program. If the child is on medications and you have found them to be effective, we advise you to seek a medical or clinical program instead. Parents are warned against removing children from these medications without discussing this with the child’s physician or psychiatrist and receiving medical approval.

*PLEASE NOTE: Our admissions department must receive all required documents before placement, including a current (within 90 days) medical and dental exam; hepatitis vaccine’s; HIV test is strongly encouraged for each child; an original certified birth certificate, social security card, school records, and other items outlined in the application package. Certified birth certificates and original social security cards must be on file with our office at admission. Please be aware that all parents and/or guardians involved in the child’s life or having custody must be in agreement, come here for a tour, and sign admission documents before admission.

Safe Harbor is funded exclusively by donations and tuition payments (we receive no government funding). We charge tuition that is roughly 50% of what it costs us to keep boys in the program, and that is as much as 75% less than what therapeutic boarding schools charge.  Personal and corporate donations fund the remainder of our expenses and capital equipment and buildings.  Even so, we understand that families may have to sacrifice to see their son admitted to such a program.