Cherokee Creek Boys School

— Frequently-Asked Questions (FAQs) —

Browse some of our frequently-asked questions in the toggles below.

Who is a Cherokee Creek student? What ages and grades do you support?

Our boys are ages 10 – 15 and attend grades 5 – 10. (Students may turn 16 while enrolled.)

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Our students have a “softer profile” with challenges including, but not limited to: ADD/ADHD; depression; anxiety; oppositional behavior; learning style differences; high-functioning autism; academic frustration or failure; issues related to divorce and adoption; technology overuse; school anxiety / refusal; bullying; abandonment; trauma; and grief and loss. We also have a list of exclusionary criteria for our therapeutic boarding school program which includes some of the following issues: drug or alcohol addiction; conduct disorder; sexually-aggressive behavior;and major aggressive / violent behaviors.

When can a student enroll? How long do they stay?

We have open enrollment. This means that we can enroll a student at any point throughout the year.

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In academics, we have four (4) traditional quarters and a summer grading period. This is helpful for students that may need some credit recovery, or want to wrap up some credits prior to their next school.

Our typical length of stay is 9 – 15 months. Every student’s needs and family’s circumstances are different. (There is no contracted length of stay. The goal is collaboration to help support the needs of the whole student and his family.)

Is your therapeutic boarding school program licensed and accredited?

Yes, safety and quality are our top priority. We are licensed by the State of South Carolina and are nationally accredited by The Joint Commission.

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State Licensure
Licensed since 2009 | We choose to be licensed by the state because we know it’s important to have collaboration for best practices when caring for our students. This means that we follow the standards established by our state for a Child Caring Institution with the Department of Social Services (DSS).

  • This includes items like annual background checks for all staff, requirements for staff training hours, and health monitoring of staff.
  • This license also assures that our environment of care is held to the highest of standards for safety – from the fire suppression system in our bunkhouse to our commercial grade kitchen – every detail is important and makes a difference to our students.

The Joint Commission

We are proud to be accredited by The Joint Commission, a national organization that sets standards of care, evaluates our performance and guides us with requirements of continuous improvement. All of this leads to the ultimate common goal of providing safe, quality and effective care.

The Joint Commission accredits and certifies more than 22,000 health care organizations and programs around the world and is considered to be the gold standard of accrediting bodies.

My son loves to play video games. How do you encourage students to find other interests and develop healthy habits with technology?

Many of our students may miss technology when they first enroll, but find themselves quickly filling their time with a variety of activities with their new friends.

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We have P.E. every morning to start our school days which helps to kick off the day in a healthy way. We intentionally plan multiple times throughout the day for active free time, recreational activities (board games, reading, crafts, music, etc.) and organized sports. Students find new hobbies and interests, and many re-engage with activities they may have enjoyed prior to overuse of technology.

Additionally, all students participate in a digital citizenship curriculum to teach students how to navigate digital environments in ways that are responsible, intentional and safe. We also work with parents to best determine when and how to integrate cell phones for students for visits, travel and use on campus.

How do I stay in touch with my son?

Families stay in touch with video calls (at least one time per week), a photo portal, virtual family therapy session, and letter writing.

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We also work with parents to best determine when and how to integrate cell phones for students for visits, travel and campus use.

We have also developed a schedule that incorporates visits every 6 – 8 weeks … through our family programming events, academic break weeks or holiday break weeks. Our licensing with the State of South Carolina allows us to stay open all year, which allows students to remain on campus during breaks as needed and recommended. This adds additional flexibility when working with each family on individual scheduling needs outside of our schedule.

Does Cherokee Creek accept insurance? Are scholarships available?

Insurance | Scholarships | Tax Information

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INSURANCE | We are a private pay, tuition-based program. We do provide a coded bill that parents can submit to their insurance company for any out-of-network reimbursement for which they may be eligible.

SCHOLARSHIPS | Cherokee Creek is a member of Choose Mental Health, a non-profit dedicated to adolescent mental health advocacy, access and awareness. This partnership allows CCBS families to access scholarship funds at Choose Mental Health. Scholarship amounts and allowances may vary based on availability and the application process.

TAX INFORMATION | South Carolina Residents may be eligible for Parental Tax Credit toward their South Carolina income tax bill. (Historically this has been a refundable Parental Tax Credit for up to $11,000.00, though the specifics on this may fluctuate each year. CCBS is designated as an ‘eligible school’ for these purposes.)

My child has an IEP. How will the school meet those needs?

Many common accommodations that our students have on IEPs from home are met naturally in our environment (i.e., smaller class size, preferential seating, extended test-taking time).

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Additional items on IEPs will be incorporated into the Individualized Academic Plan (IAP) that we create for each student.

Some students may meet SC criteria to have additional services provided by requested county schools through an ISP (Individualized Service Plan). In these cases, a Special Education teacher comes to campus to work with individual students or small groups for tailored and specific needs.

How do you measure a student’s progress in your therapeutic boarding school? How do we plan for his return home?

Student Progress is measured in several ways at CCBS.

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It is a collaborative effort between the CCBS team, the student’s family and the student! Areas of assessment involve their character development curriculum, academic participation and assessments, social skills and leadership growth, family engagement and the student’s own goals and insights.

Planning for life after Cherokee Creek is important and also a team approach. We collaborate with parents, our students and educational / therapeutic professionals to help create a plan for a healthy transition from CCBS to the next chapter! Our transition services support the entire family and remain a resource after graduation.

To Talk to Us and Find Out More

Contact Christy Swafford, Admissions Director
(770) 654-1241 | Click to Call or email Christy HERE.

CCBS Boys Canoeing | A Place Where Boys Can Be Boys