Therapeutic Transport

Trusted. Timely. Professional. Affordable.

West Shield operates one of the most highly trusted and well-known companies for individuals in need of transportation assistance to any location around the US, and many sites throughout the world. Your call is always confidential, our expert advice is free of charge, and our experienced staff will respond quickly to this and any other of your runaway, crisis intervention and investigation needs.

Why Choose Westshield

Experience

West Shield Adolescent Services has safely intervened and/or transported over 14,000 adolescents to specialized schools, programs and hospitals over the last 25 years. Using techniques created over 35 years ago by our founder, Allen Cardoza, and improved upon over time.

Compassion

West Shield’s Intake Team brings years of personal and professional experience to the position. Our compassionate intake coordinators take their role seriously and take pride in doing their part in helping families.

Highly Skilled

West Shield’s Field Agents are a compassionate and diverse team, trained in neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), non-violent crisis intervention, CPR, AED, and first aid.

Communication

West Shield’s services are based on non-violent crisis intervention techniques, which emphasize communication to resolve conflict. Compassion and patience are used in our work with clients.

Available 24/7

We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to assist families in need.

Investigations

Through our sister company, West Shield Investigations (Ca. Lic. # 7824) we have successfully located and returned hundreds of runaway children to homes, hospitals and schools.

What Our Clients Have to Say

"Your presence was reassuring from the moment you arrived. You worked a small miracle in getting Kendra to go without the horrible scenes I'd imagined. It was a great relief to know she was being handed over to your service and that you were ready and capable of handling any situation."

—Parent

"We have been consistently pleased with their ability to establish rapport with troubled adolescents and their families and with their ability to help the adolescents understand the realities of the situations they have created for themselves. West Shield's contribution to the enrollment process has been invaluable."

—Headmaster

"Just a quick note to thank you for the professionalism and care you gave my clients in transporting their son ... last Friday. They spoke so highly of every contact they had with your organization by phone and in person. They were also very thankful for the concern your office showed in trying to balance the safety of their child (there was a thought of needing to bring in another agent because of a run attempt) and the attempt to keep costs at a reasonable level. I have another client considering using your services the success of my first client’s transport with West Shield has given me great confidence in recommending you to them."

—Educational Consultant

"Thank you for the professionalism and care you gave my clients in transporting their son. They spoke so highly of every contact with your organization...and thankful for the concern trying to balance the safety of their child (there was a thought of needing another agent because of a run attempt) and the attempt to keep costs reasonable."

—Educational Consultant

Frequently Asked Questions

Who should use us?

Families with adolescents who are unwilling to attend a program, especially those who have demonstrated emotional and/or behavioral problems in the past, should use West Shield. In some cases the very mention of attending a program could lead the adolescent to run away or attempt to hurt him/herself or others. The needs of such individuals are better served by trained professionals who can provide an appropriate intervention and transport the adolescent to the program safely and in the best possible frame of mind. What is often viewed as a form of punishment when administered by a parent can be turned into an opportunity for growth and self awareness when presented to the adolescent by the “right” person. This is why West Shield goes to such lengths to select agents with whom the adolescent can identify and feel comfortable. We focus not only on the physical safety, but also the psychological and emotional well-being of the adolescent.

What about laws?

All West Shield transport agents, managers, and owners are registered with the Trustline Registry through the Department of Social Services. State Law now requires this registration and can impose stiff penalties on those who violate this new law. This law improves the professionalism of our industry as well as helps to keep known predators out of our industry. Additionally, West Shield performs an independent background screening on all of our agents.

Who has evaluated your service and/or referred to it?

How do we measure success?

Countless counselors tell us how much better prepared the young people are that we bring to their programs and we are flooded with positive feedback from parents and professionals after utilizing our services. We at West Shield view adolescent transporting as 5% physical and 95% psychological, getting the adolescent to the program in the best possible frame of mind — accepting responsibility for their role in the decision to send them to the program and understanding what is expected of them at the program. Based on statistics, West Shield has a 97% success rate in locating and returning runaways (112 out of 116 cases).

What distinguishes West Shield from others who may appear to be comparable in some respects?

Experience is one key factor that separates West Shield from the competition. For over 25 years, West Shield has been helping families by locating runaways and safely transporting adolescents to programs and facilities throughout the United States. We have developed an extensive base of agents in most major cities throughout the U.S. Having a team of Private Investigators who are highly trained and experienced in dealing with troubled youth is another distinct advantage that West Shield has over other agencies. One more key factor to consider is West Shield’s $2,000,000 liability insurance coverage. This policy not only protects the families we work with, but also provides protection for professionals and programs that refer families to West Shield. The policy is specifically written to cover transporting adolescents to programs.

What about parent participation?

Ideally parents are asked to make a brief introduction of the agents to the adolescent, explaining that we are there to talk to and help the adolescent. We then ask the parents to leave the area to minimize the amount of aggression and/or manipulation by the adolescent. Our agents then take time to explain the situation to the adolescent, treating her/him with respect and dignity throughout the transport and asking for the same in return.

What are our communication procedures for families, referral sources and others?

In gathering information for each case, extensive communication is conducted between the intake coordinator and the parents, educational consultant, counselor, therapist and program admissions director. Agents report to the West Shield office during each leg of the transport, and updates are provided to parents and programs as the transport unfolds. At the conclusion of the transport, agents call the parents to provide a firsthand account of how the adolescent behaved during the transport and the intake coordinator informs the consultant and others involved as to the outcome of the transport.

Other options?

This should be determined on an individual basis. Families with adolescents who are willing to attend a program can still benefit from West Shield’s professional transport services in that our agents are fully equipped to answer any questions the adolescent may have regarding the program, a big step in helping the adolescent understand what is taking place. In addition, West Shield’s agents are fully capable of dealing with any changes of attitude that may occur as the transport progresses or changes in the travel arrangements, such as flight delays and cancellations.