Child/Adolescent Services

Youth Services provide inpatient intervention and stabilization for children and adolescents beginning at age four. Treatment can address a wide range of emotional, behavioral, and substance abuse issues. For patient safety, living facilities are divided according to gender, with males and females occupying separate wings of the hospital. Treatment activities are determined by age, allowing children and adolescents to address issues that are unique to their age level.

Treatment

Patient care for youth services is led by a psychiatrist and coordinated with a treatment team dedicated to serving children with behavioral health issues. Youth treatment includes:

• participation in individual, group, and family therapy
• recreation therapy
• medication evaluation and management,
• nutritional consultation as needed

In addition, youth services provide teachers to assist the patients with school assignments and to coordinate information exchange with the patient's school. Parents are encouraged to obtain two weeks of assignments from the school and then bring the assignments and school books to the patient.

Family Involvement

While family involvement is critical in any inpatient service, it is essential to effective treatment with children and adolescents. Parents or legal guardians are expected to facilitate treatment through:

• participating in family therapy
• participating in arrangement of outpatient support and services
• coordination with the child’s school
• involvement in the development of the child’s discharge plan

Family compliance with the discharge plan is also crucial, and family involvement in the development of the discharge plan can help assure compliance. Follow-up appointments with providers in the community is part of the discharge plan.