Like adults, many adolescents
suffer mental illnesses such as severe depression,
personality disorders or other psychiatric problems.
Some may become defiant, withdrawn, or even
suicidal. Drug and alcohol addictions are becoming
more common and serious among teenagers and can
easily destroy young lives. Our program is directed
towards helping adolescents increase self-esteem and
take responsibility for their behaviors without
turning to drugs or alcohol for help.
OUR PROGRAM CONTINUUM:
Highlands Behavioral Health System offers the
following psychiatric care option for children and adolescents:
Acute Inpatient
Child & Adolescent Acute Inpatient
Child & Adolescent inpatient care is specifically designed
to meet the mental health problems of patients 9-18
years old. Individuals experiencing serious
behavioral disturbance or an inability to function
at home or school may be appropriate for inpatient
treatment. The therapeutic environment is highly
structured and facilitates a clinical understanding
of the patient’s unique problems while attending
important family issues. Every individual is
provided with an opportunity to learn new skills and
achieve success. Our goal is to stabilize the
immediate crisis and enable patients to return to
their communities with skills to promote personal
and emotional development, relationship building and
independence. An emphasis is placed in comprehensive
discharge planning that promote appropriate
aftercare and relapse prevention.
Treatment consists primarily of group, family and
individual therapies. Family therapy is an integral
part of treatment and family members are encouraged
to address problems that contributed to the current
crisis. The program utilizes the peer group to bring
about change, and places the focus of treatment on
helping the adolescent develop a positive
self-image, appropriate socialization skills and
healthy communication. The treatment team emphasizes
the importance of learning to accept responsibility
for individual behavior and developing healthy modes
of interaction with others.
Child & Adolescent Treatment Components
Treatment for each child and adolescent is administered by a
multi-disciplinary team of mental health
professionals led by a psychiatrist. Team members
may include:
The treatment process begins
with a comprehensive evaluation to help diagnose any
underlying medical or biochemical origins of
disease. An individualized plan of care is written
to meet the special needs of each patient.
Therapeutic components may include:
-
Individual therapy
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Family therapy
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Group therapy
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Drug/alcohol education
-
Recreational therapy
-
Activity therapy
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Pet Therapy
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Medication education
-
Medication Stabilization
The treatment plan focuses on
attainable short and long-term goals established
with input from the teenager’s family and referring
professional. Family participation is a vital
component of adolescent treatment at Highlands, and
is designed to promote understanding and effective
communication.
Because psychiatric problems may be complicated by
co-existing substance abuse problems, Highlands
provides specialized treatment for adolescents with
these dual diagnosis issues.
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