According to the American Association of Children's Residential Centers, residential treatment programs are designed to offer care for children with serious mental health and behavior issues. Programs typically aim to stabilize a child's behavior and treat any serious psychological issues in an effort to successfully reunite the child with his family.
Function
Sources at Mental Health America note that residential treatment programs provide the highest level of care on the continuum of mental health services available to children. Residential treatment is typically recommended when children exhibit aggressive, violent, or self-destructive behaviors that can not be successfully treated in a community based outpatient setting. A residential program often provides psychiatric services, medication, management, and intensive psychotherapy services to stabilize the child's behavior and reduce any risk he may present to himself or others.
Types
Both Mental Health America and the American Association on Children's Residential Centers note that there are a wide variety of residential treatment options, and the nature of the program depends heavily on the process through which the child is referred to treatment. There are a wide variety of both public and private residential treatment centers throughout the United States. Some public treatment centers specifically work with children who are referred through the juvenile courts or Child and Family Services. Many children in residential treatment centers are in the foster care system, and may be placed in a treatment center after unsuccessful foster care placements. Private treatment centers are those that parents typically elect to use through insurance companies or HMO's.
Features
A residential treatment program will typically offer a combination of individual, group, and family therapy. The American Association on Children's Residential Centers notes that the most effective treatment centers actively involve parents and other caretakers in the child's treatment plan. In addition, most programs have an academic component so that the client can also continue to attend school during his course of treatment. Psychiatric consultation is also a critical aspect of treatment, especially for children suffering from serious mood or conduct disorders. A psychiatrist will typically prescribe and monitor psychotropic medications in an effort the stabilize the symptoms of mental health disorders.
Considerations
Families and client advocates should consider the specific needs of the individual child when a placement is made at a residential treatment center. The American Association on Residential Children's Centers suggests that some children may have specific needs that need to be addressed in a specialized environment. For example, a child who is extremely violent may present a serious risk to himself and others, and he may need to be treated in a very secure facility that has the ability to contain potentially violent clients. If, on the other hand, a child is extremely depressed a withdrawn, he may be best served by a center that offer milieu therapy, social skills, and group therapy.
Expert Insight
Sources at Mental Health America note that community-based, non-profit residential centers are often more carefully regulated than their private counterparts. Families and treatment teams should be encouraged to develop a treatment plan and goals for discharge as soon as the child is admitted. Active family involvement is also very critical to the child's treatment and transition back into the home and community environments.
References
- American Association of Children's Residential Centers: Tip Sheet for Families Considering Residential Treatment
- National Association for Children's Behavioral Health: Characteristics of Residential Treatment
- Mental Health America: Position Statement 44: Residential Treatment for Children and Adolescents with Serious Mental Health and Substance Use Conditions
