Embark at Flathead Valley
A Premier Inpatient Mental Health Facility in Montana Offering Residential Treatment
Embark at Flathead Valley is an inpatient mental health facility in Marion, MT that offers residential treatment perfect for preteens and teens struggling with mental health and substance abuse issues. Our short-term residential program's 500-acre ranch in the breathtaking mountains of Montana provides a peaceful, serene setting for your son, daughter, and family to reflect and grow. This campus-based location, next to the peaceful Pleasant Valley Fisher River, features outdoor therapeutic activities, dorm living, a weight and fitness room, yoga, an indoor basketball court, and more.
For teen girls and boys struggling with school refusal, anxiety, depression, substance abuse, suicidal ideation, and other mental health issues, the earlier they are diagnosed the more effective inpatient treatment can be. Identifying those behaviors and symptoms early on and implementing a course of care and specialized treatment can prevent further and more severe problems from developing as teens grow into adults.
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Short-Term Residential Treatment Across the Country
Embark at Flathead Valley offers coed short-term residential care and support for preteen and teen girls and boys ages 12-17 who may be struggling with behavioral health issues. Our inpatient facility is proud to offer students and families in Montana and around the country customized mental health treatment from clinicians who use evidence-based methods. Preteens and teens enrolled in our facility are provided with treatment for mental health issues like anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and more in a healing, nurturing environment so they can overcome mental health issues that may be affecting their everyday life.
Short-term residential treatment at Embark at Flathead Valley typically lasts between one and three months. Preteens and teens best suited for short-term mental health treatment often come to our Montana facility from another program or an unsuccessful living environment seeking 24-hour care. At our trusted, therapeutic campus, a short drive from Kalispell, MT, we provide empathetic and supportive inpatient treatment that helps preteens and teens overcome mental health challenges like anxiety and depression so they can manage their daily life tasks and make healthy lifestyle changes.
Embark at Flathead Valley FAQ
In short-term residential treatment at Embark at Flathead Valley, pre-teens and teens will live at our beautiful residential treatment center in Montana and participate in a schedule of activities centered around treating mental health conditions and healing. The benefit of short-term care at Embark at Flathead Valley is that it is more affordable than long-term care, the shorter care we provide makes it easier for adolescents to jump back into life at home, and it is frequently reimbursed by insurance.
The main differences between short-term care at Embark at Flathead Valley and inpatient treatment are the treatment environments and lengths of care. Our beautiful location in Marion provides pre-teens and teens with a healing, campus-based environment and a schedule that mirrors home life but has more therapy mixed in throughout the day. Inpatient treatment usually takes place in a hospital environment. Embark at Flathead Valley also provides a longer treatment time in comparison to inpatient treatment, which can last around 30 days on average.
The length of treatment differs for each pre-teen and teen, but on average our treatment periods can last anywhere from 30 to 90 days.
People from all over the United States come to our residential treatment facility in Montana due to the intensive 24-hour care it can provide for a wide range of mental health and substance abuse issues. For pre-teens and teens who have educational needs, safety issues, lack of support at home, need intensive treatment after inpatient care or needed a more in-depth treatment option after outpatient treatment, treatment at Embark at Flathead Valley can be a good option.
Our treatments are necessary when your pre-teen or teen’s mental health needs are too great for outpatient care, or when they are stepping down in treatment intensity, for example from an inpatient hospitalization program. Short-term residential treatment can also be a good option if someone feels unsafe at home, or for those who are trying to break out of a negative daily routine.
You should bring a variety of clothing to Embark at Flathead Valley, such as activewear, pajamas, a variety of footwear (tennis shoes, slippers, boots), jackets and sweaters, and everyday clothing. Other items you can bring include journals, guitars, crocheting, puzzles, and books.
A Day at Embark at Flathead Valley
Embark at Flathead Valley offers a structured, supportive learning environment designed to promote healing, self-care, and emotional wellness. The schedule for inpatients enrolled in our Montana facility includes activities of mental health, daily living, group therapy, exercise, and meals. This approach, in combination with individual and family therapy, is designed to build confidence, strengthen relationships, and improve social-emotional functioning.
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Embark at Flathead Valley
9705 Lost Prairie Rd.
Marion, MT 59925
7am
Breakfast
8:30am
School
12:30pm
Lunch
1:30pm
Group support
3pm
Therapy
4pm
Fitness
6pm
Dinner
7pm
Social Night
8pm
Evening routine
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Treatment at Embark at Flathead Valley
Embark at Flathead Valley believes that substance abuse and substance addiction co-occur alongside many mental health issues. For troubled preteens and teens struggling with substance abuse issues, Embark at Flathead Valley offers substance abuse counseling through recovery programs that provide simultaneous education and recovery for addictions that develop alongside mental illnesses. At Embark at Flathead Valley, our treatment options include self-management and recovery training (SMART), substance abuse recovery, substance abuse counseling, recovery groups, and substance abuse education. These treatment options help pre-teens and teens understand how to navigate their way through difficult drug and alcohol issues while overcoming mental health issues.
Therapeutic Activities at Embark at Flathead Valley
In addition to traditional therapy methods, our inpatient mental health facility's beautiful location, near Whitefish, Montana, will allow your preteen and teen to participate in therapeutic and experiential activities like rock climbing and hiking. We also offer therapeutic trips to beautiful areas such as Glacier National Park, a short 2-hour drive from Embark at Flathead Valley. We implement these activities for your child to not only get a break from the house but also learn how to apply the skills learned on campus in real-world environments, while also learning healthy and appropriate ways to find enjoyment in life.
All the activities our facility provides fall within one of the five domains of functioning, which include social functioning, emotional functioning, intellectual functioning, physical functioning, and spiritual functioning. Experience participating in each of these five domains can help preteens and teens learn how proactive activities can improve mental health. We also love to hear suggestions of ideas from each of our students and take their interests into account when scheduling the monthly activities. Here are some examples of activities preteens and teens can participate in at our Montana location:
Emotional
Animal interactions
Painting
Pottery
Band and music production
Poetry
Equine therapy
Social
Karaoke
Service projects
Baking
Gardening
Intellectual
Museums
Movie theatres
Cultural events
Aquarium/zoo
Attending plays
Improv workshops
Physical
White water rafting
Strength training
Basketball
Marathon Running
Soccer
Indoor climbing
State park outdoor activities
Horseback riding
Mountain biking
Snowshoeing
Snowboarding and skiing
Hiking
Spiritual
Yoga
Sound bath
Conditions We Treat at Embark at Flathead Valley
Inpatient Interventions and Therapies Offered at Embark at Flathead Valley
Our facility's mental health services are highly recognized. Specialized inpatient treatments and areas of focus at our Montana location include:
• Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
• Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT)
• Self-management and recovery training (SMART)
• Substance abuse recovery
• Recovery groups
• Substance abuse education
• Substance abuse counseling
The Team at Embark at Flathead Valley
David Chiarito
Executive Director
MS Experiential Education, Minnesota State University, Mankato, MN BS Outdoor Recreation, Unity College, ME
Prior to assuming the role as Executive Director at Embark at Flathead Valley, David served as Director of Outreach for six years. David has been working in the therapeutic field for over twenty years. He began his career in wilderness therapy in the mid-1990’s and has since worked with adolescents, young adults and their families in a variety of contexts. Over the years, David has balanced his therapeutic work with a healthy tenure of recreational guiding including whitewater rafting, kayaking, and fly fishing. David has been with Embark at Flathead Valley since the Spring of 2016. What makes you happy about working at Embark at Flathead Valley? Working with young folks has always been my passion. Regardless of the context, I enjoy the perspective of young folks and enjoy encouraging them to see a world full of opportunity. What are your interests outside of work? In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my wife and two boys doing all of the outdoor activities Montana has to offer.
David Chiarito
Executive Director
As Executive Director at Embark at Flathead Valley, David Chiarito...
Lynn Marshall
Clinical Director
PsyD, Clinical Psychology, Argosy University Emphasis in Child & Adolescent Development
Since the beginning of her career, Lynn has been focused on child and adolescent development. She specializes in psychological assessment, differential diagnosis, and trauma-informed care, in addition to having specific training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy, parent-child psychotherapy, and suicide assessment. Lynn uses a strength-based approach to meet the individual needs of neurodiverse learners who may also experience anxiety, depression, ADHD, OCD, substance abuse or other forms of maladaptive coping. Lynn focuses on the importance of developing authentic relationships to strengthen personal character, purpose, and emotional maturity. She appreciates the challenge of understanding each student’s unique life story and uses her optimism, passion, humor, and kindness to help find the key components that can support students in building a life they want to live. What makes you happy about working at Embark at Flathead Valley? Embark at Flathead Valley provides an opportunity for me to be part of the students’ everyday routines and interactions. Seeing the students function in multiple environments allows me to build a deep understanding of their strengths and areas of need. Using that knowledge I can create growth experiences within a multidisciplinary team that can be implemented and practiced in all areas of functioning. The short-term residential environment offers a unique perspective, as a therapist, to see a student’s functioning in real-time and provide in-the-moment strategies to support the students in utilizing healthy skills. What are your interests outside of work? I love being outside; exploring and adventuring with my husband, son, and daughter. Some of our favorite activities are skiing, rock climbing, hiking, mountain biking, swimming, and traveling. I also enjoy relaxing with a good book and learning new things.
Lynn Marshall
Clinical Director
Lynn Marshall has been focused on child and adolescent development...
Anne Barrier
BA Psychology, Recreation Management
Certifications: Clinical First Responder Motivational Interviewing Leave No Trace Instructor
Anne Barrier started her career working with youth and their families with The North Carolina Outward Bound School: Florida At-Risk Wilderness Programs— where she worked in logistics and later as a Family Coordinator and the Admissions Specialist. During her time with Outward Bound, she gained family-centered perspectives through working with parents and teenagers together. Anne worked in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming as a Recreation Park Ranger with the Youth Conservation Corps before making her way to the Flathead Valley to work with Embark at Flathead Valley. What makes you happy about working at Embark at Flathead Valley? My favorite part of working at Embark at Flathead Valley are the moments when you get to reflect back to the students the good that you see in them and in their journey that they aren’t always seeing. “Holding the hope!” What are your interests outside of work? You can find me playing with my two miniature Australian Shepherds, Banjo and Mabel, exploring new places, fishing, playing the banjo, skiing in the snowy months, or chasing mountain streams!
Anne Barrier
Program Director
As program director at Embark at Flathead Valley, Anne Barrier...
Amy Zink
Operations Director
Education: AAS, Office Technology, Flathead Valley Community College AA, Business Management, Flathead Valley Community College BSLS, Management and Organizational Communication, Montana State University
Amy has been working as a Business Administrator since before she graduated college (20+ years). Amy started as an Administrative Assistant and after 5 years, became the Business Manager and a few years after that joined the Leadership Team. What makes you happy about working at Embark at Flathead Valley? I love working in an environment where I see and feel a purpose. I love watching the transformation of the students while they are here. What are your interests outside of work? My daughter’s and I barrel race and love riding horses. We enjoy just about anything outdoors; camping and kayaking being at the top of our list.
Amy Zink
Operations Director
Operations Director at Embark at Flathead Valley, Amy Zink, is...
Embark Behavioral Health’s Other Short-Term Residential Programs
Embark Behavioral Health has four other dedicated, premier short-term residential programs that serve families nationally. Learn about each one to find one that fits your needs.
