A Residential Treatment Center in Missouri Helping Teens

A Premier Residential Treatment Center in Independence, Missouri

Our premier residential treatment center in Independence, Missouri, just outside of the Kansas City area, offers inpatient treatment perfect for adolescent and teen girls and boys struggling with mental health issues. Our program's beautiful location provides a peaceful, serene setting for your son or daughter and family to reflect and grow. During your child’s stay, they can participate in therapeutic activities, coed sports, scavenger hunts, hiking, swimming, frisbee golf, movie nights, arts and crafts, and more.

For youths struggling with school refusal, anxiety, depression, substance use, suicidal ideation (suicidal thoughts), and other mental health issues, the earlier they’re diagnosed, the more effective inpatient treatment can be. Identifying behaviors and symptoms early on and getting help, including specialized care, can prevent further and more severe problems from developing as your child enters adulthood.

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Mental Health and Substance Use Treatment

We believe that substance use and substance addiction co-occur alongside many mental health struggles. With that in mind, our Independence, Missouri, residential treatment center helps adolescents and teens understand how to navigate difficult drug and alcohol issues while also overcoming mental illnesses. Our inpatient treatment options include SMART, substance use recovery, substance use counseling, recovery groups, and substance use education.

Conditions We Treat

Inpatient Treatment and Therapies Offered

Our program’s mental health services are highly recognized. Specialized inpatient treatments and areas of focus at our Independence, Missouri, facility include:

Our Therapists and Team

Brad Link

Program Director

Brad has spent his career dedicated to helping children that...

Julie Faddis, LPC

Enrollment Director

Julie completed her master’s degree in counseling and art therapy...

Natalie Earl, BA

Executive Assistant

Before earning the title of Executive Assistant, Natalie was a...

Tim Stout

HR Director

Tim comes to Embark Behavioral Health at Independence with over...

Dr. Jennifer Price, Ed.D (Educational Leadership)

Executive Director

As the Executive Director Jennifer’s focus is to support Embark’s...

Kenneth DeBlock, LPC

Clinical Director

As Embark’s Clinical Director Ken’s mission is to shape the...

Insurance Reimbursement

Insurance plans frequently reimburse mental health treatment at our residential facility. To determine if your plan will cover the cost of inpatient care, contact our team or fill out our insurance verification form. We’ll work with your insurance company for free to help you understand your benefits. Let us help you demystify insurance coverage for residential treatment.

A Day at Our Missouri Treatment Center

Our treatment program offers a structured, supportive learning environment designed to promote healing, self-care, and emotional wellness. The schedule for youths at our Missouri residential facility includes mental health and daily living activities, individual and group inpatient therapy, exercise, and meals. This approach, in combination with family therapy, is designed to build confidence, strengthen relationships, and improve social-emotional functioning.

7 a.m.
Breakfast

8:30 a.m.
School/Online Academics

12:30 p.m.
Lunch

1:30 p.m.
Group Therapy

3 p.m.
Therapy

4 p.m.
Fitness

6 p.m.
Dinner

7 p.m.
Rec Activities

8 p.m.
Evening Routine

Our Therapeutic Activities in the Ozark State

In addition to traditional inpatient therapy methods, our residential treatment facility’s beautiful location next to the Missouri River will allow your adolescent or teen to participate in therapeutic and experiential activities like rock climbing and hiking. We also offer therapeutic trips to Kansas City for parent weekends, a color run 5K, Kansas City Royals baseball games, and talent shows. These activities will help your child apply the skills learned at the program in real-world environments while also learning healthy and appropriate ways to enjoy life.

All activities at our inpatient facility fall within one of the five domains of functioning: social, emotional, intellectual, physical, and spiritual. Participating in each of these five domains can help adolescents and teens learn how proactive activities can improve mental health.

Here are some examples of activities youths can participate in at our Missouri treatment center:

We Serve Families Across the Country

Our residential treatment facility offers coed inpatient treatment and support for adolescent and teen girls and boys who may be struggling with mental health issues in Independence, Missouri, and across the country. Our clinicians provide customized behavioral health treatment using evidence-based methods. Youths at our residential facility are treated for issues like obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and bipolar disorder in a nurturing, restorative environment in Missouri so they can overcome challenges that may be affecting their everyday lives.

Our residential care typically lasts around 90 days. Adolescents and teens best suited for 24-hours care at our residential treatment center often come to our Independence, Missouri, location from another program or an unsuccessful living environment. At our trusted facility, we provide empathetic and supportive inpatient treatment so your child can learn how to better manage daily life tasks and make healthy lifestyle changes.

Independence, Missouri, Treatment Center FAQ

What is residential treatment like at the facility in Missouri?

During residential care, adolescents and teens will live at our beautiful residential treatment center in Independence, Missouri, and participate in activities centered around treating mental health conditions and healing. Some of the benefits of residential care at Embark are that it’s more affordable than long-term care, the 90-day average length of stay means young people can more quickly transition back into life at home, and it’s frequently reimbursed by insurance.

How does residential treatment at the Missouri facility differ from other inpatient treatment centers?

The main differences between our program and a typical inpatient treatment facility are the environment and length of stay. Our beautiful location in Missouri provides youths with residential treatment in a healing, nurturing setting and a schedule that mirrors home life but with therapy mixed in throughout the day. Inpatient treatment usually takes place in a hospital environment. Our facility also provides a longer treatment time, lasting around 90 days on average compared to an inpatient hospitalization stay that often lasts for several days.

How long does treatment last?

The length of treatment differs for each adolescent and teen, but on average, inpatient treatment at our Missouri facility lasts around 90 days.

Why do young people go to the residential program in Missouri?

Youths from all over the United States come to our residential facility in Missouri for the intensive 24-hour care it provides for a wide range of mental health and substance use issues. For adolescents and teens who have safety issues or a lack of support at home or who need a high level of care after an inpatient hospitalization or outpatient treatment, our program can be a good option.

When is residential treatment necessary?

Our residential treatment is necessary when your youth’s mental health needs are too great for outpatient care or when they’re stepping down in treatment intensity, for example from an inpatient hospitalization program. Residential care can also be a good option if someone feels unsafe at home or is trying to break out of a negative daily routine.

How do people discuss going to residential treatment in Independence, Missouri, with their adolescent or teen?

It can be hard for youths to think about or accept going to a residential treatment center to address their difficult mental health issues. Help motivate your adolescent or teen to embrace this type of treatment by asking open-ended questions about their situation and how this experience could improve it. Reassure them you’ll provide support by participating in family therapy during their stay and maintaining regular communication with them while they’re at the facility. Share success stories from residential treatment programs. We’re happy to provide a few testimonials from our Embark locations. 

Reviews of Our Residential Center in Missouri

Embark Behavioral Health

4.2

Based on 26 reviews

review us on

Caleb Hunter

23:57 16 Nov 23

AWFUL place. Unethical. One star is too much for these frauds, crooks, manipulators………. If you are divorced don’t even think about sending your child there. They wont work with the other parent who didn’t enroll the child. Also the other parent can enroll them and you wont know anything about it. Embark plays games and wont return phone calls. All they care about is money. The counselor won’t return calls. I called and left her phone messages to please call back and she never returned the calls, but the billing department called looking to get paid knowing the person they reached out to didn’t even know about the visit and when questioned about it they refused to answer. STAY AS FAR AWAY AS POSSIBLE.

Heather Hummer

23:44 27 Oct 23

No review could measure the gratitude my family feels towards Embark.Our family was broken and silently suffering the shame felt by suicidal ideation of a child. We were struggling to connect, and we were unable to find the correct if any resources at all. Our many attempts for help were met by closed doors, facilities trying to collect on insurance, or hospitals wanting to medicate our child out of their mind.Embark is your answer. You might ask, how would I know? Because I was as skeptical as they come. I didn’t have any hope left, and I felt our problems were too big to overcome.The Embark team is a family, and the campus is a sanctuary for peace and community. From the intake calls, to the kitchen staff, the youth leadership team, and therapists — Embark is paving the way for what treatment should be. Embark establishes true and long lasting human connection.The Embark team comes to work because they truly love their jobs. I see this from the way they care about our child when meeting for therapy in the laundry room because this is where our child feels the most comfortable. I see this when the kitchen staff serves extra gravy on our child’s plate, or when mentors listen and process over one-on-one coffee talks. I see this love and care when our therapist spends extra time processing with our child to overcome their social barriers, and because they truly care.I want you to know that Embark did not cure our child’s issues, and they did not fix our family struggles. Embark breathed new life into our family as a whole and helped us to find a path forward to begin again. They listened to our unique situation, and helped us to work through those issues by seeing each other again. WE were seen, validated and reassured. Our child’s therapist (a Godsend) gave us the tools to help listen, understand, and care for our child in the way they needed support.Embark has given us our life back.

maynardDRIVESfast 80

16:32 22 Oct 23

We were dealing with severe behavioral issues along with self-harm from our high functioning autistic teen. As a family we were at our absolute rock bottom and just could not pull ourselves out of what seemed like an endless cycle of anxiety, anger, and fear. Embark seemed like a long shot, but we could not think of any other option. While our child is roughly a week away from the end of a 90 day treatment, we have been amazed at not only our son's ability to successfully use the techniques taught at Embark, but also our own as a family. The family therapy sessions and the parent to parent group sessions have been invaluable. They've taught us that meaningful change must also come from us as parents, and that even though we may feel like no one else can possibly be going through these same problems, there are MANY others dealing with the same challenges. From the facility grounds, staff, and activity lists, to the therapists themselves, ALL come together to make a safe and caring environment to help your child (and family) find their balance again. Should the unfortunate reason arise that I must recommend a treatment facility to someone, Embark will be the ONLY one I'll recommend. Thank you ALL for giving us hope again.

Neal Dinsmore

20:04 29 Sep 23

I was able to spend a week at Embark and this is a top-notch program. The staff is passionate, professional, and experienced; they really care about their mission of serving teens and making a difference in their lives! 5 out of 5 stars.

Colleen Bottens

18:49 19 Sep 23

My daughter received services at this facility last spring. I cannot say enough positive things about the staff and the program. This was a life changing experience for not only my daughter, but also for me as a parent. I appreciate the sense of community and the safe space Embark created for all of us. I highly recommend Embark for teens and families struggling with mental health issues.

Daniel Kortrey

02:03 06 Sep 23

I was here a few months ago, and for what I needed, it sufficed. However, the environment felt very toxic there, the way punishments were handled was terrible and only incentivized further actions. I will say, some of the staff were great there and attentive whenever I had an issue I brought up with them, but there’s a lot of disorganization and mismanagement on where certain staff should be. There was a time where I really needed support, and couldn’t get the help I needed because there was only one staff watching over the entirety of the guys house. That being said, if it weren’t for some of the staff members there, I’d have a way harder time tolerating the experience. I guess my biggest issue is how places like these are structured in the first place(not the fault of this location or it’s staff), it felt very demeaning to be essentially stripped of all my freedom. The only other major complaint I had was the way family therapy was structured for me, my mom and I both agree that it felt like my therapist allowed my dad to dominate the conversations which only led to me and him arguing. Since getting home and being able to just have our own conversations without somebody trying to guide it things have been a lot better between us. Places like this should really only be used as a last resort for kids(which it was for me), if no other treatment is working, being placed here forces you to at least make some progress, but it comes at the cost of feeling demeaned and trapped.

Nadia Lang

04:42 27 Aug 23

I went to Shelterwood, the facility before Embark, and stayed through the transition to Embark. I was there a total of 9 months. Do not send your kid here. The staff are inconsistent with the rules and in general need more training. The living environment is very toxic, and the staff try to "fix" situations and behaviors from a client more than trying to understand where the client is coming from and going through. The consequences for breaking rules often make the situations worse. The staff overall are not trained enough to keep the clients safe to the level needed for a facility. After leaving the facility, I was grateful for the things I learned in therapy, but I came out in a worse mental state, resenting my parents for sending me, and having experienced traumatic experiences that were not helpful. Shout out to Lexee Nelson for being one of the few amazing members of the staff.

Susan Still

18:20 23 Aug 23

My granddaughter was admitted to Embark This week, the intake process was great, the staff was attentive took time to meet all of us, toured the campus and it was absolutely beautiful. The entire staff recognizes how difficult this decision was for all involved and helped us all through the process. Highly recommend that you research and consider Embark.

Hector Contreras

18:12 23 Aug 23

Worked there for 3 years at different capacity levels. It's a place that challenges both the students and staff. The relationships that have flourished from this place and lessons I have learned are ones that I will cherish forever.

Nadia Lang

16:06 01 Aug 23

I went to Shelterwood, the facility before Embark, and stayed through the transition to Embark. I was there a total of 9 months. Do not send your kid here. The staff are inconsistent with the rules and in general need more training. The living environment is very toxic, and the staff try to "fix" situations and behaviors from a client more than trying to understand where the client is coming from and going through. The consequences for breaking rules often make the situations worse. The staff overall are not trained enough to keep the clients safe to the level needed for a facility. After leaving the facility, I was grateful for the things I learned in therapy, but I came out in a worse mental state, resenting my parents for sending me, and having experienced traumatic experiences that were not helpful.

ENVP Valerie Edwards

02:37 12 Apr 23

I would highly recommend Embark for a family struggling with what to do with their child. We were lost and just needed him to get the help he needed and it provided a perfect reset for him. The staff was absolutely wonderful! I cannot say enough about them! From the whole admissions process to the weekly check-ins we had with his therapist Tim, the support you receive there is amazing! In addition to the amazing support we received as parents, our son really connected with his therapist, his teacher, and quite a few staff members. Our favorite part of his stay at Embark was our family therapy sessions! I do feel like for the first time as parents we were heard and Tim did a great job of helping all of us work on improving our communication with each other to strengthen our family unit and helped prepare our son to come home. We also loved that Tim worked with our son for his individual therapy sessions, we found this beneficial when it came to really knowing the whole story that led our son to Embark. The teacher Kelly was very sweet and reached out multiple times to touch base with me about our son and how he was doing. She really seemed genuine and I appreciated her ability to see the good in my son even when he had some rough days too. Julie with admissions was phenomenal and went out of her way to help us throughout the whole process. I also really loved Julie the nurse at Embark, she was very thorough and I felt like she actually knew our son and cared about his well-being. Our son’s favorite staff members were Nick, Harry, James, Carson, & Chris. We felt like they really gave our son a safe space to talk and he really grew to like & trust them. I would HIGHLY recommend Embark! Our son just came home yesterday and so far everything has went so smoothly. We are hopeful about his future and are grateful for the 60 days our son got to be there. We do feel like he did learn a lot !

Lexee Nelson

23:51 24 Mar 23

The best thing about Embark is the people who work with the kids. Staff is patient and kind. It takes a certain type of person to work with struggling teens. I love my coworkers and I adore working with these kids everyday!

Liz Cook

16:42 27 Dec 22

Embark (previously Shelterwood) was a life saving experience for my son. The staff there were so wonderful in caring for him while he was away from our home. The teachers were amazing at making sure he stayed on top of his education while there. He acquired so many tools that he brought home so when things get tough he has them in his back pocket. Our relationship is better because of it!

Kelly Wilson

15:51 27 Dec 22

Great place to serve teens who are struggling with mental health. Amazing colleagues who are dedicated to increasing the capacity of mental health supports. Embarks motto is creating joy and healing generations. Come check us out!

Ken DeBlock

19:44 13 Dec 22

Embark Behavioral health has been a great place to work. Staff are caring and professional. Teens live in a structured environment designed to support and address a verity of mental & behavioral health issues. I would recommend Embark Behavioral Health in Missouri to any family who has a struggling teen in need of a short term (60 to 90 day) residential treatment stay.

Bobbi K

16:43 03 Dec 22

My son was able to finally get a handle on his mental health and begin to see his value in this world. I’ll treasure those moments of breakthrough for forever.

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A Continuum of Mental Health Care Offered Across the U.S.

If residential programs don’t offer the level of care your adolescent or teen needs, Embark Behavioral Health offers a range of exceptional treatment and therapy options across the United States.

From virtual counseling to outpatient therapy, our robust continuum of care will provide the right level of treatment to help your child overcome difficult mental health challenges.   

Contact us today to learn more about our programs and how they’re changing the lives of adolescents, teens, and young adults across the U.S., helping them embrace a fulfilling and purposeful future.  

Continuum of Care or

Virtual IOP

Embark Behavioral Health in Independence, Missouri

A Premier Residential Treatment Center in Independence, Missouri

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