Teen Mental Illness and Treatment

Teen Mental Health Treatment Options

You always want the best for your teenage daughter or son, especially when it comes to their mental health.

There are multiple mental health treatment options for young people that an independent therapeutic educational consultant can help families choose between to improve their child's well-being.

Treatment options for teens include:

1. Virtual IOP: Our insurance-reimbursed virtual intensive outpatient program connects you to a managed care coordination team through our secure patient portal. This is a convenient way for your adolescent, teen, and family to receive our high-quality care when attending in person is not an option or a virtual setting is preferred.
2. Outpatient therapy: Outpatient treatment programs provide the help your child needs locally, allowing them the opportunity to live at home when they are not receiving treatment so they can have a more normal daily routine and continue to be with family or friends and attend school or work.
3. Residential treatment centers: Residential treatment programs are places where teens and young adults can experience 24-hour care, pursuing therapy away from the stress of their home environment. Your child can access a higher level of care in a clinically focused, intensive, live-in residential treatment center where they are continually monitored and supervised by trained staff.
4. Therapeutic boarding schools: A therapeutic boarding school is a residential treatment center that combines education and therapy for troubled teenagers who may be dealing with behavioral issues, emotional or psychological disorders.
5. Transitional living for teens and young adults: Transitional living centers serve as places for youth to have an independent life while slowly transitioning back into society, using the resources and tools gained at their residential treatment center.

​Ways to Find the Best Mental Health Treatment Program for Teens

To help you make the best choice for your teen's mental health treatment, here are some additional steps that you can follow:

1. Assess your teen's needs.

If he or she will agree, it’s a good idea to have your child undergo psycho-educational assessments to gain insight into the nature of his/her struggle. With the support of an educational consultant or mental health professional, this information can help you make a better treatment choice. If your child is not compliant prior to treatment, however, these assessments can also be conducted during treatment. You should check with your mental health team for their recommendations.

2. Check associations and credentials.

Whenever you’re choosing a treatment option, it’s important to make sure program and staff associations and credentials are up to par. Here a few things to look for:

• • Program
    • Academic accreditation from a regional accreditation body such as AdvancED, NAAS or WASC
    • CARF, COA, Joint Commission or NIPSA accreditation
    • Membership in a national therapeutic association such as AACRC or NATSAP
    • State licensure to operate as a treatment facility
  • Staff
    • 24-hour on-call medical staff (preferably RN, Nurse Practitioner, or physician)
    • Clinical leadership provided by clinically licensed therapists
    • CPR and First Aid certified staff
    • Master’s level therapists
    • Psychiatrist affiliated or on staff
    • Special-education credentialed teachers on staff if your child has learning differences
    • State-credentialed teachers

3. Create a support system.

Not only is picking a treatment program for your loved one stressful, but that level of stress can make a difficult decision even more difficult. It’s important to have the support of family and friends during this time both to soothe your emotions and to help you process information and think through options. This is not the time for isolation or secrecy. This is a time to reach out for support.

4. Seek professional advice.

The best initial sources of advice regarding treatment are educational consultants and mental health professionals. It’s worth the cost of these services to ensure that you have the objective advocacy, guidance and support of a treatment team to make a sound choice for your child.

5. Talk to other parents and visit treatment centers and facilities.

If you’re looking for a residential treatment program, request to talk with other parents. This is a great way to get insight into the program. Also, visit the facilities of any program you’re considering. Insist on talking with students, staff from every department, and the program director. You should be allowed to tour the entire facility and ask questions freely. It’s important to come with a list of questions prepared; program visits can be taxing and it’s easy to forget what to ask while you’re touring. It’s also important to listen to your gut when you visit a program; the program you select will be your child’s home for a period of time, and no one knows your child like you do.