Children's Program

The Children’s Program is based on an 18-bed unit in an acute care setting. The program is for the treatment of children ages 5 through 12 with a primary psychiatric diagnosis which meets the criteria for medically supervised inpatient treatment. Excluded are those patients who are medically unstable to the point that their safety requires treatment in a medical/surgical hospital, those so behaviorally or cognitively impaired that they cannot benefit from treatment, those who meet the criteria for less restrictive treatment, or those with chronic organic brain dysfunction with no treatable psychiatric symptoms.

Therapy Groups

Patients are involved in specific therapy groups according to their individual needs and level of care. These may include:

• Process Group - Facilitated by Social Services or other qualified staff and focuses on appropriate expression of feelings, utilization of healthy coping skills and facilitation of appropriate and adaptive social interactions.
• Didactic Group - May include drug awareness and education, assertive skills, coping skills, suicide education and prevention, drug and alcohol awareness, problem solving issues, and sexual abuse. Facilitated by the primary therapist, case manager or certified substance abuse counselor.
• Therapeutic Recreation - Is provided by a certified recreation therapist to provide opportunities for leisure counseling and develop effective life skills.
• Family Therapy - Facilitated as indicated by the case manager, social worker or attending psychiatrist to foster communication skills, cohesion and adaptability between other youth and caretakers.
• Parent Education and Support Group - Facilitated by a social worker or other qualified staff who specializes in child and adolescent psychiatric issues. It is designed to foster positive interaction between the youth and his caretaker through structured activities such as social leisure activities or family art projects.
• Multi-Family/Education/Support Group - Facilitated by a social worker or other qualified staff who specializes in child and adolescent psychiatric issues. It is designed to foster positive interactions between the youth and his caretaker through structured activities such as social leisure activities or family art projects.
• Daily Community - Facilitated daily by unit staff to enhance the patient’s ability to function in social settings with both adults and peers. Morning and/or afternoon community meetings are utilized to establish and evaluate goals set by each patient in the acute programs. Community is held each session for the PHP program.

Pharmacotherapy

Can be initiated for the treatment of severe emotional disturbances upon written order of the attending physician. The use of medication is judiciously individualized for each patient. The medical staff monitors utilization through ongoing monitoring and evaluation activities, which may include peer review.

For further information simply call (318) 678-7500 or Toll Free (877) 678-7500. We offer confidential assessments and referrals.