Treatment on the Adolescent Mood Disorders Unit

Goals for Treatment

Our intention is to stabilize adolescents in crisis and provide a therapeutic environment for short term treatment. We seek to provide peace of mind for parents through 24-hour monitoring, frequent communication, and thorough psychoeducation. 

Prior to discharge, we ensure adolescents are connected to the right resources for the next step in their recovery.  

Types of Treatment

When your child is staying on our inpatient unit, they will receive a wide variety of treatment aimed at helping them get through their current crisis and return to their home environment. On average, adolescents stay with us for seven to ten days; some do not need as much time to stabilize, and others need more time.  

Every aspect of our unit programming and structure is designed to be therapeutic for adolescents; we utilize aspects of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) in our programming. The entire milieu and inpatient experience is designed to be therapeutic and engaging; our compassionate team focuses on fostering a safe, trusting environment and providing positive reinforcement throughout each adolescent’s stay.

Each adolescent’s team may consist of:

• Psychiatrist or nurse practitioner
• Social worker
• Unit manager
• Unit secretary
• Expressive art therapists
• Staff nurses
• Mental health workers

Treatment Offered

During their stay, each patient can expect to receive:

• Daily medication management and meetings with a healthcare practitioner
• Art and expressive therapy
• Music therapy
• Therapeutic and psychoeducational groups, including:
  • Substance use education
  • Diagnosis education
  • Medication education
  • Verbal expression
  • Positive thinking
• Daily opportunities for exercise, on the unit and in the gymnasium
• Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) skills groups
• Family session with social worker