As a mental health crisis continues to affect young people, Sheppard Pratt announces the opening of The LifeLaunch, a specialized short-term residential program for teens with anxiety, depression, and other diagnoses. The LifeLaunch is part of Sheppard Pratt’s full suite of care offerings for youth with mental illness. Additional programs include inpatient programs, child and adolescent day hospital programs, 12 special education schools and a residential treatment center and school, and the Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt, among others.
The LifeLaunch is a 12-bed program located on Sheppard Pratt’s campus in Towson, Maryland. It provides comprehensive and clinically intensive therapeutic services, delivered by a multidisciplinary treatment team in a residential, full-service setting. Adolescents aged 12 – 17 reside at The LifeLaunch for an average of one to three months and participate in a variety of quality, evidence-based treatment modalities that are tailored to their specific needs. Based on their evaluation, the clinical staff determine the most appropriate set of modalities, which could include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), exposure with response prevention (ERP), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), family therapy, and more. The treatment team provides medication management, as well as complementary, holistic therapies like music therapy, art therapy, and occupational therapy. Residents stay in a fully-furnished suite, and have access to Sheppard Pratt’s gymnasium, basketball court, and outdoor courtyards.
“For young people who have exhausted treatment options and still have not made progress toward recovery or for parents seeking an effective first intervention, The LifeLaunch offers hope,” said Todd Peters, MD, vice president and chief medical officer of Sheppard Pratt. “At Sheppard Pratt, we believe that some patients who have struggled with mental health issues require the multifaceted, around-the-clock approach that we are able to offer with this program.”
Education is also a fully integrated component of The LifeLaunch. Residents have time dedicated to academics each day, as well as the support of an academic liaison who coordinates between The LifeLaunch and the home school to ensure the student stays on track during their treatment program.
Residents of The LifeLaunch have access to all of Sheppard Pratt’s renowned mental health services and can benefit from tiered support as they develop the effective coping, communication, and emotion regulation skills they need to return to their home environment. For more information on The LifeLaunch, visit here.
About Sheppard Pratt
Sheppard Pratt is the largest private, nonprofit provider of mental health, substance use, developmental disability, special education, and social services in the country. A nationwide resource, Sheppard Pratt provides services across a comprehensive continuum of care, spanning both hospital- and community-based resources. Since its founding in 1853, Sheppard Pratt has been innovating the field through research, best practice implementation, and a focus on improving the quality of mental health care on a global level. Sheppard Pratt has been consistently recognized as a top national psychiatric hospital by U.S. News & World Report for more than 30 years.