Question by Sarah: On residential treatment centers?
I’m currently looking into residential treatment centers for youth because I feel that it would help me to participate in a curriculum like that, since I suffer from depression, on and off self harm, and major relationship issues with friends and family. Is there anyone who has been to one or a loved one has? What things should I look for in one? How much do they usually cost? Any help would be appreciated.
Ok, maybe I should add some more details. I am currently 16, nearing 17, and when I was about 13 I was diagnosed with depression (after I told parents about cutting.) I was soon after started on prozac. Later I started therapy. I ended up switching meds to some other medication and then to welbutrin. I stopped therapy when my therapist thought I was better. I have started therapy again. Before my parents told me that there were only so many medications out there and that they might have to send me away to get help if they couldn’t give it to me. That was a while ago. We are fairly well to do, and I’m sure if I told them of my interest my parents would be willing to pay the cost, which I have already seen for a few centers. I just don’t think I can getting weekly therapy and then end up in an enviroment that triggers me after wards, I have horrible relationships and am getting worse. I think I need time of for myself. So yeah, I just want inpatient info right now. Thanks anyways =)
No, I’m not on any sort of illegal drugs. But I really don’t think that I should be staying at my house and doing outpatient care, cause I’m nearly on the edge and I can’t trust my parents or friends right now. How I see it is that everything is falling down around me, and I can’t try working on one while the others are falling. So I want to go somewhere I can work on it all at once. And the residential centers I have been looking at are not really for those with severe mental illnesses, they are for troubled teens, like kids who won’t go to school or have family issues, add or adhd, things like that. I really don’t think it’s a place where they have really serious personality cases and stuff like that. But I could be wrong, it’s just I’m not looking at a hospital type place, but rather like a place to go and get stronger and stuff like that. And cutting won’t be a problem, I’m not a compulsive cutter and I can handle it, I hardly ever cut. But I resepect your opinions and hear them.

Best answer:

Answer by Jen
Residential treatment centers for youth are not used for teens who are successfully/somewhat successfully living in the community with either their family or a foster family. Residential centers are used as a last resort for youth who have just not responded to any other treatment and have become a major danger to themselves or others. (Assault, firesetting, etc.) Things to try first would be individual therapy, family therapy, group therapy, and possibly meds.

There are also outpatient treatment programs for youth who are considered “at-risk” or “high-risk.” Like after-school groups and stuff like that. A lot of those places require referrals, though, so I still strongly encourage you to find individual therapy first. The therapist can refer you to all sorts of programs that could help you.

You sound really motivated to get help for yourself, and that will come across to the therapist in individual therapy. Let them know you’re willing to try a variety of tactics to get better and the two of you can work together to figure something out that will work for you.

Residential treatment centers cost an arm and a leg. The price is seriously ridiculous. It’s really used as a last resort, and to be honest the youth there did not enter treatment voluntarily. They were usually mandated by the court. So it would not be helpful for you to be around people who are in such a negative mindset about treatment.

There are many clinics though that offer therapy on a sliding scale based on income. Touch base with your counselor in school in order to get more info about clinics/other resources in the community you can go to. Then work with that person to find help that will work for you.

You sound really motivated to help yourself and that is excellent, because treatment only works if you’re motivated and actively participating. I’m sure that with your mindset you’ll do well. Good luck!

(Edit)

You are not a candidate for residential treatment if you’ve been able to be managed on weekly therapy and meds. Your family issues need to be worked out in family therapy. Even if you were in residential they’d make your family come in once a week to do family therapy anyway.

I do think you need to have your mental health care restructured which is why you should really talk to your therapist about it. You’re a bright and movitvated young adult. Given the right tools you can do just fine. More than one therapy session a week would be a good start. A psychiatrist who meets with you more often and helps you to monitor your symptoms would be a good start, too, because they can try to find the right med or med combination. There are many many many drugs out there for depression, and it sounds like you’ve only tried a few of them. And group therapy would be helpful for you as well because you’d be around other people with the same issues and you can support one another and feel less alone.

You won’t have any “time for you” in residential treatment. Residents need to be in eyesight of the staff at all times. There’s only a limited number of staff and it’s a legal liability for them to be alone with you at any time so it is encouraged for the entire group of residents to be together at all times. And I mean ALL the time. You’re even watched while you’re asleep, with 15-min bedchecks to make sure you didn’t try to run. The main diagnoses of youth in residential treatment are Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, Bipolar, and there are also youth in various stages of psychosis disorders where they might hear or see things that aren’t there. The places are usually violent due to the severity of the youth’s symptoms. Because of that violence we often need to use restraints to keep youth from harming themselves or others. If you were a resident at my treatment center and you started self-injuring do you know what I would have to do if you didn’t stop? I’d have to immobilize you with the help of another staff until you calmed down. Your arms and legs would be pinned to the floor until you got control of yourself again.

You really need to go talk to your therapist about this desire to go into residential treatment and discuss other options. You do not sound like a good candidate for residential treatment. I’ve met with clients with your type of symptoms and family difficulties in individual therapy. Although they needed more work than the average client they were able to work on their stuff in an outpatient setting.

Listen to me and the other person who has worked in residential treatment. We’ve been in those facilities. You haven’t.

Answer by EDtherapist
Residential treatment is very expensive and often, only minimally covered by insurance (if at all).

Timberline Knolls is one such facility that caters to young adults suffering from depression, anxiety, self-harm, eating issues, etc. You can chceck them out here:
http://www.timberlineknolls.com/home.asp

I believe their fee is something like $ 27,000 per month… This is pretty standard for residential care…

You do sound motivated, and I wonder about increasing your current supports (i.e. 2x/week therapy, adding a group, etc.)?

If you do not feel that increasing your outpatient supports is enough, and you can’t afford residential, call your insurance and ask them which inpatient/residential facilities are covered by them, and find out what your benefits are (i.e. 30 days coverage, with a co-pay, etc). You may have to go to a hospital-based inpatient unit for depression, but you should have some coverage…

Hang in there. Talk with your therapist and explore all of your options, including residential if that’s what you feel you need.

Good luck!

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