Parent Concerns About Teen Mental Health Treatment
Addressing Parent Concerns About Teen Mental Health Treatment
The decision to enroll your child in mental health or substance use disorder treatment is a great responsibility for any parent. Most parents find they have lots of questions and concerns at the beginning of the process, and rightfully so.
Horizon Recovery designed this page to address the most common questions and concerns we encounter. This guide will help you better understand the treatment options available for your teen so you can make an informed decision about their care.
Do You Have Trained and Qualified Mental Health Staff?
Horizon Recovery meets, and often exceeds state and federal standards for teen substance abuse and mental health treatment providers. Our licensed therapists are physically on site 8 hours per day, 5 days per week. Our licensed therapists schedule individual and family therapy sessions during the week, run group therapy sessions in the house, and are available for our residents anytime they have additional needs.
Licensed Clinical Director
Our independently licensed clinical director oversees our clinical treatment program as well as all our therapists. The clinical director provides 1 hour of oversight and training to our therapists per week and is available for consultation at any time. She also provides 2 hours of training and oversight for our Behavioral Health Technicians twice a month.
Licensed Medical Director
The medical director at Horizon Recovery oversees all medical treatment and sets our protocols. The director is a licensed addictionologist and specializes in behavioral health treatment.
Nurse Practitioner
Our nurse practitioner is certified as both a family medical and a psychiatric nurse practitioner. She provides frequent evaluations and assists our residents with medical and psychiatric management.
Well-Trained and Certified Behavioral Health Technicians
All Behavioral Health Technicians (BHTs) at Horizon Recovery are required to have many additional training and certifications above and beyond the Arizona Department of Health requirements. These include de-escalation, recovery coaching, food handling, life skills training and identifying and preventing self-harm behaviors..
We also contract with many licensed specialty therapy providers such as animal-assisted therapy, equine therapy, music therapy, yoga and meditation therapy, and personal training, among others. Our dedication to training, certification, and staff development is just one of the many reasons why Horizon Recovery offers the most well-rounded teen mental health and substance abuse treatment in Arizona.
Expert-trained and certified staff at Horizon Recovery
- Licensed therapists are physically on-site 5-days a week.
- Our Licensed clinical director oversees the clinical treatment program and trains staff.
- The medical director is a licensed addictionologist and behavioral health specialist.
- All behavioral health techs have training and certification exceeding AZ requirements.
How Do You Ensure The Teen Treatment Program and Facility Are Safe?
At Horizon Recovery we take an uncompromising approach to keeping the teens and adolescents entrusted to our care safe and sound. We do this by establishing our own standards for patient security, care, and wellness that far exceed state and federal requirements.
Staffing Levels That Exceed Arizona Requirements
The AZ Department of Health only requires one staff member to be physically onsite at any one time. We believe this is wholly inadequate and unsafe. We choose to staff our facilities with a bare minimum of 2 staff members onsite 24/7, and this is only at night when the residents are sleeping.
During the day, we routinely have 5-7 staff members on-site to not only provide a safe environment but to allow us to provide an effective treatment environment. We want all of our residents to have access to staff at all times to address their treatment needs as they arise. We customize our attention to each resident, if necessary, we will even conduct visual welfare checks every 5 minutes around the clock.
Comprehensive Health and Safety Screenings
During intake, all clients must undergo a health and safety screening. This screening consists of a safety search of the resident’s property and person to prevent health and safety hazards such as sharp objects, drugs, and other contraband from being brought into the facility. Parents/Guardians can witness the screening process if they so desire.
Facility Safety Standards That Exceed Arizona Requirements
The AZ Dept of Health sets the health and safety standards for behavioral health residential treatment facilities. Requirements include things like having shatterproof mirrors in the bathrooms, eliminating all ligature/hanging attachment points from bedrooms and bathrooms, non-locking bedroom doors, and bathroom doors that can be quickly opened from the outside in case of an emergency.
We have taken many additional steps to eliminate other potential health and safety hazards from our treatment environments. All of our staff are required to evaluate every room and area of the facility at the start of every shift to ensure there are no hazards present.
Medication Management at Horizon Recovery
New medication approval
During the initial assessment and screening process, our providers will complete a comprehensive analysis of your teen’s prescribed medications and symptoms. The medications will be evaluated to ensure the appropriate medication and dose is prescribed for the presenting diagnoses and current symptoms. Any recommendations will be discussed with the legal guardian/parents for approval before adjusting or prescribing new medications.
We also offer genetic testing for patients and parents who are interested to determine the effectiveness of specific classes of medications. This allows our providers to prescribe medications that will be more effective.
Notifications of medication changes
During the residents’ stay, any recommended changes to dosages, stopping, or starting medications will be discussed with the legal guardian/parents for approval before adjusting or prescribing new medications.
Frequency of provider visits/appointments
Residents will see the provider as often as is clinically indicated. At a minimum, they will see the provider once per week. Legal guardians/parents will be able to contact the provider directly to address any concerns they may have.
Can My Teen Continue With School During Treatment?
Our focus is on providing the highest quality therapy and treatment possible. We believe that the adolescent and the family must use their time in treatment to focus on true healing and recovery. Residential Treatment consists of 44 hours of various forms of treatment and therapy during the week. This equates to approximately 9 hours of therapy Monday-Friday.
Horizon Recovery has partnered with Advantages School International to provide the opportunity to continue their education with an accredited school. During the intake process, the adolescents and their parents will collaborate with our Education Coordinator to determine which classes and how many classes may be appropriate to start during their treatment. Any classes started during treatment may be continued with Advantages School International after graduation or discharge from Horizon Recovery, allowing completion of the course credit.
Other topics for tutoring include aptitude testing, test-taking skills classes, time management classes, and other life skills that are needed to help a child’s overall education progression.
How Will I Communicate and Stay in Contact with My Child?
We believe that effective communication between the resident and their family is crucial to helping the family unit heal together. We have developed policies that attempt to balance a parent’s legal right to visit and speak with their child whenever they want to, with our clinician’s recommendations of sometimes allowing space for healing before attempting family-based discussions and therapy.
Our residents can use our landline a minimum of twice daily. They may call individuals on the approved contact list (this is created during the intake process). Residents may also call more often if needed.
Visitation is on the weekends. Our residents may have up to 6 family members visit them, and even bring a favorite meal to share for a 2-hour reserved block of time. Our clinical team recommends that a resident complete at least one family therapy session before visiting.
During the residents’ stay, any recommended changes to dosages, stopping, or starting medications will be discussed with the legal guardian/parents for approval before adjusting or prescribing new medications.
What Happens After Residential Treatment For Teens?
Every teen we treat receives a comprehensive treatment and discharge plan designed especially for their individual needs. As our teens in residential mental health or substance abuse treatment begin to approach graduation, our clinical team will determine what level of ongoing treatment will best suit them after residential care.
Our clinical team and staff will ensure that you are provided with the appropriate clinical recommendations and resources needed before discharge. Our staff will be available to assist with any questions, concerns, or needs you may have. You will also receive a graduation packet that includes all of this information in written form.
Horizon Recovery offers Intensive Outpatient therapy, traditional outpatient therapy, ongoing individual and family therapy, and medication management through our outpatient clinic. We offer all of our services both in-person and via telehealth. By choosing to utilize Horizon Recovery for continuing care, there is no need for referrals and other potential complications.
Family Therapy and Family Involvement
We believe that families recover together. The family is always impacted by mental health challenges, including substance use disorders. The family also has the potential to be an important part of a recovering teen’s healing process.
As family members begin to understand the teen’s diagnosis and their treatment goals – they become better able to help them achieve those goals. Families also need healing, support and direction.
We believe that involving the family in therapy whenever possible can go a long way toward seeing that our patients have the best possible long-term outcomes. This is why we also offer additional family support that goes above and beyond what you will find at most similar programs, including a family liaison.
During the residents’ stay, any recommended changes to dosages, stopping, or starting medications will be discussed with the legal guardian/parents for approval before adjusting or prescribing new medications.
Evidence-Based Treatment for Teens
Our program embraces evidence-based care principles. What this means is that our mental health treatment methods are chosen for their effectiveness, as proven in clinical research. We deliver careful diagnosis of any mental health disorders followed by compassionate treatment.
Our rigorous approach to quality of care never compromises the human element. We see every teen as an individual with a unique set of experiences, needs, and challenges. Every patient we treat receives an individualized mental health treatment plan which will evolve with them as they progress through treatment
The evidence-based care approach to teen mental health:
- Begins with a precision diagnosis of mental health disorders.
- Employs treatment methods proven effective by clinical research.
- Grows with the patient as they progress through treatment.
Mental Health Conditions We Treat
- Depression
- Bipolar Disorder
- Social Anxiety Disorder
- Major Depressive Disorder
- Borderline Personality Disorder
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
- Eating Disorders (anorexia, bulimia, binging)
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)
- Specific Phobias (ex. Arachnophobia)
- Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)
- Substance use disorders
- Complex PTSD
- Panic Disorder
- Teen self-harm
Treatment Methods at Horizon Recovery
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT works by helping teens identify negative thoughts and beliefs and overcome them. It teaches practical tools and coping mechanisms as well as helps to deconstruct negative beliefs.
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
DBT focuses on managing emotions rather than changing thoughts. It emphasizes acceptance which makes it an effective technique for teens with powerful emotions who struggle with change.
- Individual Therapy
Individual therapy is often necessary to get to the root of certain issues, particularly those that are traumatic, uncomfortable to talk about or that require introspection.
- Group Therapy
Group therapy is useful as it allows teens to relate to one another and see that others experience many of the same feelings and challenges.
Complete Care at Horizon Recovery
At Horizon Recovery our mission is to provide compassionate, effective mental health and substance abuse treatment for teens and adolescents.
We provide an immersive, therapeutic environment for teen mental health care at our Phoenix, AZ facility. This is a safe space for healing and growth. Teens with depression, anxiety or trauma disorders that don’t necessarily require residential mental health treatment can benefit from our intensive outpatient (IOP) and outpatient therapy programs. An important part of our assessment process is helping to determine which level of care is appropriate.
The Levels of Care at Horizon Recovery:
- Residential Treatment
- Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
- Outpatient Therapy
Horizon Recovery’ Promise
When you choose Horizon Recovery for your teen’s mental health treatment, you can rest assured they will receive exemplary care from one of the Southwest’s leading teen and adolescent mental health treatment centers. We welcome the opportunity to help, please give us a call at (602) 755-7858 with any questions or concerns you have.
