Finding the appropriate and most effective care for your loved one, especially a child or teen, can feel overwhelming and confusing. Looking online for child and adolescent therapists yields many results, and they can be for all kinds of providers and facilities who deliver treatments varying in approach, intensity, setting, and duration. In the mental healthcare world, there are different levels of care that are indicated by the needs of the individual. Understanding the range of services that make up the different levels of care can be crucial for identifying the effective treatment level for your child or teen.
Oftentimes, starting with a thorough assessment from a licensed mental health provider can be the best way to collaborate with a professional and identify the level of care that the child or teen needs. An assessment will provide clarity on diagnoses and recommendations for services that can point you in the right direction from the start, ensuring that they are receiving the resources they need in a timely manner, saving the challenge of transferring from one level of care to another. Learn more about assessments that can provide this guidance in our previous blog.
Outpatient Levels
Outpatient therapy
Considered the “lowest” level of mental health care. This kind of therapy is one that most people are familiar with. It typically consists of the youth meeting with a therapist once a week in a private practice, a clinic, or a hospital. For children and teens, the sessions can either be individual, or with family members, depending on the recommended course of treatment.
Intensive Outpatient Therapy (IOP)
One step up, typically consisting of meetings between 3 to 5 times a week in both group and individual formats. An IOP program provides a structured treatment experience and is more intense in weekly commitments. Although, kids and teens are still able to live at home, and while therapy likely will take up a few hours each day, they often can still engage with school or work part-time. The overall duration of the treatment is determined on individual needs.
Intensive Treatments
Inpatient Hospitalization
Occur on inpatient units, usually located at a hospital. Units are often dedicated to specific challenges, like eating disorders, active suicidality, or psychiatric episodes, like mania or psychosis. Most times, inpatient units are most appropriate for children or teens who are determined to be a safety risk to themselves or others. In inpatient treatment, providers aim to help the youth reach a level of stabilization and to stay safe in their moment of crisis. Kids or teens who are in an inpatient unit are there for 24 hours a day during the time it takes for them to reach this point of stabilization, which is typically between 3-7 days on average, although there are exceptions based on the need of the individual. On an inpatient unit, trained mental health staff provide supervision and support at all times.
Residential Treatment
Often dedicated to specific mental health challenges as well, like eating disorder treatment, suicidality, or other behavioral health and mental health issues. Youths in a residential unit live there full-time during their stay in a community-like environment with others who are also engaging in group therapy and individual therapy. It is possible that residential units also provide medication management or individualized psychiatric care. The typical length of stay at a residential treatment program is between 30 to 90 days long, and kids or teens work towards personal therapeutic goals and learn skills before returning home.
Partial Hospital Programs (PHPs)
Often a step-down from a residential program or inpatient unit, and a step-up from an IOP. A PHP will meet several days a week for between 6-8 hours on average. This program is still intense in frequency and duration of treatment but does not require overnight stay, and it still includes group and individual therapy along with medication management.
It is the responsibility of mental health care providers to be consistently aware of and assessing a individual’s fit for the current level of care. As a caregiver, if you are concerned that the services being provided are not sufficient to support your child or teen’s needs, open a line of communication with the provider to discuss your concerns. Communicating what you are seeing at home or noticing about the effectiveness of care will help your provider make sure treatment is helping your child and help them give recommendations for other types of care as needed.