Child and Adolescent Acute Inpatient Programs

Each child and adolescent that walks through our doors is given a H.O.P.E card. This card is a reminder that their stay is a Healthy Opportunity in a Peaceful Environment. Throughout their hospitalization we focus on their winning moments and direct their energy to the development of personal strengths. We want them to know that all the doctors, nurses, therapists, and every member of our treatment team is counting on their success.

We utilize many aspects of group therapy to generate support and encouragement amongst all of our children and adolescents. From social skills groups to recreation groups, we even utilize our meal times to develop positive interaction skills and improved social growth. We do realize that a good portion of the work that will make your child or adolescent’s treatment a success is going to come from within. To aid in this exploration, the individual therapist works to develop a trusting relationship with your child or adolescent. This allows for the safe expression and analysis of the issues that have become troubling for everyday living.

Our therapists are clinicians, trained to utilize many established and outcomes-based therapeutic techniques that have been proven effective in working with children and adolescents. In addition to individual and group psychotherapy, we offer each child and adolescent outlet opportunities and expression through art, play, dance, movement, music and recreation therapies. We utilize an entire team of expressive therapists that enliven your child or adolescent’s treatment with the opportunity to experience, identify, and share their emotions through constructive and fun activities. Drawing, dance, yoga, journaling, and game playing all become windows to healing moments as they grow and discover the skills necessary for living a life with health and hope.

We also have an Inpatient Education Department that provides the crucial connection between the hospital and the child or adolescent’s school. The inpatient education staff consists of four certified clinical educators. The clinical educators provide each student with five hours of educational tutoring per week within a group setting of 12-15 students. Our academic curriculum includes individualized assignments provided by the student’s home school and/or our department. We facilitate daily experiences that encompass critical thinking, character education, and self-expression.

Acute inpatient hospitalization occurs only with a physician’s order for conditions that cannot be safely or effectively treated on an outpatient basis. It is the most intensive level of care offered and provides 24- hour skilled nursing observation and care, daily interventions and oversight by a psychiatrist, and intensive, highly coordinated treatment by a multi-disciplinary team of mental health professionals. Inpatient hospitalization is designed to stabilize the most serious symptoms to allow a transition to less intensive levels of care.

Program Design

Our acute inpatient care for children and adolescents are programmed separately based upon gender and differing developmental and psychiatric needs. We have a total of five separate inpatient programs:

  • Children ages 3-12
  • Children ages 4-12 (Advanced Child Treatment Program-ACT)
  • Adolescent Males ages 12-17
  • Adolescent Females ages 12-17

These programs provide intensive evaluation, stabilization, and short-term treatment. Acute inpatient services are offered at our main Streamwood facility and our Saint Mary and Elizabeth Chicago locations.

Advantages of Acute Inpatient Hospitalization

  • Safe, controlled, structured environment
  • 24-hour skilled nursing care
  • Intensive child and adolescent psychiatrist involvement
  • Physician-led, multi-disciplinary treatment team
  • Ability to utilize both medication and therapy, as appropriate
  • Tutorial-based school program available
  • Up to 10 hours a day, 7 days a week of therapeutic programming
  • Consultation from other experts in the field of child and adolescent psychiatry

Program Components

  • Comprehensive Multi-Disciplinary Diagnostic Evaluation
  • Individual, Group and Family Counseling
  • Behavioral Therapy
  • Parent Training and Support Sessions
  • Expressive Therapies
  • Academic and Classroom Instruction
  • Social Skills Training
  • Study Skill Enhancement and Training
  • Medication Monitoring and Education
  • Case Management

Program Goals

  • Stabilization and diagnosis
  • Elimination of behavior that presents a danger to themselves and others
  • Elimination of, or the development of, control over suicidal and homicidal thoughts/behaviors
  • Reduction of post-traumatic symptoms
  • Development of a specific and complete treatment plan, primary treatment pathway and long term treatment/behavioral intervention plan
  • Learn to manage emotions, thoughts and behaviors thus allowing healthy choices and appropriate coping skills
  • Return to community based living as quickly as possible
  • Stabilized living within their communities post-discharge