Did you know that ROWI offers on-site mental health treatment programs for teens and adolescents during the summer months? Our summer programming is also focused on improving mental wellness in teens ages 12-18 and is based upon the most current evidence-based clinical practices, integrating positive approaches to patient care. While our school year PHP programs incorporate academic instruction, our summer programs focus on:
Why Mental Health Programming for Teens in the Summer is Important
Summertime = down time. This time is an opportunity for teens to build the skills they need to better function at home, in the world, and then when it’s back to school time. This is a time for teens and adolescents to build healthy relationships and work on self esteem, anger management, and other life skills.
Sample Day of Summer Teen Mental Health Program Activities
Time
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
10:00 AM
Journaling
Mindfulness Walk
Meditation
Art Therapy
Self Esteem
11:00 AM
Process
Healthy Relationships
Narrative Music
Nutrition
Life Skills
12:00 PM
Lunch
Lunch
Lunch
Lunch
Lunch
12:30 PM
Nutrition Expressive Arts
Seeking Safety
Improv
Ocean Therapy
Rock to Recovery
1:30 PM
Yoga
Anger Management
Drama Therapy
Ocean Therapy
Rock to Recovery
2:30 PM
PEERS
Recovery Fit
Ocean Therapy
Coping Skills
Community Meeting
3:30 PM
IOP: Drum Therapy
IOP: Art Therapy
IOP: Yoga
IOP: Improv
IOP: Body Image
4:30 PM
IOP: DBT
IOP: Breathworks
IOP: PEERS
IOP: Creative Writing
IOP: Weekend Planning
Please call 805.356.3477 to learn more and get your teen or adolescent the support they need.
A diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder typically occurs in toddlerhood or early childhood. It is possible for physicians, clinicians, and parents to miss or overlook the sign of Autism until late childhood, adolescence, or even adulthood. People that are diagnosed later often have received another diagnosis while the underlying Autism went undetected. Many people with Autism have a co-morbid (co-occurring) diagnosis of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and/or Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Even when a person is diagnosed later in life, the symptoms will have been present since they were very young. Though they may have been masked, in order to qualify for an Autism diagnosis, symptoms must have been present from early childhood.
Why do some children receive an autism diagnosis later in life?
The symptoms of Autism may be masked for many reasons and therefore diagnosis during early childhood did not occur. People with Autism that are high functioning are usually of average or even above-average intelligence. In many situations, children with undiagnosed Autism have immense strengths that do not raise many red flags in the elementary school settings. When children are able to do well in school, perform well on an IQ test and communicate it will usually send parents, teachers, and pediatricians to explore other options for a child’s unexpected or unusual behaviors. When academic work becomes more abstract and social interactions become more complex these children/adolescents begin to show more challenges in the home, school, and community settings.
Some research suggests that females are less likely to be diagnosed at a young age. A 2015 study titled “Sex and gender differences in autism spectrum disorder,” reports that symptoms of autism manifest differently in females and tend to display better functional social skills and awareness than males on the autism spectrum.
What are the early signs of autism disorder?
There are some signs to be aware of if you are unsure if your loved one may be on the autism spectrum but is undiagnosed. Some of the signs to look for are being overly anxious in social situations, appearing blunt or rude without intention, avoiding eye contact or giving uncomfortable eye contact, difficulty making and/or maintaining friendships, and difficulty understanding what others are thinking and feeling (theory of mind), having exquisite knowledge about a narrow topic of interest, engaging in strict routines and becoming dysregulated when change occurs, difficulty understanding social norms and social cues and high levels of sensory sensitivity (smells, tastes, textures).
If you think you or your loved one may have an autism spectrum disorder your physician or a mental health professional can support and guide you to find the appropriate referrals for a neuropsychological assessment. These assessments are usually completed by a clinical psychologist. When a diagnosis occurs later in life, there are appropriate therapies and ASD programs including cognitive behavioral therapy, social skills training, and behavioral therapy that can help a person to gain more insight into themselves as well as increase socially appropriate interactions and behaviors.
Having a loved one diagnosed later in life may come with guilt due to not recognizing the signs earlier. It is important to remember that receiving a diagnosis for many people that have an autism spectrum disorder begins a journey toward self-awareness and acceptance.
Many people rely on individual therapy for psychological support, but there are times when people need more support than can be provided by individual therapy alone.
Teens requiring more comprehensive mental health services may be referred to an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP). IOP may be a good treatment option for individuals in a variety of situations, including those stepping down from a Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP), on leave from school, those needing more support than once a week counseling, or those who have recently completed a hospitalization. An IOP provides an opportunity for people who are recovering from a mental illness to continue their recovery,
Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) designates a specific level of care within mental health treatment. This level of care is a “High Intensity Community Based Service”, providing additional support and therapeutic modalities. For example, IOP may include individual therapy, family therapy, group therapy, and psychiatric medication management. Teens are often “stepping down” to IOP from a Partial Hospitalization Program.
IOP is a more intensive level of care in comparison to a typical outpatient therapy setting. In IOP, clients are expected to attend treatment at a minimum of three days per week, for three hours each day. For this reason, clients who require additional support may benefit from an IOP program. Clients who are struggling to manage and cope in an outpatient therapy setting would benefit from the additional support that an IOP program provides.
In some cases, IOP serves the purpose of ensuring ongoing stabilization and support after a client completes a treatment episode in a higher level of care. In most cases, clients who are treated in a Partial Hospitalization Program will step down to an Intensive Outpatient Program at the completion of their treatment episode. A typical IOP treatment episode is completed after the course of several months.
What are the Benefits of an Intensive Outpatient Program?
An IOP program provides many benefits as clients are provided with the structure and stability necessary to assist them in meeting their treatment goals. Clients have access to their individual and family therapists throughout their day in the program. Also, their clinical team is able to observe their behaviors and symptoms daily in order to optimize their treatment. Clients receive a wide variety of experiential and therapeutic groups including, but not limited to, dialectical behavior therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, process groups, psychoeducation, art therapy, social skills groups, yoga, meditation and nutrition. An IOP program provides comprehensive and individualized support to meet each client’s unique needs.
Goals of an Intensive Outpatient Program
The goals of each IOP will vary depending upon the issue the program is designed to treat. Universal components of intensive outpatient programs include:
Teaching participants coping skills
Improving problem-solving skills
Developing enhanced self-awareness
Recognizing unhealthy behaviors
Practicing asking for and receiving support
Unlike an inpatient program, an intensive outpatient program offers participants the ability to receive treatment while still living at home and engaging in their personal lives. Teens can attend an IOP without disrupting their school, routine or relationships.
What conditions does Intensive Outpatient Program Treat?
An IOP program treats behavioral health disorders that do not require staying overnight for treatment. PHP can be an effective level of care for those who struggle with depression, anxiety, stress, trauma, Bipolar Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, school refusal, substance abuse, and many others. It can also be a healing therapeutic environment for anyone who has recently experienced an emotional crisis, abuse or neglect.
ROWI’s IOP program treats clients with a primary mental health diagnosis, as ROWI does not treat clients with a primary substance use disorder diagnosis. ROWI can provide additional support for adolescents struggling with minor substance use; however, it is not the focus of treatment. Each client participates in creating an individualized Master Treatment Plan with their Therapist to assist with collaborating and working together to help clients meet their treatment goals.
What to expect when you enter an Intensive Outpatient Program?
When you enter an IOP program, you can expect to work closely with your therapist and clinical team throughout your stay in IOP, collaborating regarding your treatment plan and working together to assist you with meeting your treatment goals. You’ll meet with your individual therapist once each week and your family therapist once every other week. Together, you will collaborate with your clinical team to decide the best time to transition to a lower level of care after IOP.
As your child approaches their teenage years, they will face a number of different challenges; both physiological and psychological. It can be difficult for your teen to navigate the variety of changes that face them from puberty and hormones to social issues like bullying and peer pressure. As a parent/caregiver, it can be just as difficult to find ways to support your teen as they move through their teenage years to ensure their health and happiness.
In order to provide support, it is important to understand the variety of challenges your teen may be facing. One of these challenges is puberty. Puberty can begin as early as age 10 or as late as age 16. Males and females will experience a variety of physical changes including but not limited to hair growth, muscle growth, changes in voice, breast development, menstruation, and acne. Other physical changes and challenges your teen may experience include changes in body shape; including height and weight. Oftentimes, when our physical appearance changes, we will experience psychological changes as well.
In addition to your teen experiencing vast bodily changes, they may also experience social and psychological issues. Socially, teens face issues of peer pressure, bullying, sexual activity, drug/alcohol use, social media pressure, etc. on a daily basis. When not properly coped with, these stressors and issues can lead to symptoms of anxiety, depression, risk-taking behaviors, and academic problems; to name a few.
All of these changes and challenges that come with growing may affect your teen’s mental health.
The below tips can provide ways to raise a happy, healthy teen:
Praise/Acknowledgement
Does your teen feel loved? Do they know that you appreciate their positive efforts? The more you acknowledge and communicate what you like in your teen, the more likely they are to continue engaging in those behaviors.
Healthy Habits (Routines and Boundaries)
Does your teen have a routine? Do they know how to set healthy boundaries with themselves and others? Does your teen spend hours glued to their electronic devices? Something as simple as ensuring that your teenager is on a consistent sleep schedule will set them up for success; academically and socially.
Appropriate Communication/Validation
How often do you openly talk with your teen? More importantly, does your teenager feel heard? When we feel validated and listened to, we are more likely to open up and communicate more effectively.
Healthy Relationships/Positive Modeling
Does your teen know what a healthy relationship looks like? Do they know how to express all of their emotions in a safe and appropriate way? How much time do you spend with your teen? One on one? As a family? Showing our teens what it means to be in a healthy relationship and how to communicate their needs is important in any individual’s journey to adulthood. What they experience as teens, will follow them in their various relationships.
Provide Some Freedom and Trust
Do you trust your teenager? Allowing your teen to make their own choices and face the consequences (good and bad) for their choices will teach them how to navigate life’s many curveballs. Not only do choices allow for many teaching lessons, it also shows your teen that you trust them.
In addition to these tips, your teen may also benefit from mental health services specifically for teens. Mental health treatment can range from weekly, talk therapy to intensive, residential programs. It is important to talk with your teen and a mental health professional to determine an appropriate level of care.
A Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) is a full day, 5 days per week, structured psychiatric outpatient treatment setting.
A PHP is specifically designed for the diagnosis and active treatment of a serious mental health condition wherein there is a reasonable expectation for improvement or when it is deemed necessary to prevent relapse or hospitalization.
Contrary to the name of this treatment program, clients do not need to attend a PHP program in a hospital setting.
A PHP program includes a variety of skill building groups and therapies.
Clients return home nightly during their time in a PHP program, as this level of care can be an alternative to being hospitalized or receiving treatment in a residential treatment center.
PHP is also a common step down from a residential treatment level of care.
ROWI’s Partial Hospitalization Program is designed for adolescents ages 12-18. ROWI’s PHP program provides a comprehensive program, which includes weekly psychiatry, twice weekly individual therapy sessions, weekly family therapy, along with an extensive variety of therapeutic and experiential group therapies. ROWI clients then transition to ROWI’s Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP).
How are outpatient care and partial hospitalization different?
Partial Hospitalization differs from an Intensive Outpatient Program in that it provides additional group therapies, additional individual and family therapies and includes weekly sessions with a psychiatrist. An Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) generally does not provide the psychiatry component. IOP is typically a 3-hour, 3 days per week program whereas PHP provides a full day, structured program. The level of care necessary is determined on a case-by-case basis to best meet the needs of the client. There is also a standard outpatient option, which is generally one to two hours per week with an individual therapist.
What are the benefits of a PHP?
A PHP program provides many benefits as clients are provided with the structure and stability necessary to assist them in meeting their treatment goals. Clients have access to their individual and family therapists throughout their day in the program. Also, their clinical team is able to observe their behaviors and symptoms daily in order to optimize their treatment. Clients receive a wide variety of experiential and therapeutic groups including, but not limited to, dialectical behavior therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, process groups, psychoeducation, art therapy, social skills groups, yoga, meditation and nutrition. A PHP program provides comprehensive and individualized support to meet each client’s unique needs.
What conditions does a partial hospitalization program treat?
A PHP program treats behavioral health disorders that do not require staying overnight for treatment. PHP can be an effective level of care for those who struggle with depression, anxiety, stress, Bipolar Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, school refusal, substance abuse, and many others. It can also be a healing therapeutic environment for anyone who has recently experienced an emotional crisis, abuse or neglect. A PHP program is also suitable for clients struggling with suicidal ideations or self-harming behaviors. PHP has shown to be effective in helping clients who struggle with managing these symptoms on their own. ROWI’s PHP program for teens treats clients with a primary mental health diagnosis, as ROWI does not treat clients with a primary substance use disorder diagnosis. ROWI can provide additional support for adolescents struggling with minor substance use; however, it is not the focus of treatment. Each client participates in creating an individualized Master Treatment Plan with their Therapist in order to assist with collaborating and working together to help clients meet their treatment goals.
What to expect when you enter a partial hospitalization program?
When you enter a PHP program, you can expect to work closely with your therapist and clinical team throughout your stay in PHP, collaborating regarding your treatment plan and working together to assist you with meeting your treatment goals. You’ll meet with your individual therapist twice each week, your family therapist once per week along with your psychiatrist weekly. Together, you will collaborate with your clinical team to decide the best time to transition to a lower level of care after PHP.
Mental Health Issues do not just go away and are often dangerously ignored. Parents do not always recognize the symptoms of mental health problems or may not be aware of how severe the problem is. Others may feel the behaviors will go away with time. Unfortunately, mental health and wellness issues must be addressed to avoid greater problems. When a teen is exhibiting these kinds of behaviors, parents should seek professional help.
Eating Disorders – Treatment is necessary as soon as any eating disorders are discovered;
Family History – If there is a history of mental illness in the family, promptly act upon concerning behaviors;
Cutting – If a teen is hurting him or herself, even if it is a one-time thing, it is important to seek help as cutting or self-harm may be a way of dealing with a serious mental health issue;
School Avoidance – When teens do not go to school on a regular basis, this is often a symptom of a broader problem;
Out of Control Behavior – If a teen’s behavior is causing chronic trouble in school or is seriously disrupting family life, it is important to get help. Disruptive, explosive or dangerous behavior can be generated by anxiety, trauma and frustration from an undiagnosed learning problem, among other things; and
Emotional Issues Over Time – if a teen seems unusually anxious or sad or irritable for a long period of time and it’s interfering with his or her ability to do things that are appropriate for kids his or her age, then it is time to get help. A teen who is seriously anxious or depressed is not just suffering, they are missing out on important parts of their teenage year.
Like other medical problems, mental issues can be diagnosed and treated. However, you do need a team of professionals to help you. ROWI Teen and Parent Wellness Centers can help you and your teen get through these tough times. ROWI offers a comprehensive outpatient program where we provide our clients with evidence-based individual and group therapy as well as holistic treatments including mindfulness training, meditation, yoga, surf, equine, art and improvisational therapies, among others. We also have in-house schools and accredited teachers at each of our locations to allow our teens to catch-up in school and get back on track.
