Desert Parkway offers short-term, acute care services to meet the needs of adolescents, ages 12 through 17, who are struggling with emotional and psychological problems.
Adolescents are treated and cared for by licensed professionals whose combined specialties focus on dealing with depression, substance abuse, aggression, rebellion, self-injury and suicidal behaviors. Our hospital offers a safe and secure environment staffed with caring and highly trained professionals, providing an atmosphere that promotes stabilization and healing.
Common reasons to seek inpatient treatment are:
- Mood disorders (Depression, Bipolar Disorder)
- Anxiety disorders (Generalized Anxiety, Panic Disorder)
- Suicidal thoughts or attempt
- Self-harm behaviors
- Threatened, attempted or engaged in physical violence to others
- Substance abuse
- Delusions, hallucinations
- Patients needing medication stabilization
Every adolescent client who is admitted to our hospital will receive an in-depth assessment. This assessment will help evaluate the patient’s functioning as well as the patient’s physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual strengths and needs. They will work with our psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and therapists to create an individualized treatment plan that addresses their specific needs.
During treatment, each adolescent is assigned a Patient Care Manager, who serves as a point of contact for the family, community support representatives, or other outpatient providers. Over the course of treatment, our Patient Care Managers establish needs for ongoing services as a part of the treatment planning process, by coordinating services that are tailored to the child and family. Parents, guardians, or caregivers are offered training and psychoeducation support to better understand their child’s ongoing behavioral health needs post-discharge from the hospital. It is our mission to help families identify both natural and community supports that will help the adolescent best acclimate back into day to day activities after hospitalization.
Aurora’s adolescent program focuses on helping our patients understand their thoughts, emotions and needs. The goal of inpatient treatment for the adolescent is to effectively deal with the crisis, reduce the symptoms, develop more appropriate behavior and learn effective coping and social skills. Our highly trained staff focuses on empowering adolescents by helping and educating them to:
- Accept responsibility for their behavior
- Consider the consequences of their behavior
- Examine their values
- Develop effective communication skills
Through a strength-based approach to treatment, we provide education on mental health and wellness to our patients and work with them on identifying and practicing the use of healthy coping skills. We work with each patient as an individual, addressing each of their unique needs through a multidisciplinary treatment approach. Adolescents will gain skills in the areas of developing healthy boundaries, learning how to appropriately express emotions, using effective communication skills, increasing self-esteem, managing anger and developing social skills.
Aurora recognizes the need for a holistic approach to treatment which offers multiple avenues for engaging patents in the treatment process including:
- Intensive assessment and evaluation
- Medication management
- Group, individual and family therapy sessions
- Recreational and expressive therapies
- Art Therapy
- Music Therapy
- Movement Therapy (yoga, tai chi, meditation)
- Stress management and coping skill groups
- Patient education to improve understanding of the illness
- Chaplain services and spirituality groups
- Aftercare and discharge planning
It is our goal to provide patients with new healthy skills that they will use for life after they are discharged from the hospital.
