Adolescent Psychiatric Services: Youth Partial Care in New Jersey

Youth partial care in New Jersey is an intensive outpatient program that provides therapeutic services in a treatment center for adolescents who are experiencing psychiatric symptoms, have conditions that negatively impact their daily functioning, or who may need inpatient care if their emotional or behavioral issues aren’t addressed. Partial care programs are well-suited to these types of circumstances, because they provide highly structured and intensive day treatment for youths with mental health disorders or emotional disturbances.

Youth partial care in New Jersey is meant to stabilize an adolescent’s acute symptoms, so the program is time limited. Typically, youth partial outpatient programs last 10-12 weeks. Youth partial care is well-suited as a transition out of residential care or to stabilize a condition to avoid hospitalization.

While state law allows programs offering youth partial care in New Jersey to admit young adults up to the age of 21, High Focus Center programs are for teens between the ages of 13 to 17.¹

What Does Youth Partial Care in New Jersey Include?

The program uses therapeutic methods to treat all of an adolescent’s issues to allow them to reach their full potential.² Once an assessment has been completed, the treatment plan is created and may include individual counseling, group counseling, life skills training, recreational activities, medication management, advocacy and case management. For the family, the treatment plan may include family therapy, education on psychological and behavioral topics, individual counseling and parenting skills training.

Parents of adolescents in youth partial care in New Jersey participate each week in family therapy sessions. Families work as a whole with therapists who provide them with education, support and guidance on how to approach their child’s situation.

Weekly Treatment Schedules

A youth partial care program provides a full day of treatment every day on weekdays. A customized program might consist of:

• 5 days of treatment per week for 6 hours each day
• 4 group therapy sessions each day
• 2 individual therapy sessions per week
• Daily dialectical behavior therapy group sessions
• Tutoring
• Transportation to and from the treatment center

Tutoring sessions can count toward school attendance. Provisions are usually made to continue an adolescent’s education while attending a youth partial care program in New Jersey, in compliance with the rules and regulations set by state law.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Dialectical behavior therapy is a therapeutic process to help adolescents who suffer from mood disorders and emotional disturbances, such as self-harming and suicidal ideation. Dialectical behavior therapy helps youths better regulate their emotions and thoughts by learning about the triggers that lead to reactions. Dialectical behavior therapy teaches youths how to utilize coping skills to help avoid undesirable reactions.³

The treatment center develops a discharge plan for adolescents, which is implemented once they complete the program. A discharge plan may include further appointments with psychiatrists and therapists, if needed.

References:

1. http://www.performcarenj.org/pdf/provider/clinicalcriteria/partial-care-services.pdf
2. https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/bottoms/201609/what-is-dbt