Day Treatment Programs

Day treatment or partial hospitalization programs provide children with emotional disorders an opportunity to participate in intensive non-residential programs and in many cases prevent hospitalization or placement in a residential facility. Children live at home but go to a hospital or other community agency for some part of the day for their treatment. Many day treatment programs contain their own school component; others are designed for after-school hours.

Typically, youngsters participate in day treatment programs for a least five hours a day and for at least one school year, but often more and longer. Some programs operate on an 11- or 12-month basis. Usually children in a partial program have been through a variety of less restrictive special education programs in the school system. Children who are inpatients of a psychiatric hospital may attend the program with other children who are living at home. Many day treatment programs are physically located at the school site. In this case, they often have a wing of their own, which includes classrooms and office space. Other programs are run in community MH/MR centers or community agencies or on the grounds of hospitals.

Day Treatment Services

Day treatment brings together a broad range of services, allowing a coherent and consistent treatment plan to be developed. The specific features of day programs vary but typically include the following components:

• Special education, usually in small classes with a strong emphasis on individualized instruction.
• Counseling, which may include individual and group therapy.
• Family services, which may include family counseling, brief individual counseling with parents, and assistance with specific needs such as transportation, housing, or medical attention.
• Vocational training, particularly for adolescents.
• Crisis intervention, to help turn difficult situations into constructive outcomes.
• Skill-building, with a focus on promoting success through the use of positive reinforcement procedures.
• Recreational, art, and music therapy to further aid in the social and emotional development of the youngster.

Parents are referred to these programs either by the community MH/MR center where their child is currently receiving services, their private therapist, or through their child's school. If your child has been hospitalized, a day treatment program may be suggested as part of the after-care plan. If you feel a program such as this would be appropriate for your child, discuss this with your child's therapist, social worker, or counselor at your child's school.

Since day treatment programs vary, it is important that you find out the specific services offered at a particular location. It is helpful to prepare a list of questions prior to meeting with the staff, such as:

• How is the day structured?
• If it is an educational program as well as a treatment program, how much time is spent on academic instruction?
• Does my child need a new Individualized Education Plan (IEP)?
• Who will be my child's primary therapist?
• How many hours of therapy will my child receive each week?
• If my child already has a therapist at the community MH/MR center, will that person continue to see my child in therapy?
• What do I do in a crisis?
• Who do I call in the middle of the night?
• How many children are in a group?
• How many staff?
• Is vocational training included in the program?
• When my child is ready to leave the program can he or she continue to work with the therapist?
• Who are the staff members and what is their training?

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