About Residential Treatment

Students at Youth Care adolescent residential treatment center participate in a level system. This system is designed to help the students increase their focus in such areas as positive communication, positive social relationships and self respect. Students earn points throughout the day through positive behaviors, such as compliance with rules, respecting themselves and others, and working on individual treatment goals. The immediate reinforcement helps students correct poor behaviors. When sufficient points are earned, students will progress and receive privileges as listed below. Parents will receive an update weekly which will include information about their child's current level, school performance, therapy progress, as well as faculty comments.

Level System

Upon arrival to Youth Care, your son or daughter will begin on Orientation Level. This level allows the student to acclimate to the program and allows Youth Care staff to get to know the student. Your child will then work through Levels 1-5. Rules for each level are available from an admissions counselor.

Advancement

Each level has a designated number of daily steps. Your child will advance through these steps by earning the required daily points. Once they have completed all the steps in their current level, they may advance to the next level, provided they have completed all of the therapy assignments that are assigned for that level.

Feedback

Asking for feedback is an important skill to learn. Students have the opportunity to earn feedback cards by asking staff for feedback, recording the feedback as they heard it, then repeating it back to staff. They can use feedback cards to purchase items and privileges from the student store.

Losing a Level or Step

There are times when a student may make poor choices that require the suspension of privileges. Students may lose a daily step if they participate in such behaviors as lying, stealing, note passing, and not participating in level activities. When a student loses a step, their privileges are “frozen” for a period of 48 hours and they are not permitted to advance during that time. When students engage in serious behaviors, such as hurting others, leaving the facility without permission, or having contraband items, they may lose a level. This decision is made by the treatment team. When a student loses a level, there are therapeutic assignments that must be completed before advancing back to their previous level.