Day Treatment Program for Youth

For more than 30 years, Youth Care Treatment Center in Utah has been a premier provider of residential treatment for adolescents or teens who are struggling with substance abuse, addiction, and a wide range of mental health issues. Our day treatment program is one of the many options that we offer for young people in crisis.

Day Treatment Program Overview

Introduction to day treatment for adolescents

Our youth day treatment program is designed for adolescents ages 13-17. The program is open to both boys and girls.

Services in the day treatment program for youth are comprehensive in scope, yet personalized to the unique needs of each adolescent who is entrusted into our care. The program can meet the needs of young people whose lives have been impacted by substance abuse, addiction, and a variety of additional mental and behavioral health challenges.

The day treatment program for youth provides care from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Mondays through Fridays. In addition to various therapeutic activities, the adolescent partial hospitalization program at Youth Care also includes breakfast and lunch each day.

A typical length of stay in our youth day treatment program is six weeks. However, the amount of time that any young person remains in our adolescent partial hospitalization program is determined solely by what’s best for them.

Is Day Treatment Right for Your Child?

Help determining whether our day treatment program is right for your son or daughter

The Youth Care day adolescent partial hospitalization program whose lives have been impacted by a variety of mental and behavioral health challenges. The following are among the more common concerns that prompt parents to bring their youth to our day treatment program:

  • Anxiety
  • Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
  • Trauma
  • Reactive attachment disorder
  • Depression
  • Personality disorders
  • Substance abuse and addiction
  • Social withdrawal
  • Self-harm

Please note that this is not a comprehensive list of all disorders or challenges that we are prepared to treat via our day treatment program for youth. All admissions decisions are made on a case-by-case basis to ensure that the Youth Care day treatment program is the ideal healing environment for each adolescent.

If you think that your child would benefit from our day treatment services, please contact us at your convenience. A friendly and knowledgeable member of our team is available to answer your questions and help you decide whether day treatment at Youth Care is the ideal option for your child.

Types of Therapy

Our day treatment program for youth features multiple types of therapy

Depending upon your son’s or daughter’s specific needs, their personalized treatment plan may include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), motivational interviewing, 12-Step services, and various additional interventions as necessary.

These therapeutic approaches may be incorporated into individual, group, experiential, and family therapy sessions. The following are the types of therapies and services that may be included in your child’s personalized treatment plan in the Youth Care day treatment program for youth:

Medical services: Medical care for. participants in the day treatment program may be provided by a psychiatrist, registered nurses (RNs), and emergency medical technicians (EMTs). Adolescents who need assistance with diabetes monitoring may receive this service throughout their time in day treatment. Also, young people in our day treatment program whose mental or behavioral health symptoms are treated with prescription medications can receive medication management services.

Individual therapy: When your child is receiving care in our day treatment program, they’ll take part in two individual therapy sessions each week. Individual therapy can be an optimal opportunity for your son or daughter to address issues or concerns that they may be hesitant to talk about in a group setting.

During individual therapy, your child can process successes and setbacks, ask questions about treatment, and receive focused feedback from a member of their treatment team. Individual therapy sessions within the day treatment program for youth are conducted by master’s-level therapists.

Group therapy: Groups provide a wide range of benefits to adolescents who have been struggling with mental or behavioral health challenges. Groups are structured and supportive forums in which your child can share their thoughts, learn from the insights and experiences of others, and practice productive communication skills, all with the guidance and supervision of an experienced professional.

Common types of groups for adolescents in the day treatment program include process groups, substance abuse groups, pet therapy groups, recreational groups, and specialty groups. Depending upon the type of groups, they may be led by master’s-level therapists, recreational therapists, substance abuse counselors, or other qualified professionals.

During your child’s time in the day treatment facility at Youth Care, they’ll have the opportunity to participate in a variety of groups. The day treatment program typically features three to four groups per day. Issues addressed during groups include mood regulation, healthy coping skills, interpersonal effectiveness, and related topics.

Family therapy: When adolescents struggle with mental or behavioral health challenges, the entire family can be impacted. At Youth Care, we understand this, and we appreciate the important role that family members can play in a young person’s treatment and recovery. For this reason, we offer weekly family therapy sessions.

During family therapy, you can process how you’ve been affected by your child’s struggles. You’ll also have a supportive environment in which to address issues that may have been undermining your family’s ability to best support each other, and learn how to function as a healthier unit.

Experiential therapy: Experiential therapies are interactive, dynamic endeavors that can be particularly effective at engaging adolescents. Experiential therapies provide young people with healthy and productive ways to express their emotions and process their feelings. These therapies can also introduce adolescents to more beneficial ways to fill their leisure hours.

When your son or daughter participates in day treatment facility at Youth Care, they’ll have the opportunity to take part in regularly scheduled experiential therapy. Common types of experiential therapies in our day treatment program include recreational therapy and music therapy.

Continued Support

Discharge planning promotes continued progress for your child

Day treatment at Youth Care can be an invaluable experience for a young person who has been struggling with a mental or behavioral health disorder. However, we realize that for many adolescents, their time with us will be just one part of their recovery journey.

To promote continued progress following treatment, we provide detailed discharge plans for all adolescents who heal with us. As your child nears the end of their time in day treatment at Youth Care, you’ll meet with a member of the treatment team to review this plan.

The contents of your child’s discharge plan will be customized according to the needs that brought them to Youth Care and the progress they made while in our day treatment program. Depending upon these factors, the discharge plan may include recommendations for step-down programming, referrals to traditional outpatient services, connections with community-based resources, and similar information.

The day your son or daughter enters day treatment at Youth Care, we’ll begin to focus on their continued progress. Our discharge planning services are just one part of our effort to ensure that your child is best prepared to experience long-term success.

Marks of Quality Care
  • American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM)
  • Cognia
  • National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP)
  • The Joint Commission (JCAHO) Gold Seal of Approval

I chose to come here myself. Through the level system here, I was able to make it to level 5 (the highest level) by my last day. I’ve been to the behavioral health pavilion of the hospital 6 times, and none of those times were even close to as helpful to me as Youth Care. I’m extremely grateful to have such a place. Thank you for everything.

– Jo M.