Children and Adolescents

Treatment for Children and Adolescents

Children and adolescents experience many physical and emotional changes. But for some, life becomes overwhelming due to underlying depression, family conflicts or reactions to stress, trauma or abuse. At Clarion Psychiatric Center, we assist children and adolescents in developing effective coping skills and building self-esteem so they may return to productive, fulfilling lives in their homes, schools and communities.

Children and adolescents are treated in a designated unit and are segregated from adults at all times. Our facility also includes a separate education wing for school, an outdoor courtyard and a full-service gymnasium.

Services

Inpatient hospitalization can benefit children and adolescents who are in need of short-term crisis stabilization and treatment in a secure, therapeutic environment. These patients generally require more structured support and consistent medical supervision. Treatment may incorporate a discharge plan, and a step-down to our Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP).

Partial hospitalization may be the right fit for youth who would benefit from the structure and support of inpatient treatment, but who are able to return home after programming. Our Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) for children and adolescents is designed to offer treatment by day, allowing patients to return home at night.

A level of care, confidential assessment can help us determine the right level of care for you or a loved one. Call us at 814-226-9545 to learn more.

Creating a balanced day through treatment

In addition to creating a balanced day for children and adolescents using specific reinforcement models, we also promote staff knowledge of behavior management principles (e.g., schedules of reinforcement, operationalizing behaviors, shaping of behaviors and positive reinforcement), enhance critical thinking skills with challenging patients, facilitate positive staff to patient relationships and reinforce patient participation in active treatment. Other key elements of our balanced approach to treatment include a robust and compliant schedule, clinical and evidence-based driven group programming and a collaborative treatment planning approach.

This program clearly defines a set of tasks and behaviors for patients to complete, and upon completion, they are awarded an electronic token. Clarion Psychiatric Center has set shopping days in which patients are provided the opportunity to spend their earnings. In addition to a set schedule of reinforcement, this robust program includes intermittent reinforcement opportunity by means of a shaping coin. This shaping coin is awarded by staff who observe a patient engaging in a kind behavior, a helpful behavior or even a positive behavior that may be new for the patient.