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 Treatment Programs NEW CHOICES Treatment for Boys with General Psychiatric Disorders and Lower Cognitive Functioning (IQ55-75) The New Choices Program is for low-functioning male adolescents who present with significant emotional and/or behavioral issues. The New Choices Program encourages the development of pro-social behavior and adaptive living skills by teaching problem-solving and coping skills that emphasize respect for the rights of others and society. The program is designed to include an array of therapies and behavior-modification techniques aimed at eliminating antisocial behavior and encouraging healthy emotional functioning. Our comprehensive programming provides round-the-clock clinical and milieu interventions which are specifically targeted for low-functioning adolescents who have emotional and behavioral difficulties. We have learned that successful treatment for lower functioning adolescents can only occur within an environment that provides a high level of structure, consistency, and supervision coupled with respect, nurturance, and acceptance. The assessment and treatment of each child is individualized and reflects a bio-psychosocial approach. A multidisciplinary treatment plan is developed for each child, based on the resident's assets, with a focus on behavioral, psychological, social, medical, familial, intellectual, and educational deficits. Based on ongoing assessment and the resulting clinical formulation, the treatment plan is then developed as the central management tool for organizing and directing the course of treatment. A strong, multidisciplinary treatment team approach is the cornerstone of our program. Teams of clinical, medical, and educational staff meet weekly to review resident progress and consider treatment interventions. All critical case decisions are made through this team to ensure a consistent therapeutic course. We also believe it is critical to engage the family as full partners in treatment and urge parent’s active participation in the treatment planning process. The New Choices Program recognizes the need for adolescents to remain connected to their communities throughout the treatment process. Whenever treatment allows, clients participate in community activities that emphasize normalization and social skills. Discharge planning begins at referral, and treatment goals are developed with the target step-down placement in mind. The general philosophy and treatment model of the New Choices Program is designed to reduce the maladaptive behaviors often associated with mental illness and prepare each resident for community reintegration or transition to a lower level of care. Each child receives round-the-clock programming aimed at improving multiple areas of adaptive functioning. Problem-solving and communication skills of the individual resident are continually assessed in order to tailor interventions to meet specific needs. Role-play and other experiential techniques, ideal for non-reading and/or non-verbal individuals, are employed. These exercises are designed to increase the resident's understanding and retention of material taught, while increasing each child’s’ level of accountability for their behavior. Residents are expected to improve their ability to problem solve while practicing making new choices concerning their behavior. Extensive experiential exercises and behavioral rehearsal are employed to help each resident actualize important concepts. Lack of cognitive sophistication and poor ability to integrate and internalize material make it difficult for some residents to abstract and generalize the information to different environments. In these situations, the program strives to develop a minimum moral developmental level of "law and order" or "cause and effect" in every resident. Specific training programs target transitional and independent living skills to help residents take the newly learned knowledge and generalize it to future and different environments. The New Choices Program is designed so that treatment progress correlates with movement from higher levels of restrictiveness to lesser levels of restrictiveness. As the multidisciplinary treatment team assesses the resident's progress toward treatment goals, changes in level of supervision, privileges, and time in the community will occur. For example, shadowing during community activities begins at a very intensive level and is eventually reduced as the residents demonstrate the ability to manage their behavior in the community. Staff, family members, and referring community agencies are encouraged to participate in all aspects of the treatment process to ensure shared goals and improve resident motivation throughout the treatment process. Quarterly formal treatment plan reviews ensure continual, detailed charting of each resident’s progress along the way. The clinical course of treatment is designed with the anticipated step-down placement in mind. Aftercare consultation is available to referring or aftercare agencies to ensure a smooth transition and increase the likelihood of successful reintegration. |
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