Do you need to find treatment for a child in need and are wondering how to find youth residential treatment centers and facilities that would be appropriate? Learn the types of treatment available for children and at-risk teens, how to find treatment facilities in your area, and what qualifies a child for different types of treatment.
- What is a Youth Residential Treatment Facility?
- What are the Reasons a Child is Placed in Residential Care?
- What Types of Treatment are Available for Children in Residential Care?
- Residential Treatment Facility (RTF)
- Residential Treatment Center (RTC)
- Group Homes
- Wilderness Programs
- Bootcamps & Military Schools
- Therapeutic Boarding Schools
- Specialized and Sexualized Behavior Treatment
- Drug and Alcohol Treatment
- Eating Disorder Treatment
- Intellectually Disabled (ID)
- Attachment Disorder Treatment
- Criminal
- Mental Health
- Transitional
- Autism /Pervasive Development Disorder
- Behavioral
- Therapeutic Foster Care and Teaching Family Homes
- Crisis Residence
- How Do I Find Youth Residential Treatment Centers Near Me?
- What is In-Patient Care vs. Residential Care?
- What are the Best Child Residential Treatment Centers?
- What is Residential Treatment for Children Like?
- Does Residential Treatment Work for Children?
What is a Youth Residential Treatment Facility?
A youth or child residential treatment facility is one where a child or teen lives outside of the home and community, staying at the treatment center around the clock for care in a supervised situation.
According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry,
Residential treatment programs provide intensive help for youth with serious emotional and behavior problems. While receiving residential treatment, children temporarily live outside of their homes and in a facility where they can be supervised and monitored by trained staff.
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
What are the Reasons a Child is Placed in Residential Care?
No parent desires for their child to stay at a residential treatment center, but there are times it is necessary for approrpiate treatment or the safety of the child.
Here are some reasons a child or youth is placed in residential care:
What determines that a child needs a residential placement? The following may be what is necessary for a child to receive a long-term residential placement:
- Danger to self (suicidal or extreme self-harm) or others
- Safety issues
- Psychosis
- A crime is committed
- Short-term hospitalization is not enough to stabilize the child’s mental health
- Drug and alcohol abuse
- Severe mental health issues that pose a risk of harm to self or others
- Severe anxiety or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) to the severity that the child cannot function at home or in society
- Behavioral issues such as rage, violence, and aggression, including Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) and Conduct Disorder (CD)
- Sexualized behavior
- Drug and alcohol abuse
- Eating disorders
- Suicidal threats or attempts
- Self-harming behaviors
- Attachment disorders and Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD)
The exception to this would be a facility where you privately pay. Private residential treatment centers, wilderness programs, boot camps for youth, military schools, and boarding schools who specialize in behavior issues will often accommodate accepting a child if payment can be arranged.
What Types of Treatment are Available for Children in Residential Care?
There are many types of residential and group homes for kids. Here are some of the most widely available types of residential care for children. Keep in mind that names and types of treatment available will be different depending on where you live.
Residential Treatment Facility (RTF)
A residential treatment facility is a place where a child lives 24/7, outside of the home environment, while receiving mental health care. This care is part of the services offered by the Department of Mental Health for the state where you live. Funding is typically provided by insurance, Medicaid, and the foster care system. The focus of this type of treatment is to provide long-term mental health care.
Residential treatment differs from inpatient care in that residential care is meant to be for a longer amount of time. While some inpatient programs will keep children for 30 days or more, most offer short-term treatment of less than 30 days.
RTFs are considered a subclass of a sub-class of a psychiatric hospitalization. They are longer term and have all clinical services built in.
All residential treatment centers have the goal of the child staying in residential treatment for the shortest time as possible, typically no more than 9-12 months.
RTFs are licensed by OMH (Office of Mental Health).
Residential Treatment Center (RTC)
Residential Treatment Centers are typically funded by the court system and may be called Juvenile Detention (“Juvie”), JJ, Department of Juvenile Justice, or Family Court. When a child is placed through the juvenile justice program, a crime has been committed and a judge determines placement. These placements are typically more of a jail-type setting and less therapeutic, but this is not always true.
RTCs are licensed by the Office of Child and Family Services (OCFS).
This explains the difference between an RTF and an RTC.
Group Homes
A group home for youth is a facility where the children or teens live in a family-type setting. The facility typically has a kitchen, living area, and bedrooms. Children are expected to complete chores and interact with other youth. Group homes can be for behavior issues, mental health issues, transitional, or for children with developmental delays or autism.
Typically, children in group homes participate in outings and community activities with supervision.
Wilderness Programs
Wilderness programs provide a treatment program for youth and teens in an outdoor environment. The goal of wilderness programs is to provide challenging experiences that bring about self-improvement and healing.
Most nature programs have therapists and trained staff. Wilderness programs are almost always self-pay and not covered by insurance. Click here for a listing of wilderness programs by state.
Bootcamps & Military Schools
Military schools offer structure and discipline in a controlled environment. Teens live at the school. While not meant to be a rehabilitation program per say, some children with behavior challenges thrive because of the structure.
While some mental health services may be provided, this is not the main focus of a military school. Military school is a private, parochial school and is self-pay.
Click here for a listing of military schools by state and click here for a listing of military schools that accept girls.
Therapeutic Boarding Schools
Therapeutic boarding schools provide highly structured live-in school situations for children and youth with behavior issues. The goal is providing a nurturing environment where teens and young adults can learn the skills to live up to their full potential.
While some programs accept insurance, most are private and self-pay. Click here for more information on therapeutic boarding schools for children and teens.
Specialized and Sexualized Behavior Treatment
Specialized programs are for children with sexually deviant behavior. The programs may be part of a large treatment facility or may be a stand-alone program. These programs provide highly structured supervision and treatment specifically geared toward stopping the sexualized behavior.
Drug and Alcohol Treatment
Drug and Alcohol Treatment programs offer live-in support for youth and teens with substance abuse issues. These programs may be in a hospital, group home, or treatment facility.
Eating Disorder Treatment
Eating Disorder Treatment programs offer live-in support for youth and teens with bulimia, anorexia and other eating disorders. These programs may be in a hospital, group home, or treatment facility.
Click here to learn more about eating disorder treatment for children.
Intellectually Disabled (ID)
Treatment programs for Intellectual Disability is for children with an IQ of less than 70 and meet the criteria of this diagnosis. Typically, in order to be diagnosed as ID, a child must show deficits in accomplishing activities of daily living (ADL).
Focus is on creating a safe environment with the appropriate level of supervision while giving children as much freedom as possible. Treatment may include focus on life skills and engaging with the community.
Attachment Disorder Treatment
Attachment Disorder Treatment is specifically for children with Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD), Insecure and Avoidant Attachment Disorders. Most children with attachment issues come from the foster and adoptive system, but this isn’t always true.
Criminal
If a child has committed a crime, the court system may place the child in a youth residential placement. Typically the type of treatment center will be one as mentioned above, especially RTF facilities.
Mental Health
A residential treatment placement for youth with mental health issues will be one as described above, with the focus on diagnosis, treatment management, and developing skills to copy with the mental health issue or disorder.
Transitional
A transitional placement for youth, sometimes called a “half way house” or “step down” placement is one where the child is moving from a highly structured residential setting but is not yet ready to live at home or in the community.
Often transitional placements are in a group home. A student is given more freedom that the previous placement but still receives monitoring and supervision.
Autism /Pervasive Development Disorder
A placement for autism is a residential care setting for children with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder or PDD. Click here for a listing of autism residential treatment by state.
Behavioral
A behavioral placement is one where the primary concern for the child is behavioral issues and not mental health or autism diagnosis. A youth who needs this setting is often violent or aggressive and may have committed a crime.
Therapeutic Foster Care and Teaching Family Homes
Therapeutic Foster Care is a foster care placement for a child who is unable to live at home. The goal of therapueutic foster care is to care for the child in a home setting with foster parents who are trained to manage the behavior.
Family Teaching Homes have the same goal and may be a foster care setting or may be through a private organization.
Crisis Residence
A Crisis Residence is for children who need a short-term placement outside of the family home. Typically these placements are less than 30 days and the goal is to either move the child back home or into a residential placement.
How Do I Find Youth Residential Treatment Centers Near Me?
Are you looking for residential treatment centers near you? Here are helpful resources.
- SAMSA Treatment Locator – U. S. Substances Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSA) has a helpful behavior treatment center locator you can access here. Type in your zip code and you will find a list of all the treatment centers in your area.
- Department of Mental Health – Every county in the United States has a Department of Mental Health. Call the department from the county where you live and ask for help receiving services for a child in need.
- Insurance – Whether it’s Medicaid or private insurance, a call to your insurance company will provide a list of treatment centers in your area that are covered with your plan.
- Referral – Ask for a referral to location treatment centers from your therapist, doctor, pediatrician, psychiatrist, or fellow parents who have children with similar behaviors.
- Hire an expert. Click here to learn more about hiring an attorney, advocate, or educational consultant for residential or boarding school placement and get a list of experts recommended by fellow parents.
What is In-Patient Care vs. Residential Care?
In-Patient services are 24/7 support and monitoring of a child in a hospital setting. While there are some exceptions (such as eating disorder treatment and drug and alcohol withdrawal management), most hospitals are not equipped for a child to stay for more than a few weeks.
The goal of an in-patient setting is to stabilize the child’s behavior and medication and then move the youth into a more appropriate setting, whether that is home or residential care.
Click here to learn more about if your child need inpatient treatment.
What are the Best Child Residential Treatment Centers?
There is no one ranking system for the best residential treatment facilities for youth and children. You can call the National Institute of Mental Health or access their services here, and SAMSA has a free 1-800 number you can call to ask further questions.
In my experience, referrals from fellow parents, doctors, and therapists are the most helpful.
What is Residential Treatment for Children Like?
In residential treatment, children are in a controlled environment with high levels of supervision.
Here’s what that might look like:
- Most residential facilities are locked, meaning the child cannot leave without supervision by staff, although this isn’t always the case, especially with group homes or transitional placements.
- Many centers have a small school within the program. The school legally must follow the guidelines of any otherschool,l and the Individual Education Plan (IEP) must be followed, if there is one.
- Often children in residential treatment go on outings in the community in order to work on socialization.
- Children may live in units or cottages.
- Most programs include a behavior system with positive reinforcement, rewards, and consequences.
- Most facilities have the legal right to restrain children physically if the child is dangerous to himself or others.
- Unless circumstances dictate otherwise, most programs encourage family interaction and have standard visiting times. Therapists and program directions stay in communication with parents. There are regular meetings to discuss the child’s progress.
Does Residential Treatment Work for Children?
Although treatment can help some individuals, the truth is that residential treatment has overall poor success rates. Children do best in families and within the community. Because of this, all systems (government, insurance) are designed to keep a child at home whenever possible.
Residential treatment is also incredibly expensive and so is seen as a last resort and is reserved for those children most in need.
Mental health treatment tends to have higher success rates than juvenile justice system placements.
Still, there are times when residential treatment is necessary, especially when the child is in crisis or a danger to himself or others. We provide these resources to help you find an appropriate placement for the child in your care.
Do you have a child who needs residential care? Share about it in the comments below.
Click here for a free PDF printable checklist of the 7 steps to take when your child needs residential treatment.
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This is for my 13 year old grandson Rads, Anxiety, ODD
Dawn, check out the listings here to look for a placement for your grandson – https://parentingstronger.com/reactive-attachment-disorder-treatment-centers/
He is un a behaveriol program also attends Day trestment program he has been ro The ER he has been in a police car Iam looking for a 30 days program before something happens He lives with me I have Custody his insurance is medicaid
Look at this listing for possible placement options – https://parentingstronger.com/reactive-attachment-disorder-treatment-centers/
Do you have a list of centers that treat children with sexually reactive behaviors?
Hi Michelle, We don’t have a list for this yet but one is in process! Look for centers with “specialized” treatment in your area as this is sometimes the wording used. Here is one resource to help – https://ncsby.org/content/finding-right-treatment#Impatient
Looking for placement for my 16 yo old with several diagnoses for mental health. ODD/ADHA/autism/conduct disorder
Here is a helpful post for autism – https://parentingstronger.com/residential-treatment-autism/
Some other possible placement options – https://parentingstronger.com/reactive-attachment-disorder-treatment-centers/ Hope this helps.
We are trying to find a placement for my 11 year old son with IDD and several other mental health and behavioral disorders. Finding anywhere that will even consider a child with IDD is almost impossible.
Here’s a helpful link – https://parentingstronger.com/residential-treatment-autism/
Hi I’m looking for residential treatment options for individuals at any age with IDD, severe mental, and severe behaviors in the state of Colorado
Here’s a helful post – https://parentingstronger.com/residential-treatment-autism/
Actually, you kinda have RTCs and RTFs backwards. In NYS at least, RTCs are typically utilized by youth in public custody (DSS, Foster Care due to cost) and tend to be less intensively focused on mental health treatment, though they do offer this. RTFs are an intensive treatment program and considered a sub-class of a psychiatric hospitalization (longer term, all clinical services built in). I’ve worked in residential programs in NYS for years. RTCs are licensed by OCFS typically, while RTFs are licensed by OMH (Office of Mental Health).
Thanks for this helpful clarification!
Looking for residential for 19 year old son who failed to launch in first semester of college. Inability to manage ADL’s and med management. Unable to live independently. Diagnosis is Aspergers, GAD, severe ADHD. Psychiatrist thinks there could be some antisocial personality disorder issues. Younger brother recently disclosed sexual abuse when he was younger by the older brother. Legally he can’t be in the home and can’t find placement. He’s living in an extended stay hotel. We need immediate placement even if it’s short term before finding long term. He has private insurance but we are working on getting Medicaid. Currently in NC but open to other states.
Try these 2 listings for possibilities. https://parentingstronger.com/reactive-attachment-disorder-treatment-centers/ and https://parentingstronger.com/residential-treatment-autism/
I don’t know if this will help but there is a psychiatric er in Charlotte that takes kids ages 4-17 I think and adults as well. They would admit him to the unit after eval and a social worker would work with you guys and insurance to find in or out of state placement. They found me a placement after about 30 days when I was 15.
Do you know of any agressive residental treatment centers that address both mental health and behavioral issues. My 13 year old boy needs something extreme (per his therapist) anywhere in the U.S.?
I recommend looking at treatment centers in this post. Even if your child doesn’t have this diagnosis, these are the placements that handle the most challenging behaviors – https://parentingstronger.com/reactive-attachment-disorder-treatment-centers/
Do you have any recommendations for an 11 year old boy with DMDD? He spent 9 months in a Lakeland Residential Facility, came home for 10 days and just had another major episode. His family lives in Kansas and his father is in the military.
I recommend looking at one of these centers. They are best equipped to deal with this type of explosive behavior. https://parentingstronger.com/reactive-attachment-disorder-treatment-centers/
Do you know of a residential treatment center for our adopted 12 year old daughter? She struggles with abandonment issues and she also has ODD. She has been 4 times to a week-long stabilization facility and that works for a little while. She also suffers from suicidal ideation.
Since she’s adopted, I would consider looking into one of these resources for her – https://parentingstronger.com/reactive-attachment-disorder-treatment-centers/ Even if she doesn’t have a diagnosis of RAD, these are the treatment centers best equipped to handle her needs.
I need help finding a facility that takes troubled girls at the age of 11. My daughter is out of control she skips class disrespect me and her father refuses to do any chores she hangs around the wrong type of behavior in school.
What is her diagnosis?
Looking for help, 14 year old son, diagnosed and medicated for sever adhd, ODD, just completely defiant. Failing all classes in school, been in outpatient counseling for 3 years, nothing working. Just keeps getting worse. Refuses to attend school. Refuses to basically do anything. Including taking care of himself. Hygiene, mental health. Self harm is a thing but not cutting, he bangs his head off the walls. His school counselor and teachers and principal set up a personalized education plan to see if that would help, we did that halfway through the school year last year and instead of helping it completely went the opposite way and he became more defiant. We’re struggling for help. We’ve asked the school and his counselor he sees out of school to help us get him in a residential treatment and because he’s not physically hurting himself or others even though we told them he does bang his head off the walls, it’s not drastic enough. He needs help. We’re trying to help but we’re getting nowhere.
I’m sorry you are going through this. I know it’s really frustrating! Do you not give up on advocating for your son. Here is a list of some good treatment centers, as well as a great article with parenting tips written by a mom who has a child with ODD. I hope these help. https://parentingstronger.com/residential-treatment-oppositional-defiant-disorder/ and https://parentingstronger.com/parenting-strategies-oppositional-defiant-disorder/
My adopted son is only 5 yrs old and already diagnosed with Austism, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum, ADHD and ODD. His behaviors at home include severe defiance and aggression. What do you recommend and are there any residential homes for children this young?
Hi Ivis, Please check out this post which is treatment programs that specifically treat younger children – https://parentingstronger.com/residential-programs-young-children/ I hope you are able to find what you need for your son.
Typical treatment for ODD = parent management therapy (PMT) to teach parents how to change their child’s behavior and monitor their own reactions to their child’s behavior. Consider seeking out this therapy for yourself. Adopted kids are more likely to feel abandoned, especially when they’re young, so please try PMT first.
My 12 year old adopted son is out of control, lying, stealing, fighting at school, talking back and so much more, I have tried counseling, medication nothing helps and it getting worse. I love this child but his behavior is affecting me physically and mentally can you help
You mentioned that your child is adopted. If he has attachment issues, I recommend one of the listings here – https://parentingstronger.com/reactive-attachment-disorder-treatment-centers/
Do you have recommendations for my 16 year old son? He is diagnosed with ADHD/Depression/Anxiety/Unspecified Mood Disorder. Since the pandemic he has lost interest in sports and other hobbies, Significant grade drop (504 plan transitioned to IEP), poor hygiene, self harm and now using the restroom in his room with no toilet. He can become aggressive when things do not go his way or something changes. He is suspended from school until Jan from using THC for the second time at school. OIP DBT did not work with his attention span. He was recommended to Merridell Achievement center in TX. They approved us, he had an admission date and we were scheduling flights, then they decided he would not fit in their neurological unit or their Behavioral unit. The suggested a residential center in between that. I do not even know where to start now. Any guidance is very much appreciated.
I have a14 year old who is diagnosed with ADHA a couple years ago. He has had some behavioral issues and struggling in school at the current moment. I have exhausted all the resources I was referred to and seeking help for other options. I don’t know what else to do as I am very concerned about his future. I have tried speaking with his principal and they are as puzzled as myself about his behavior in school as he is easily influenced and has bad friends all around him. He desires social interaction with his peers but is only taken advantage of and used as the scapegoat if something happens. Just a very worried mom asking for alternatives. How can I get help?
I have custody of my 15 year old cousin Izzy who has multiple diagnosis RADS, ODD, ADHD, anxiety, PTSD n explosive something disorder, Izzy was diagnosed at 7 yrs old when my parents had custody up until 4 yrs ago when I took her but her violent tendencies has gotten so bad I’m afraid of her for my other children, myself n her, she is in a hospital waiting for a opening in a short term facility but we are looking for a long term which her Dr. and myself agree is best, she trough knives at me a few days ago wanting to kill me, I have multiple police records n now 2 hospitalizations, she hurts my animals when she is in rage and she is in Medicaid, please help, we live in Chenengo County
We have a 17-year-old adopted son we know very little about his biological parents and he’s been in and out of detention he has adhd and is autistic we’ve now been turned down by probably 10 different residential treatment centers and are at a complete loss figuring out where to go and get help
Hi,
I am a grandmother guardian of a (in 2 weeks) 14 year old girl. She has had trauma, abandonment, and is hospitalized now for taking a handful of pills. where can I send her for inpatient treatment? she has severe social anxiety as well. thanks
Looking for placement for a child with dysruptive dysregulation mood disorder. Please help
Looking for a residential treatment facility for a teenage boy with autism and fetal alcohol syndrome. He has had thoughts of harming himself and has been hospitalized with no change in behavior. He has mood swings which can cause him to self harm. Psychologist stated he needs higher level of care.
Thanks for the reminder that I should look into the guidelines first when planning to find a youth treatment program. I’m interested in looking for a good program like that because my son got involved with some shady characters lately. It will be important to start working towards turning his life around.