Specially designed for children ages 13 to 17, the Abilene Behavioral Health Children’s Program provides a controlled and structured environment for adolescents experiencing emotional and behavioral difficulties. Through group, expressive, and play therapies, patients begin to learn healthy behaviors to help them cope with their issues.
At Abilene Behavioral Health, we view the adolescent as part of a system, and therefore highly encourage family involvement during the hospitalization process. Family therapy sessions are scheduled through the case management department, and Multifamily Groups are held on campus so that patients’ families can ask general questions about their adolescent’s inpatient experience.
A vital part of a patient’s success upon discharge from Abilene Behavioral Health is the Aftercare Plan. Upon an adolescent’s discharge, the family will be given referrals for outpatient providers to follow up with on an ongoing basis. Aftercare Plans are based on individual need and may involve follow up with an outpatient therapist and psychiatrist.
Behavior Modification
The premise of Behavior Modification is that alterations in behavior occur when positive behavior is rewarded and negative behavior is reprimanded. Therefore, our program is based on a level system in which adolescents earn additional privileges guided by their performance and motivation during hospitalization. Conversely, additional privileges are removed when adolescents display negative and oppositional behavior. We call our Behavior Modification program the Impact Level System.
Specifically, adolescents will have the ability to move forward and backward among levels depending on their choices and the consequences related to those choices. Adolescents will be held accountable for their behavior by peers and the multi-disciplinary treatment team. The level system is directly related to an adolescent’s treatment plan and his or her engagement in treatment. Adolescents enter the unit on no level and are asked to complete certain assignments for orientation level within the first 24 hours. Additionally, each adolescent is asked to complete specified assignments on a continual basis and must conduct a presentation for peers and staff for each level advancement. If patients do not advance in their levels within a four day period, they may lose a level, not be rewarded with additional privileges, or be restricted to the day area.