Besides inpatient treatment for children, Abilene Behavioral Health offers two additional levels of care to meet the needs of our patients and their families.
PHP - Partial Hospitalization Program
Abilene Behavioral Health offers a unique Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) for children ages 5-18. The Children’s PHP is designed to meet the specific needs of our younger patients, and can be accessed at several levels on our continuum of care:
- As a stand-alone option, whereby children can enter the PHP directly with a qualifying diagnosis;
- As a step-down from inpatient hospitalization; or
- As a step up from Intensive Outpatient (IOP) therapy or outpatient counseling.
See the Children’s PHP program schedule by clicking here (PDF).
PHP patients attend programming Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. There are four group sessions held each day led by licensed master level therapists as well as other qualified staff. The program is designed to assist individuals in developing coping skills in order to handle issues they face in a healthy way. Topics vary and may include coping skills, conflict resolution, chemical dependency, socialization, anger and stress management, play therapies, and relaxation techniques. The patient will have a weekly visit with their physician as well as the RN on staff. Patients also attend school on the campus.
IOP - Intensive Outpatient Program
We offer outpatient programs designed to help stabilize psychiatric and/or chemical dependency diagnoses in a less restrictive environment than would be offered in an inpatient hospital setting. These services are offered for children and adolescents (age 5-18).
These programs provide intensive therapy and educational groups for children and adolescents with a mental health or chemical dependency diagnosis. Programming is held Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Group sessions are led by Master’s level therapists, and other qualified mental health associates. Group topics vary and may include anger and stress management, coping skills, communication, boundaries, and relaxation techniques. Individuals in PHP will be seen by the psychiatrist and Registered Nurse a minimum of one time each week. There is no psychiatrist or nurse involvement in IOP, but outpatient appointments will be scheduled as needed. Individual and family therapy are also included in these programs and will be arranged by the primary therapist as needed.
Whether an individual directly admits to our outpatient program, or steps down from a more intensive level of care, our staff is dedicated to helping each individual return to home and school with the tools they need to be successful. The Partial Hospitalization and Intensive Outpatient programs are designed to provide the child/adolescent with an opportunity to continue learning and practicing healthier ways of coping, while making a smooth transition home during the evenings and weekends.