Teen Residential Treatment FAQs

Yes, we welcome all prospective clients to visit, tour, and meet our team. When logistically feasible, we recommend visiting any treatment program you are considering before making a commitment. If a program is hesitant to allow a visit or pressures you to commit beforehand, consider it a red flag.

Feel free to contact us with any questions or to schedule a tour.

Yes, accessibility is a priority at The Ridge RTC. We are dedicated to providing high-quality treatment to a as many families as possible, which is why we partner with leading insurance providers.  The Ridge is in-network with Aetna, Carelon, Cigna, Magellan, Multiplan, and Optum. When not in-network, we work extensively with out-of-network benefits as well as Singe Case Agreements. To learn more about your insurance coverage at The Ridge RTC, fill out the insurance verification form.

Ridge RTC’s residential program for teens ranges from 30 to 90 days. Some families choose to stay with us for 45 or even 90 days, based on their needs and clinical recommendations from our treatment team. We believe that quality treatment should be both intensive and brief, allowing adolescents and their families to return to their lives as quickly as appropriate. Families can make an informed decision with the treatment team about extending their stay, based on clinical recommendations.

At Ridge RTC, we have assembled a highly qualified team of professionals dedicated to treating young people and their families. Our clinical staff includes Psychiatrists, Clinical Psychologists, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Clinical Social Workers. The team is committed to identifying and addressing core issues rather than merely focusing on behaviors.

Ridge RTC offers one of the most intensive programs in the country, providing clients with one-on-one sessions four days a week. While group sessions are appropriate and effective for treating young people, relying too heavily on this modality can leave many prominent issues unaddressed. Programs that offer one-on-one sessions only once or twice a week may miss valuable treatment opportunities.

Understanding the educational components of any treatment program is crucial. At Ridge RTC, every client receives a comprehensive educational assessment upon admission. Our academic coordinator collaborates with the primary therapist to create a plan tailored to the client’s short- and long-term academic goals. With family permission, and when appropriate, these academic plans are coordinated with the participant’s home school to ensure the most beneficial use of academic time. For clients not currently enrolled in school, we work with the individual and their family to develop a plan suited to their specific situation.

Families often report that the person seeking treatment has been struggling with school-related issues. This is usually not due to a lack of ability, as our clients are bright and capable. Many youths we treat face debilitating anxiety that makes attending school challenging. Unfortunately, bullying in school can also impact their ability to consistently attend and engage socially and in the classroom, leading to feelings of hopelessness. They may consider quitting school or believe their past performance will prevent them from getting into college.

While school is not the primary focus of treatment, it is an important aspect that cannot be ignored. By supporting a client’s academic needs during treatment, we can better prepare them to reintegrate into school both socially and academically.

A treatment plan is only as strong as the assessments it is based on. At Ridge RTC, all participants undergo multiple assessments upon admission. We believe it is crucial to gather as much information as possible to design the best course of treatment. This approach differs from the standard practice at most programs, where teens are often assessed by unlicensed paraprofessionals who determine if further evaluation by a licensed professional is needed. Our experience has shown that this method often misses important factors, resulting in lost valuable treatment time. This can set youth up for failure and require them to stay in treatment much longer than necessary.

At Ridge RTC, our goal is to bring families together, not create more distance.  While client’s do not have access to their cell phones and we limit their ability to communicate with peers or access social media, we do not believe in restricting access between parent and child.

When it comes to treatment, effective communication with your child is essential for their growth and health. Find an appropriate time to communicate so that they understand that you are not scolding them, but rather offering help. Listening attentively and sincerely considering any worries or thoughts they have can form a safe atmosphere of open dialogue between you both.

Explaining therapy in a way that makes sense to them will create trust as well as inspire involvement from the patient’s side during this process. This gives them room to express how they feel and build stronger relationships while also helping them comprehend emotions better too!

At Ridge RTC, we believe that family involvement is crucial for the successful treatment of all our clients. We understand that family members may not always be able to participate in every aspect of treatment due to work commitments, geographic location, or other factors. Therefore, we make every effort to provide our services through tele-health, telephone, or other means when necessary or desired. We offer Parent Coaching, Education and Effectiveness Training, Individual Family Therapy, Sibling Support Groups, and ongoing Alumni Parent Support Services.

The Ridge RTC is a co-ed program.  We aim to recreate the real world as much as possible while creating a safe enviornmetn for deep therapy and emotional work.  If issues related to how an individual interacts with the opposite gender arise, we want them to come up during treatment so we can address them appropriately. We aim to avoid creating an artificial, single-gender environment where a teen may thrive, only to return them to a co-gendered world.

Effective treatment should empower young people with the skills and knowledge needed to have healthy, appropriate relationships with individuals of both genders.

No, Ridge RTC exclusively provide residential treatment. There are significant differences between Residential Treatment (RTC), Intensive Outpatient (IOP), and Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP) in terms of program operation, clinical work, and focus. We have always been fully dedicated to providing the highest quality residential treatment programs.

Every adolescent is unique, and each family has its own dynamics, so there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. However, a significant red flag to watch for is if your child is not actively participating in their life. Can your child attend school, socialize, and engage in extracurricular activities they enjoy? If not, it might be time to consider residential treatment.

We often hear from parents about situations where their child, who is a talented musician or artist, stops engaging in their passion due to emotional struggles. It’s important to ask questions and seek guidance if you’re worried about your child’s behavior. Our admissions team is available 24/7 to discuss your family’s situation in more detail and determine if residential placement is appropriate.

At Ridge RTC, we prioritize a conservative approach to medication. While it can be a useful tool and sometimes necessary, it is never our first choice. Our clients are at a stage where they are still growing physically, mentally, and emotionally, so we avoid introducing medication unless absolutely necessary.

Our medication management is personalized for each individual and their family. Many clients arrive with an existing medication regimen or a history of trying different medications. If our psychiatrist believes a change in medication might be beneficial, we will thoroughly discuss this option with the family. We always obtain parental approval before administering any medication.

We also place great importance on educating our clients about their medications. Many clients come to us without understanding why they are taking certain medications or how they work. At We strive to ensure that our clients are fully informed about the medications they are prescribed.

Ridge RTC offers a short-term care option for teenagers and young adults, with an average stay ranging from thirty to ninety days. Historically most residential adolescent treatment programs follow a long-term care model, typically lasting three to six months or even longer. While some young people may benefit from long-term care, it’s important to remember that adolescence is a period of significant growth. Removing a teen from their home for longer durations can present its own challenges. Additionally, many long-term care models do not provide intensive treatment, often offering individual therapy only once a week and group therapy a few times a week.

We take a different approach by providing extensive, daily therapy for each of our clients. We offer individual therapy four days a week and group therapy multiple times a day. Although our program duration is shorter, we incorporate as many, if not more, therapeutic activities for our clients than long-term programs do over many months. While long-term treatment for teens can be effective and there are many excellent programs available, our goal was to create an alternative. We provide a safe environment for our clients to receive treatment with the goal of reintegrating them into their home lives as quickly as possible.

Measuring success in any treatment setting can be challenging, especially when working with young people with mental and emotional health issues. Each young person’s success will look different, as everyone is unique. While we would love to claim that we can ‘cure’ a client’s ailments, that would be unrealistic. At Ridge RTC, we believe that treatment is not about eliminating all obstacles and challenges in a teenager’s life, but rather about teaching healthy and sustainable coping mechanisms for managing their emotions. Through this approach, our clients will improve their self-esteem, boost their self-confidence, and work towards cultivating a positive overall self-view, while being equipped with the tools for continued growth and recovery.

Yes, it is common for us to transition clients from a hospital to Ridge RTC. Typically, a brief hospital stay focuses on triage and managing immediate crisis. However, hospitals often do not address the underlying issues necessary for beginning the healing process. This is where we step in. We emphasize the importance of learning new ways to approach recovery. By integrating healthier coping mechanisms and addressing the root causes of their struggles, our goal is to ensure our clients never go back to the hospital or into another treatment program.