Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Rehab & Treatment Center for Adolescents & Teens in Utah

Learn more about PTSD treatment at Youth Care Treatment Center in Utah

Trauma is an unfortunate reality for millions of people throughout the world, many of whom are adolescents or teens. Examples of trauma may include assault, abuse, harassment, serious illness, death of a loved one, and similarly upsetting occurrences. For many of these people, the anguish, pain, and distress that occur as a result of a traumatic experience or experiences will have only a temporary impact. But in some cases, the aftereffects of trauma will be intense and/or persistent enough to cause significant impairment to the young person’s ability to function in a healthy and productive manner. When trauma causes a person to experience persistent, recurring, intrusive memories, distressing dreams, intense psychological distress, and similar symptoms, it is likely that the individual is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.

At Youth Care Treatment Center in Utah, we understand the unique challenges experienced by adolescents or teens who have developed PTSD, and we have designed effective rehab to address not only the PTSD but also any co-occurring issues, such as substance abuse, self-harm, or other dangerous behaviors. At our treatment center, adolescents receive the comprehensive rehab that empowers them to overcome their PTSD symptoms, regain control over their emotions and behaviors, and reengage with the world in a healthy and positive manner.

Helping a loved one get treatment for PTSD

If your child has experienced or witnessed a traumatic event, your initial response will, understandably, involve ensuring their immediate health and safety. But in the weeks and months to follow, it will be important for you to monitor their behavior for signs that may indicate the presence of PTSD. The following steps can help you to protect your child’s continued mental health in the aftermath of trauma:

• Educate yourself on the signs and symptoms of PTSD in adolescents or teens. Be sure to get your information from reputable and reliable sources, such as the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) or the National Center for PTSD.
• Discuss your concerns with your child’s guidance counselor, teachers, and other adults with whom they have regular contact, so that they can also monitor for signs and symptoms of PTSD.
• If your child is engaging in behaviors that may indicate PTSD, consult with your family doctor, local mental health services organization, or other informed sources for assistance in determining the nature of the problem.
• Research the types of treatment that have helped other adolescents or teens who were experiencing similar struggles, and identify PTSD treatment options that provide the type and level of support that seems best suited to your child’s unique needs.
• Talk to your child, and listen to what they have to say. Help them understand what PTSD is, discuss the steps you will be taking to get help, and reassure them of your continued love and support.

Also, make sure that you do not ignore your own needs. Caring for a child with PTSD is a stressful experience that can take a toll on your physical health and mental well-being. In addition to setting a good example for your child, practicing healthy self-care also ensures that you will have the strength and focus that will be necessary to support their PTSD rehab.

Why consider treatment for PTSD at Youth Care Treatment Center in Utah

Without proper treatment, PTSD can have a significantly detrimental impact on a young person’s life, and can lead to additional problems and negative outcomes. Untreated PTSD can make it virtually impossible for a young person to maintain the focus and motivation that are essential to continued academic progress, and can prompt behaviors that can lead to their removal from school. The withdrawal and isolation that often result from PTSD can deprive a young person of social and emotional support at a time when they are most vulnerable. And the psychological suffering of PTSD often prompts young people to turn to alcohol or other drugs as a means of self-medicating or simply numbing themselves. This combination of academic failure, social isolation, personal despair, and substance abuse can lead an adolescent into a devastating spiral of pain and hopelessness.

Youth Care Treatment Center philosophy and benefits

At Youth Care, we believe that teens in crisis are best served in a home-like setting that emphasizes personalized interactions, close supervision and comprehensive professional support.

In this supportive therapeutic environment, students benefit from the guidance of caring professionals who know them not merely as clients, but as unique individuals with specific strengths, weaknesses, hopes and fears.

The Youth Care environment is built upon a foundation of mutual respect. Our students are expected to treat staff and peers with respect and in return they can expect to be treated with respect.

Staff members are trained to apply consequences and provide feedback for students in a respectful manner without demeaning or belittling the adolescent.

We feel strongly about the value of long-lasting family relationships, and we believe that family involvement is critical to the success of the child, both while in treatment and following placement.

To support these beliefs, our program is designed to help students develop a greater appreciation for their own families – and we strive to include the family in the therapeutic process as much as possible.

Here are our five core values:

• Respect – for our patients, our employees, and our community
• Integrity – in our dealings with all those whose lives we touch
• Accountability – to our patients and their families, and to our colleagues
• Responsibility – for the decisions we make and the actions we take
• Excellence – in every task we perform

Types of PTSD treatment offered at Youth Care Treatment Center in Utah

At Youth Care Treatment Center in Utah, we offer residential care for PTSD rehab in a peaceful, structured, home-like setting. In this comfortable, therapeutic environment, adolescents or teens are able to receive the care they need in a realistic, family-like atmosphere that is fully conducive to true and lasting healing. Providing care for youth at our treatment center, we are pleased to offer individualized PTSD rehab. The residential treatment options here at Youth Care are based on accountability, responsibility, and respect. A level system is used to provide constructive feedback to the students as they learn to show respect by displaying appropriate behaviors and earning privileges and increased levels of trust. This connection between accountability, responsibility, trust, and privileges is an important life lesson that can be used in our students’ future relationships and implemented as they achieve future successes. At our PTSD treatment center, we believe in honoring the adolescents who are entrusted into our care by helping them understand the choices they have and the natural consequences that can occur as a result of the choices they make. We believe that this not only helps our students learn good decision-making skills, but it also enhances the confidence they have in themselves by showing them that they are capable of making those good decisions. Throughout an adolescent’s time spent at Youth Care for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder, they will have the opportunity to participate in the following interventions:

Medication management: The use of certain psychotropic medications may be beneficial in helping to alleviate the symptoms that youth experience as a result of PTSD. Whether or not medication is used, however, will always be determined on a case-by-case basis, depending upon the particular needs of each adolescent or teen. Students at Youth Care will meet with a psychiatrist once a week, and all medication management needs will be handled by the psychiatrist and Youth Care’s nursing and medical teams.

Individual therapy: Intensive individual therapy is a core component to the therapeutic process here at Youth Care Treatment Center in Utah. Students have the opportunity to meet with their primary therapists three times each week. Additionally, students can meet with an addictions counselor once per week if they are struggling with substance abuse concerns.

Group therapy: Group therapy sessions play a major role in the treatment plans of our students at Youth Care. Group sessions are held on a daily basis and are broken down as follows:

• Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) groups are held 1 time each week.
• Music therapy groups are held 1 time each week.
• Recreational therapy groups are held 2 times each week.
• Addictions groups are held 1 time each week.
• Process groups are held 3 times each week.

Family therapy: At Youth Care, located in Utah, we feel strongly that family integration is key in helping our students manage the symptoms of PTSD. Because of this, we work hard to ensure that our students’ families are heavily involved in the PTSD rehab process. Family therapy sessions are held once each week and are led by each student’s primary therapist. Additionally, Parent Days are held every 6 to 8 weeks, offering educational seminars, multifamily group therapy, parent support groups, family therapy sessions, and family recreational activities.

Recreational therapy: When students engage in PTSD rehab at our treatment center, they will be offered a well-rounded approach to their PTSD rehab that incorporates recreational activities into their schedules. Recreational therapy is designed to help students have a successful treatment experience by achieving physical, cultural, and social accomplishments. Recreational activities also provide students with opportunities to learn valuable skills such as teamwork, problem solving, communication, and trust. Furthermore, through participation in recreational activities, students can build better social skills, communication skills, coping skills, and interpersonal skills. They may also develop newfound interests, discover unknown talents, and experience an improvement in their self-esteem. Under the guidance and supervision of our PTSD treatment center’s licensed recreational therapist, students participate in in-house and community recreational activities 3 to 7 times per week.

Experiential therapy: In addition to the previously mentioned therapies, adolescents or teens receiving care for post-traumatic stress disorder at Youth Care, a PTSD treatment center in Utah, will have the opportunity to take part in different experiential therapies throughout the duration of their time spent in rehab. The frequency of these experiential therapies will be determined by each student’s primary therapist and may include the following:

• Expressive therapy
• Situational therapy
• Exposure therapy

Community service activities: Students will be involved in community service activities at least twice each month. We have found that having students participate in such activities gives them the opportunity to develop greater empathy and a broader understanding of others, both of which can aid in their own recovery. Examples of the community service activities that students may participate in include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Caring for animals at the Humane Society
• Visiting the elderly
• Filling shelves at the Food Bank

Academics: At Youth Care Treatment Center in Utah, we believe that every student deserves to achieve success in school and therefore view our academic programming as a therapeutic intervention. Our academic program is fully accredited, which allows students to earn school credits, increase their knowledge, and work towards achieving academic goals during their time at our PTSD treatment center. Students are enrolled in a full day’s curriculum, which takes place in a traditional academic setting and is led by a team of certified secondary education teachers and special education teachers who have been trained to work with students possessing a range of learning abilities. All students have academic goals and objectives included in their individualized PTSD rehab plans, and they will attend school from 9:00am to 5:00pm every weekday, with therapeutic treatment being interwoven throughout their daily schedules.

In addition to the residential PTSD treatment offered through Youth Care, we are also pleased to provide partial hospitalization programming (PHP) for students who do not require the intensity of the programming that is offered in a residential setting. This daytime rehab option allows youth to attend the same daily programming as those receiving residential PTSD treatment, yet return home at night.

If your adolescent or teen is suffering from the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and requires a safe, structured, and encouraging environment to work towards overcoming or managing his or her symptoms, look no further than our Youth Care, a PTSD treatment center in Utah. Our specialized PTSD rehab will be catered to meet your child’s every needs so that they can succeed in living the full, happy, healthy, and productive life that they deserve to be living.