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The St.Vincent Stress Center Youth Services is a multiple-site facility offering a wide range of services for children in order to meet their mental health and chemical dependency needs. A wide array of services is available for children and their families from infancy through high school.
Crisis Intervention and Accessment: The Central Diagnostic & Referral Center, also called the Stressline, is open 24 hours a day to take phone calls and make appointments for assessments. The Stressline telephone number is (317) 338-4800. Assessments can be done at the main Stress Center or arranged at one of the outpatient offices.
Outpatient: There are traditional outpatient services for youth and their families at multiple locations including psychiatric assessment, individual, family and group counseling, medication evaluation, and psychological testing. Initial assessments are based on a holistic consideration of the child within the contexts of family, social, educational and developmental needs.
The treatment plan is made with the child and family. For example, treatment may focus on helping the child or adolescent to identify and appropriately express feelings, to learn anger control or social skills, or to control behavior problems. There may also be education about dealing with such difficulties as anxiety, self-esteem issues or depression. Medications may be prescribed by one of the child and adolescent psychiatrists, if indicated and parents agree. Treatment may take place within individual, family or group therapy. Staff consists of a multidisciplinary team of credentialed counselors, a psychologist and child psychiatrists. All have extensive experience in child and adolescent mental health.
Youth Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP): Intensive Outpatient Programs are for teens who need an after-school program for 3 hours 3 days a week. The IOP offers the necessary structure, comfort and guidance while being able to continue functioning at school and remain with the family at night. The teens who attend the IOP do not need the structure of a program every day after school, but they do need a chance to work on their difficulties on a more intense basis than traditional outpatient therapy.
There are specialized programs/tracks for mental health issues, chemical/substance abuse, anger management, and for eating disorders. Teens in the Mental Health track may be experiencing emotional problems in their lives such as depression, anger or anxiety. Teens in the Eating Disorders track may be struggling with anorexia, bulimia or binge eating disorder (compulsive overeating). Teens in the chemical abuse/dependency program are offered the chance to work on problems created by their drug/alcohol use in the home, school or community. Teens in the Anger Management program are offered the chance to learn to get their needs met without verbal or physical violence.
Day School: Day School is for children and teens who cannot make it through the school day safely or who have severe behavior problems but who do not need to be hospitalized. The therapeutic Day School provides structure, support and education for the family in addition to more intensive therapeutic services than most school districts can provide. The Day School provides groups, individual and family therapies to provide the children with coping skills and decision-making skills to effectively deal with their issues. The staff works closely with schoolteachers and counselors to coordinate program attendance, schoolwork and transition back to school. Daily involvement and a strong family focus enhance the child's success in the program. Day School staff includes a multidisciplinary team of psychiatrists, special education teachers, patient care technicians and counselors to work with the child, family and home school.
Long-term: Most of the children who attend on a long-term basis are placed by the Department of Education as Emotionally Handicapped and in need of more intensive services. These children often attend for one or more semesters. A special education teacher works with these children on a regular school schedule so that they receive school credits for attendance.
Intensive Day School: Some children attend the Day School for a few days to a few weeks depending on their need. These children may attend the Day School for assessment or for behavioral interventions. Staff work with the schools and children to keep up with schoolwork.Children usually attend Day School from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm Monday through Friday. The program is available throughout the calendar year. A holistic learning and therapeutic environment integrates behavioral management, individualized academic instruction, social skills training, and an eclectic array of therapeutic experiences.
PARTIAL HOSPITALIZATION PROGRAM: Some teens can make it through the school day, but need much more intensive services on a daily basis to deal with their problems. At these times of personal crises, the program can offer the necessary structure, comfort and guidance for working out solutions. These teens may remain with their routine at school and with their families at night. Maintaining these natural environments allows the individual to apply new insights and skills on a daily basis. Teens attend 4-6 hours a day Monday through Friday from 2:30 to 6:30 pm. Counselors work with the schools to coordinate program attendance.
The program includes individual, group, and family therapies. The strong family focus along with regular attendance makes it possible to achieve a great deal in a brief period of time. Teens who are in the Partial Program may have difficulties with depression, anxiety, behavior control, mood disorders, eating disorders, or chemical dependency issues. The teens with Chemical/Alcohol dependency issues meet in a separate program designed to meet their specific needs. The staff of the Partial Hospitalization Program includes a licensed clinical social worker, a mental health counselor and a child & adolescent psychiatrist.
Youth Inpatient: The Youth Inpatient Unit provides short-term acute care for those children and teens who need 24 hour care secondary to being a danger to themselves or someone else. The stay is focused on stabilization and providing enough resources that the child or teen can progress to a less restrictive level of care as soon as possible.
The unit is staffed 24 hours a day with an RN and mental health clinicians. A child psychiatrist sees each child daily. Social workers and other professionals work together to provide therapeutic groups and a unit environment designed to encourage focusing on individual issues. A psychologist is available to provide psychological testing if necessary. There is a strong family focus and parents are encouraged to visit frequently. Children, teens and their families are helped to build skills needed to cope in the home and school environment.
Special Services: An educational group - also referred to as an Alternative To Expulsion Group - is offered weekly for teens who are in the early stages of chemical/substance abuse. This group meets for 90 minutes weekly.
For information about the above services, call (317) 338-4800. | 
