Partial Hospitalization Program

“A child’s mental health is just as important as their physical health and deserves the same quality of support.” 

- Kate Middleton

Day Treatment (PHP) is our most intensive program, running Monday though Friday from 9:30am to 3:30pm. Your child will stay enrolled at their current school and our educational liaison will work with the school to ensure they stay on track with all coursework. Program length depends on clinical need, but averages around 6 weeks, after which your child will step down to IOP.

Teenagers face many things in their lives including bullying, peer pressure, and other forms of trauma and stressful circumstances. This is a lot on their mental health and sometimes results in the development of severe conditions or unhealthy coping mechanisms. These include substance use disorders, suicidal ideation, self-harm, depression, anxiety, and avoiding school, friends, or other activities they once enjoyed. The good news is that help is possible for your teen, and many find healing daily.

Day treatment, which is sometimes referred to as partial hospitalization, is a daily program for the treatment of your teen’s mental health or substance use disorder. Your teen will spend several hours every day gaining the skills and tools they need to overcome the concerns in their lives. 

We believe in 3 components to an effective, evidence-based program: mutual trust between therapists and patients, mutual agreement on the causation of concerns, and mutual agreement on the mechanisms of change. 

Achieving the last two components is done through various therapeutic modalities, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), Seeking Safety, and exposure therapy. Each of these therapies works to help your teen make the necessary changes in their life. No one modality works for every situation. Instead, different modalities are applied based on your teen's particular needs and their stage in the recovery process. Through ongoing evaluation and engagement, we will work with your teen to determine the best approach for their goals in their recovery.

Having a variety of approaches in treatment ensures your teen has a well-rounded experience. Each therapy type has its benefits in allowing your teen to achieve the goals they have when it comes to their recovery. Only utilizing one doesn’t have the same impact on your child’s success as using a combination of the following.

One of the primary methods utilized in our day treatment program is group therapy. The connection between peers offers pivotal insight and helps promote healing.

Most programs rely on round-robin talk therapy in their groups. In that method, the therapist talks to each child individually, and the others are expected to sit quietly and listen. Most of the time, they aren’t listening, which results in this method not being effective in allowing each child to grow and learn. 

Instead, at Bricolage Behavioral Health, we utilize whole-group therapy. This engaging method involves the whole group participating in their recovery through various techniques such as focus tasks, project-based work, pair work, and role play. These techniques enable your teen to develop real-world skills that allow them to find recovery success outside of the walls of therapy. For an in-depth look at the difference between our groups and those of most other programs, check out our article here.

Common skills that your teen will learn while in group therapy include:

• Overcoming failure
• Assertive communication
• Self-care
• Trigger identification
• Restructuring negative thoughts
• Incremental goal setting
• Emotional regulation
• Pausing and stopping to think before speaking

You can view our actual proprietary curriculum on our Curriculum Page.

Additionally, your child will form connections to peers with concerns similar to their own. They will be able to bond and learn from each other, promoting healing that will provide them with a positive and happy life. 

Connection is a crucial component of recovery. For teens, it is essential because they rely on their family, friends, and community to feel less alone or isolated in their circumstances. Lacking that connection results in the formation of unhealthy relationships or coping mechanisms. At Bricolage Behavioral Health, we encourage families to engage with and support their teen’s ongoing healing process. 

We regularly communicate with families about their teen's progress to help you know how to provide for your teen. At the day treatment level of care, we include family therapy sessions. During these sessions, we aim to equip you with the tools to support your child even after they have left treatment.

Day treatment occurs for 6 hours a day, 5 days a week. During therapy from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm, teens will participate in group therapy with an individualized treatment plan designed for their specific issues. From 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm, teens participate in our optional study hall where we provide academic support to keep them on track with current schooling while in the program. In the evening, they will return home. 

How long your child needs to stay in day treatment varies for each teen. The average is six weeks for day treatment and six weeks for intensive outpatient, so twelve total. Depending on your child's needs and goals, total time in program may range from a few weeks to a few months. We re-assess your child every week to determine progress along their treatment plan. Severity of presenting issues, life events, and engagement in the therapeutic process all affect program timelines. Every child grows at their own timeline, and any length of time is a normal pace for them to take. 

There are several reasons why your teen may benefit from day treatment. Keep in mind that it might only be helpful for some teens. Some require a more intensive inpatient stay at a hospital while others may not require the constant care day treatment offers and would benefit from an outpatient program. Our team will assess your child and help decide what works best for them.

With that in mind, below are 3 benefits your teen will receive by attending and participating in day treatment at Bricolage Behavioral Health. 

Day treatment prevents the need for an inpatient or residential stay. The severity of symptoms is a spectrum that requires different levels of care. Some teens require inpatient or residential stays, but not all do. For many teens with mental health or substance use disorders, they do not require overnight stays in a hospital to find recovery. However, they still benefit from consistent and intensive care in a day treatment setting. 

Day treatment provides a structured environment for your teen. When your child has a routine, it gives them the security and confidence to heal. In a recent study, researchers found that people who needed more structure in their lives felt lonely and had higher rates of social anxiety. Suppose your teen is experiencing loneliness and anxiety due to a lack of structure. In that case, day treatment is an excellent option for them. 

Day treatment allows your teen to maintain a level of normalcy and connection. Mental health or substance use disorder recovery takes some time for anyone, regardless of their age. For those who attend an inpatient or residential stay, it often takes away much of your child’s sense of familiarity. In those settings, your child stays overnight in a location and doesn’t always have access to their family and friends. Because day treatment does not require your teen to be at the facility 24/7, it allows them to have dinner at home or spend time with a close friend after they are done for the day. 

Sending your child to a treatment program all day comes with many concerns and questions. Perhaps you are afraid your child will end up worse off or won’t get better. Maybe you are worried that sending them to treatment means your teen will fall behind in their education, and the circumstances feel like a lose-lose situation. 

It doesn’t have to be this way. We see many children daily who find healing and recovery through our collaborative efforts between them, their parents, and us as we navigate their unique needs. To learn more, contact us today. 

At Bricolage Behavioral Health, we provide day treatment to teens in the Flower Mound, TX. We ensure your child remains actively engaged in their recovery throughout the treatment process. To learn more about our day treatment program, call us at 469-968-5700. 

Bricolage Behavioral: Make the Most of What You Have