1. “Are you a school?”
Positive Changes is a treatment facility designed to address behavioral problems. Although we partner with local school districts to provide educational services while your child is in program, we are not a school.
2. “Who teaches the kids?”
Each facility utilizes teachers from the school district in which the Positive Changes location resides. For specific information, visit the page of the facility nearest you.
3. “Do the kids get breaks like the schools?”
Positive Changes is a treatment facility. Therefore, during scheduled breaks (summer, fall, spring and winter holiday breaks); Positive Changes runs what we call ‘Short Program.’ The school aspect of the day is removed during short program and our youth attend group rehab each day. During Short Program, they also continue to receive weekly individual, family, and group therapy services during short program. Short program hours differ among each facility. See each facility’s page to verify short program hours.
4. “How long should I expect my child to be at Positive Changes?”
The length of treatment at Positive Changes is dependent on many variables such as but not limited to: family and child involvement in program, receptiveness to concepts addressed in individual and family therapy, consistency/follow through, etc. On average, our youth complete the program in 4-6 months.
5. “What is the difference between outpatient, inpatient and PHP?”
Typically, outpatient counseling and mental health services occur once a week for an hour at a time. Inpatient treatment requires the individual to reside at the treatment facility (hospital) until target behaviors are met. This can be acute (immediate threat to self or others) or residential (behaviors are progressively worsening over time, however the child is not making suicidal, homicidal or self harm threats). PHP is a level of care designed to be in between outpatient and inpatient. The youth attends our program during the day, 5 days a week, and returns home for evenings and weekends. This allows the child and family to work on home behaviors as well as school behaviors during treatment.
6. “What does a typical day look like at Positive Changes?”
Youth attending Positive Changes come to program in the morning either by school bus, van route or parent drop off. They are checked in by our staff and provided breakfast. Following breakfast, Positive Changes children (Pre-K - 5th) go to school with a public school teacher. Positive Changes adolescents (5th - 12th) go to group rehab with their certified case manager in groups of 8 or less. All youth then, eat lunch. After lunch, children (Pre-K - 5th) go to group rehab and adolescents (5th - 12th) go to school. Individual, family and group therapy is provided on a weekly basis. Group therapy days differ among facilities.
**breakfast may or may not be provided during short program hours. This is dependent on the facility and hours of operation during short program. See specific facility page for more information. **
7. “Is there follow up care once my child discharges?”
When it becomes evident that your child has maximized benefits from our program, your therapist and the child’s treatment team will discuss possibility of discharge. Your therapist will work with you to set up follow-up therapy appointments with an outpatient therapist as well as psychiatry appointments for continued medication management if needed.
8. “What behaviors meet criteria for your program?”
Criteria for our program is case specific. Contact our admissions department for a free and confidential risk screen to determine if your child is appropriate for our program.
9. “Is there a dress code?”
Yes. Open toed shoes, hard boots, jewelry and sleeveless tops are not permitted. Adolescents (5th - 12th) are required to wear a white top and blue, black or khaki pants and jeans. Also, shorts no more than 1 inch above the knee. Adolescents are able to earn wearing their own individualized clothing on Wednesday – Friday once they obtain leadership level.
10. "Does your staff give shots if my child has an outburst?"
No. Our staff is trained to use therapeutic interventions (verbal and physical interventions). Our staff utilizes these intervention during crisis situations to avoid and/or minimize risk of injury for child and others in the area. For more information about the therapeutic interventions used at Positive Changes please go to the 'Service' tab.
11. “How will we know if my child is ready to be discharged?”
Positive Changes operates on a token economy level system which consists of four levels. Each child enters program on Learning Level. While on learning level, youth are learning program rules, expectations, coping skills and getting to know their treatment team. In the initial family therapy session, the therapist and family will work together to identify target behaviors desired for your child to move up the level system. Once the child begins to meet some of their target behaviors, they can petition to be promoted to Practicing Level. Clients on Practicing Level get to shop in our token store each Friday pending positive behavior for the week. After more target behaviors are met, the client can petition to be promoted to Leadership Level. On Leadership Level they get additional items out of the token store as well as a Friday ‘leadership lunch’ bought by our staff from a restaurant along with a discharge party. Clients promoted to Mastery, the final level, are ready to discharge from program. At this point, their behaviors no longer meet criteria for Partial Hospitalization. Clients who obtain Mastery level earn a discharge party on their final day in program.
Positive Changes is a treatment facility designed to address behavioral problems. Although we partner with local school districts to provide educational services while your child is in program, we are not a school.
2. “Who teaches the kids?”
Each facility utilizes teachers from the school district in which the Positive Changes location resides. For specific information, visit the page of the facility nearest you.
3. “Do the kids get breaks like the schools?”
Positive Changes is a treatment facility. Therefore, during scheduled breaks (summer, fall, spring and winter holiday breaks); Positive Changes runs what we call ‘Short Program.’ The school aspect of the day is removed during short program and our youth attend group rehab each day. During Short Program, they also continue to receive weekly individual, family, and group therapy services during short program. Short program hours differ among each facility. See each facility’s page to verify short program hours.
4. “How long should I expect my child to be at Positive Changes?”
The length of treatment at Positive Changes is dependent on many variables such as but not limited to: family and child involvement in program, receptiveness to concepts addressed in individual and family therapy, consistency/follow through, etc. On average, our youth complete the program in 4-6 months.
5. “What is the difference between outpatient, inpatient and PHP?”
Typically, outpatient counseling and mental health services occur once a week for an hour at a time. Inpatient treatment requires the individual to reside at the treatment facility (hospital) until target behaviors are met. This can be acute (immediate threat to self or others) or residential (behaviors are progressively worsening over time, however the child is not making suicidal, homicidal or self harm threats). PHP is a level of care designed to be in between outpatient and inpatient. The youth attends our program during the day, 5 days a week, and returns home for evenings and weekends. This allows the child and family to work on home behaviors as well as school behaviors during treatment.
6. “What does a typical day look like at Positive Changes?”
Youth attending Positive Changes come to program in the morning either by school bus, van route or parent drop off. They are checked in by our staff and provided breakfast. Following breakfast, Positive Changes children (Pre-K - 5th) go to school with a public school teacher. Positive Changes adolescents (5th - 12th) go to group rehab with their certified case manager in groups of 8 or less. All youth then, eat lunch. After lunch, children (Pre-K - 5th) go to group rehab and adolescents (5th - 12th) go to school. Individual, family and group therapy is provided on a weekly basis. Group therapy days differ among facilities.
**breakfast may or may not be provided during short program hours. This is dependent on the facility and hours of operation during short program. See specific facility page for more information. **
7. “Is there follow up care once my child discharges?”
When it becomes evident that your child has maximized benefits from our program, your therapist and the child’s treatment team will discuss possibility of discharge. Your therapist will work with you to set up follow-up therapy appointments with an outpatient therapist as well as psychiatry appointments for continued medication management if needed.
8. “What behaviors meet criteria for your program?”
Criteria for our program is case specific. Contact our admissions department for a free and confidential risk screen to determine if your child is appropriate for our program.
9. “Is there a dress code?”
Yes. Open toed shoes, hard boots, jewelry and sleeveless tops are not permitted. Adolescents (5th - 12th) are required to wear a white top and blue, black or khaki pants and jeans. Also, shorts no more than 1 inch above the knee. Adolescents are able to earn wearing their own individualized clothing on Wednesday – Friday once they obtain leadership level.
10. "Does your staff give shots if my child has an outburst?"
No. Our staff is trained to use therapeutic interventions (verbal and physical interventions). Our staff utilizes these intervention during crisis situations to avoid and/or minimize risk of injury for child and others in the area. For more information about the therapeutic interventions used at Positive Changes please go to the 'Service' tab.
11. “How will we know if my child is ready to be discharged?”
Positive Changes operates on a token economy level system which consists of four levels. Each child enters program on Learning Level. While on learning level, youth are learning program rules, expectations, coping skills and getting to know their treatment team. In the initial family therapy session, the therapist and family will work together to identify target behaviors desired for your child to move up the level system. Once the child begins to meet some of their target behaviors, they can petition to be promoted to Practicing Level. Clients on Practicing Level get to shop in our token store each Friday pending positive behavior for the week. After more target behaviors are met, the client can petition to be promoted to Leadership Level. On Leadership Level they get additional items out of the token store as well as a Friday ‘leadership lunch’ bought by our staff from a restaurant along with a discharge party. Clients promoted to Mastery, the final level, are ready to discharge from program. At this point, their behaviors no longer meet criteria for Partial Hospitalization. Clients who obtain Mastery level earn a discharge party on their final day in program.
