Adolescent Treatment Program

Program Life

The Menninger Clinic strives to offer a treatment experience that differs from a traditional hospital and helps the patient take full advantage of treatment.

Where patients reside
The Adolescent Treatment Program shares a large one-story building—one of seven buildings on the 14-acre campus—with an adult program. Texas requires that therapeutic space remain separate for adolescents and for adults. Because the program's door is near a shared entrance for adults and teens, the Adolescent Treatment Program keeps its door locked to ensure it complies with the law.

The patient living buildings are much like a university residence hall with patient rooms up and down the hallway. Spacious common areas with sofas and tables, both large and small, anchor the halls. Rooms where groups meet, nursing stations, TV/game areas, a kitchen-snack room and laundry room round out the Program’s space.

On the campus, lawn chairs, gazebos, a pool, a gymnasium, tennis courts, walking trail along with the sounds and sights of a backyard are enjoyed by patients.

Atmosphere on the unit
Staff dress in business and business casual attire. Patients are encouraged to dress comfortably. Appropriate attire is required on the unit at all times.

Most of the treatment team offices are located in the building with the unit. As a result, members of the entire treatment team interact with patients both formally in treatment and informally throughout the day. Staff are available on the unit around the clock when patients have questions or need support.

The patients and staff function together as a community. The patient community plays a vital part in the milieu. Patients meet weekly in a community meeting. This meeting provides a forum to welcome new patients and staff, say goodbye to those leaving and to discuss issues of interest to the patients. Each day patients and staff meet to plan the activities for evenings and weekly trips into the community.

For meals, patients are encouraged to eat together in the Menninger Cafeteria with supervision by staff. Meals are also delivered to the unit. At the cafeteria, patients and staff throughout Menninger share the same main dining room.

First days in the program
As the adolescent is admitted, parents/guardians should plan to remain in Houston for two full days to ensure adequate orientation to the program and to participate in meetings with members of the treatment team.

• With an Admissions coordinator, the patient and family complete the admissions paperwork:
• Members of the treatment team greet the patient and family on the unit.
• The staff inventories and checks the patient’s personal belongings.
• The patient moves into his/her room. Rooms are set up for double occupancy. Each offers an in-room bathroom with tub/shower, individual desks, a closet and a window. A handicapped accessible room is also available. This is a co-ed program. Roommates are the same gender. Patients socialize in the common areas and not in one another’s rooms.
• A staff psychiatrist and an internal medicine physician see the patient within 24 hours of admission.
• Staff introduce the patient to other staff and patients, and orient them to the unit.
• Over two to three weeks, the treatment team and patient work together to stabilize and treat symptoms and begin assessments that help the team better understand the patient and his/her needs. The treatment team and patient collaborate on goals for treatment, and a treatment plan is set.

Daily schedule
The Adolescent Treatment Program combines a comprehensive assessment protocol and coordinated therapies supported by research to provide a practical, individualized treatment plan for teens and their families. The program includes a supportive and healthy environment with 24/7 staff and peer support, access to specialists across the Menninger hospital and academic tutoring.

The patient's individualized treatment plan is integrated into the following core schedule. Additions may include:

• Weekly meetings with the psychiatrist and primary nurse to discuss the effectiveness of medication and any side effects
• Individual psychotherapy twice a week
• Family therapy once a week
• Family conference call with the core treatment team once a week
• Medical appointments
• 12-step programs for substance abuse

The treatment team may update the schedule during the patient's course of treatment to meet the patient's clinical needs.

Unstructured time: An important component of the program is teaching adolescents how to use leisure and non-structured time in their daily lives. The staff considers the use of leisure time and relaxation as important aspects of personal mental health, which is a skill that can be learned. For this reason, our program incorporates periods of unstructured time during which the staff coaches individuals in how to use the time effectively and in ways they can use these skills following discharge.

Unscheduled time may be used to do therapy homework, “practice” socializing with others, relax with a hobby or activity, exercise, read or participate with other patients and staff in planned recreational activities. With approval from staff, group activities—on the unit, on the campus or in the community—may include events, games and movies.

Supervision by staff
The patient’s treatment team determines the level of supervision the patient needs. Supervision levels change throughout a patient’s stay based on the team’s assessment of the patient’s clinical needs.

The supervision levels and the activities prescribed by the treatment team aim to help the patient accomplish treatment goals and provide for the patient’s safety. As the patient attains their goals, they typically earn privileges to participate in individual and group activities on and off the campus.