Premier Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) for Adolescents in Columbia, Missouri

CenterPointe Hospital of Columbia provides a premier partial hospitalization program for adolescents ages 11-17 who are struggling with a range of behavioral health concerns. Our adolescent PHP may be optimal for those who need structured care but do not require the intensive services of our inpatient program. 

Mental health concerns we treat in the partial hospitalization program include but are not limited to the following: 

• Behavioral disorders 
• Personality disorders 
• Posttraumatic stress disorder  
• Depression 
• The effects of trauma 
• Suicidal or homicidal ideation  

In the adolescent PHP, we meet young people where they are on their journeys to better health, providing them with care that is individualized and delivered with empathy. Our aim is to promote each patient’s mental and emotional well-being and help them learn the tools they need to maintain stability and continue making progress long after the program ends. 

While our program accepts patients who have received prior treatment, individual can also enter the PHP directly. Our admissions team works with each potential patient to determine the level of care that can meet their needs.

A partial hospitalization program is a structured mental health treatment program that is designed to provide people with comprehensive care and support while allowing them to live at home. PHPs are often used as a step-down level of care from inpatient or residential treatment or a step-up from traditional outpatient services when more intensive care is needed. Our PHP can be an excellent treatment option for individuals who need focused support but do not require round-the-clock monitoring.  

Our adolescent PHP in Columbia, Missouri, is a short-term program that lasts for an average of 10-12 days. Each patient’s program duration depends on their individual needs, so the length of participation may vary. Patients take part in programming five days a week, Monday-Friday, for five hours each day. Youths in the PHP receive care that is tailored to their needs. 

In our partial hospitalization program, we help adolescents: 

• Stabilize: We help adolescents manage crisis situations and reduce their risk for harm to themselves or others.  
• Develop skills: Patients in the PHP can learn valuable coping strategies, emotion regulation techniques, and problem-solving skills to help them achieve better functioning.  
• Gain insight: We strive to help each patient better understand their diagnosis and learn the skills they need to manage their symptoms. We are committed to offering a compassionate environment where they can receive a high level of emotional support. 
• Sustain wellness: By providing holistic care that addresses each patient’s mental, physical, and emotional needs, we can help them lay the groundwork for a healthy future. 
• Reintegrate: The PHP can help adolescents make a seamless transition back to their daily routines. We aim to provide each patient with the therapeutic support they need to function better at school, at home, and in their community.  

At CenterPointe Hospital of Columbia, we understand that young people can benefit most from care that is developmentally appropriate. A person’s adolescent years are a time of significant growth, and we do our part to ensure that our patients receive support that can help them flourish socially, emotionally, and academically.  

Key features of our adolescent partial hospitalization program include: 

• A seamless admissions process: We offer a stress-free, streamlined admissions process that is designed to connect those in need with essential mental health treatment as quickly as possible.  
• A detailed assessment: We conduct an in-depth evaluation for each patient that helps us determine the therapies and services that can offer them the greatest benefit during treatment.
• A healing environment: We offer a warm and welcoming space where patients can escape the stressors of their daily lives and focus on personal growth and development.
• Comprehensive, focused care: Each adolescent follows a personalized care plan that reflects their unique needs and goals for treatment. 
• Evidence-based therapies: In our adolescent PHP, we incorporate evidence-based practices to help our patients make meaningful progress toward healing.
• Highly trained staff: We employ a team of experienced professionals, including licensed clinical social workers, licensed professional counselors, a psychiatrist, a mental health nurse practitioner, and behavioral health technicians. 
• Discharge planning: Each patient receives a thorough aftercare plan that can help them build on the progress they make in our program. Aftercare plans may include referrals to our intensive outpatient program, traditional outpatient services, or follow-up therapy.  

While all these features are important, perhaps the most valuable is the flexible schedule of our PHP. Because patients participate in treatment during the day and return home in the evening, they have the opportunity to implement the skills they learn during therapy in real-world situations. If they have any questions or concerns while practicing these strategies, they can bring them up during treatment the following day. We believe that this feature of PHPs can be incredibly important for building resilience. 

At our treatment center in Columbia, Missouri, we offer clinically excellent services to help our patients achieve better health. Every youth who receives treatment in the PHP completes an in-depth assessment that helps our team learn more about their physical and mental health history and goals for treatment. With these details, we can customize each patient’s care in a way that can help them achieve optimal results.

Therapies and services we offer in the adolescent partial hospitalization program include:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): CBT can help patients identify how their thoughts and beliefs can influence their feelings and actions and learn valuable coping skills that promote progress.  
• Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT): DBT can be useful for individuals who are struggling with intense emotional concerns by helping them understand and accept difficult feelings and learn ways to manage them.  
• Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT): REBT helps individuals examine unproductive ways of thinking that can lead to unhealthy emotions and self-destructive behaviors and reframe dysfunctional thoughts. 
• Motivational interviewing: This type of patient-centered therapy can be beneficial for individuals who are uncertain about changing their behavior because it can help them find the internal motivation they need to make positive changes.
• Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT): Through ACT, patients can learn to manage difficult emotions and accept life’s hardships as they come without analyzing or trying to change them.
• Medication management services: Adolescents in the PHP who are taking medication as part of their treatment plans can meet with a nurse weekly. 
• Group therapy: At our treatment center, psychoeducation group sessions are offered daily and cover topics like trauma, coping skills, self-esteem, healthy boundaries, communication skills, and anger management.
• Experiential therapies: PHP patients may benefit from engaging in a variety of experiential therapies, including pet, art, and music therapies, which are offered two to three times each week.  

Each person’s treatment plan includes only the therapeutic interventions that can help them on their healing journey. By providing customized care and encouraging patients to play an active role in their treatment, we can help them achieve significant personal and emotional growth and empower them to continue making progress after the program ends.  

To learn more about the age-appropriate mental health treatment programs available at CenterPointe Hospital of Columbia, please reach out to our knowledgeable team of admissions counselors today. We are available 24/7 to answer your questions and schedule a no-cost initial assessment. You may reach us by phone or simply by walking into our facility. 

During the initial screening, our team will review the potential patient’s symptoms and decide if our treatment center is the right fit for them. If for whatever reason we determine that another provider may be a better option, we can provide a vetted referral to another trusted facility in the community.

Don’t delay finding your child or loved one life-changing mental health treatment. With early intervention, they can learn to overcome challenges and get back to living the joyful, productive life they deserve.

This content was written on behalf of and reviewed by the clinical staff at CenterPointe Hospital of Columbia.