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Children’s Acute Care Ages 4-11 (approximate age ranges)

Clinical Treatment Team

  • Psychiatrist
  • Medical Physician
  • Registered Nurse
  • Social Worker/Discharge Planning Specialist
  • Individual and Family Therapist
  • Behavioral Health Technician
  • Recreational Specialist
  • Nutritional Specialist

The children’s behavioral health treatment program at Lakeland Behavioral Health is dedicated to the treatment of children between the ages of four (4) and eleven (11). Through the introduction and age appropriate application of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), children are able to identify triggers and life stressors.  Before treatment, ineffectively coping with triggers and stressful situations cause conflict in daily life, presenting as acting out behaviors.  By learning acceptable coping methods, patients are able to identify and positively cope with stressors and therefore  interact appropriately through their daily routine.  Accurate diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric disorders assist the patient to implement changes by stabilization of their mood and behaviors.

Lakeland’s program uses a positive rewards system to promote positive and appropriate behavior.  All children enter the program at a Rising Star level, with the overall goal of progression through four phases to obtain the Super Star Level.  Up to 3 stars are earned each hour for participation in groups and the unit routine.  Children are rewarded immediately for positive behaviors with Star Dollars to use for purchasing additional privileges/rewards.  Immediate rewards assist the child in identifying positive behavior the moment it occurs.

The children’s program implements intensive therapies and evaluations to individualize each patient’s plan of care.  Each child attends 5 psychotherapy groups daily as well as 2 individual and 2 family therapies each week.  Each child is evaluated by a psychiatrist a minimum of 3 times weekly and attends a unit staffing weekly with members of their treatment team.  The child develops their individualized treatment plan with successful identification of triggers and implementation of coping skills.

Groups

All Patients

Breaking the Silence (BTS)

A group for victims of sexual abuse to identify and process feelings related to past abuse.  The BTS group is specific for patients who have been victims of sexual abuse.

Anger Management

This group helps children identify what they are angry about and how this influences their behavior.  Consequences of out-of-control behavior are identified and more effective responses are taught and practiced.  Typical activities include role play, stress management techniques, communication skills and conflict resolution.

Coping Skills

This group helps children process stressors they are currently experiencing and identify solutions to appropriately cope with current and future stressors.

Purple Group Specific

Family issues

This group helps children with the ability to communicate their thought and feelings with family members in an open, honest way, as well as accepting the decisions made by members in their families.

Personal Safety

This group helps children to identify risks in situations and relationship choices patients find themselves in which jeopardize their personal safety.

Dual Diagnosis

This group helps children with a substance abuse issue who also have a psychiatric diagnosis.  Focus is placed on implementing and developing socially acceptable coping skills, as well as compliance with treatment, medication management, and participation in therapies to manage life stressors.

Self Image

This group helps children on how to increase self esteem and not becoming reliant on other’s opinions to validate and define self.

Orange and Yellow Group Specific

Abuse Reactive Kids (ARK)

This group helps children to identify how the cycle of violence and abuse impacts their behavior and  gives the child tools to place these dysfunctional behaviors in perspective.

Play Therapy

This group helps children to teach and emphasize constructs such as sharing, consideration of others, following directives, recognizing and respecting boundaries and effective interaction with family and peers.

Conflict Resolution/ Problem solving

This group helps children learn and adapt by navigating  different scenarios through games and readings.  Situations that would typically incite anger, sadness, and fear will be presented.  Positive and negative coping skills will be discussed.

Creative Expression

This group helps children through therapeutic intervention via art, music, play and discussion (using CBT model) which helps children communication feelings, emotions and attitudes nonverbally and verbally.

Social Skills

This group helps children by exposing them to a variety of skills which increase the likelihood of appropriate and effective responses in stressful or frustrating interpersonal situations.  Topics include problem solving, conflict resolution, impulse control, empathy, social boundaries, communication and cooperation.

Feelings

This group helps children practice appropriate expression of feelings to resolve conflict.  Primary feelings are identified and children reflect and communicate on how these feelings can be utilized to better understand their own motivations and improve interaction with family and peers.

Each child is unique; therefore, treatment is individualized, comprehensive, and designed to enhance the individual’s self-awareness. Through the development and achievement of realistic goals, children gain self-confidence and new life skills. We provide a positive, structured, nurturing environment which encourages children to make socially acceptable choices. Parents and/or guardians are encouraged to be involved in all aspects of treatment since the program is designed to help the child as well as the family develop positive family interactions.