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Children

Children

Treatment for Children

At North Spring Behavioral Healthcare, we believe that all children want to do well. A complex set of neurological, psychological and environmental factors can lead to a low sense of self-efficacy in young people. When their natural resilience has been overwhelmed by repeated frustrations, children may begin to exhibit an increasing level of symptoms such as anxiety, depression, mood and behavioral disorders, intense aggression or thoughts of self-harm. When this happens, we believe that children will thus require increasing levels of intervention to get the help they need.

We offer a full range of treatment options for children who would benefit from care in a secure, nurturing therapeutic environment.

Acute Inpatient Psychiatric Treatment

North Spring Behavioral Healthcare’s inpatient acute psychiatric facility is designed to provide comprehensive treatment for patients ages 7 and older.

Residential Inpatient Treatment

We offer a robust array of residential treatment programs for children ages 9 and older in gender-specific, age-segregated environments.

Outpatient Programs

Children ages 9 and older who are able to receive care in a less restrictive setting may be eligible for our Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) or Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP).

Animal-Assisted Therapy

We are proud to offer animal-assisted treatment options for children who are assessed to be in need of this modality. Through a partnership with a voluntary local horseback riding organization, we are able to provide therapeutic riding and cart driving on a weekly basis.

Program objectives include:

  • To provide a means of unconditional love via the emotional security an animal can provide.
  • To enhance current therapeutic and schooling services, often by overcoming traditional resistances that have built up through years of frustration and failure.
  • To make the transition into, and out of, the program easier.
  • To provide a forum for improving social skills via the introduction of concepts such as limit setting, consequences, and boundaries via the relationship with the animal.
  • To utilize the human-animal bond to effect treatment outcomes.

Mode Deactivation Therapy (MDT)

Mode Deactivation Therapy (MDT) (Apsche, 2010) is an evidenced-based psychotherapeutic technique. It is designed to treat the complex interplay between trauma, personality factors and a child’s belief system that often lead to conduct problems such as aggression. MDT was created out of the rich experience of working with multi-problem children in real-world clinical settings — the same children who often pose the greatest challenge to the clinician. MDT focuses first upon structured assessment and case conceptualization, which then leads naturally into an individualized intervention plan. Clinician and patient manuals guide the treatment process and ensure fidelity to the method.

Mode Deactivation Therapy includes centering, imagery and relaxation techniques (mindfulness) to facilitate cognition. This is followed by balance training, which teaches youth to balance their perception and interpretation of information and internal stimuli. MDT is built on the mastery system for youngsters. The system is designed to allow youth to experience success prior to undertaking more difficult materials.

We Help Children and Families Thrive

At North Spring Behavioral Healthcare, we make it our mission to help children and adolescents find a sense of hope and potential. Call 703-554-6300 for a no-cost, confidential assessment day or night, 24/7. If you need immediate medical assistance, contact 911 or seek the nearest emergency room.