If you’ve landed on the OC Teen Center website, you might be wondering what kind of care is right for your child and if OC Teen Center is the right choice. Before making a final decision, let’s go through all the levels of care.
Psychiatric Inpatient Care
If a child is violent or suicidal, don’t wait! Call 911! The ambulance will come and take your child to a psychiatric facility where they can be observed for 48 hours and medicated if necessary. The closest inpatient facility to OC Teen Center is UC Irvine Hospital. If your child has been hospitalized at UC Irvine, College Hospital, CHOC, HOAG, or Alahambra Behavioral Health Center, the next step after discharge could be OC Teen Center. We accept children who have been discharged from the hospital, usually on the same day as discharge. Please call 24 hours in advance to make arrangements if possible. To be admitted at OC Teen Center, your child cannot be actively suicidal. Kids who are actively suicidal need to stay at the hospital longer or attend a residential treatment program that will be supervised 24/7. If your child’s suicidal episode has passed, OC Teen Center might be a good fit.
Residential Treatment Center (RTC)
Kids who have severe eating disorders or are actively suicidal should be in a residential treatment center. In this scenario, you will travel to the facility (usually somewhere far from home) and admit your child into the RTC for 30-60 days. If you would like more info on this level of care, please call 714-716-5044 to explain further.
Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) 11:30 to 6:30, M-F
OC Teen Center specializes in PHP, and we are the only doctor-owned PHP program in Orange County. PHP is for kids who are too severe to attend school and is the right choice when a family prefers to keep their child at home rather than a 30-60 day stay at a residential facility. In PHP, we do the following activities:
Psychiatric Care
Your child will be under the care of Dr. Sayeh Beheshti, our founder, and medical director. Dr. B knows every child personally and meets with every family.
Private Therapy
Your child will be in a 1on1 therapy session as often as needed, and their therapist will be available every day.
Family Therapy
Parents and children will meet once a week with their therapist in a comfortable, relaxed therapy session.
Group Therapy
Sometimes 1on1 therapy feels a little too intense for kids, and they prefer the more informal group atmosphere. Your child will learn new coping skills and implement therapeutic strategies alongside their same-age peers.
Schoolwork
We will talk to your child’s school and help them keep up with assignments until it’s time to go back to school. In PHP, we do school work for several hours each day.
Fun stuff
We have occasional games, sports, and outings that your child will love! Kids need to play and have fun to grow and improve.
PHP is a great way to go if your child refuses to go to school, has rapidly declining grades, and is showing signs of depression, anxiety, or eating issues. Your family will get all the benefits of an RTC program without the jarring experience of having the child leave home for a prolonged period. As a parent, you will watch your child improve with each passing day and take an active role in that improvement.
Intensive Outpatient (IOP) 3:30 to 6:30, M-F
IOP is for kids who are stepping down from residential or stepping down from PHP. If your child is showing lots of improvement, maybe it’s time to go back to school. IOP is a great way to get the support they need while still keeping up with friends and schoolwork. At this level of care, they still get therapy, family therapy, psychiatric care, and group therapy, but they spend few hours per week on their mental health.
Not sure which level is suitable for your family? Please call us at 714-716-5044, and we can talk it over.