Children's Residential Program
HISTORY
Intermountain Centers for Human Development developed the Children’s Residential Program in 1973 to serve at-risk Native American youth who were referred by tribal child welfare agencies because they exhibited challenging behaviors. During the past 36 years, the scope of services and population served in the Children’s Residential Program has expanded to include children of all ethnicities, residing throughout Southern Arizona. Intermountain provides therapeutic residential care to seriously emotionally disabled children in all of its group residential facilities.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Intermountain Centers for Human Development operates four group residences for youth in Tucson. The residential program has been developed to meet the needs of children in the behavioral health system that previously have been unsuccessful in home-based settings and are referred through the Child Family Team process.
Individual Treatment Plans are determined for each adolescent through a comprehensive Functional Behavior Assessment. They are updated frequently in order to meet the youth’s Child and Family Team discharge goals. Crisis Plans are developed based on information gathered during the assessment.
Through training and support by Intermountain’s transitional support staff, all treatment plans, behavior assessments and crisis plans will continue to be addressed after the child is discharged from the program. Increased individual participation in the community is an important component of each child’s treatment program.
Each of Intermountain’s four group residences for children has 24 hour therapeutic supervision for the residents. High staff to client ratios reflect the intensity of supervision. The facilities are currently comprised of:
- Two Therapeutic Level II Residences under a Community Partnership of Southern Arizona (CPSA) specialized contract where the program targets Residential Treatment Center (RTC) diversion and offers:
- On site, licensed therapists available for individuals, family and group services;
- Individualized educational support services;
- Community integration specialists whose duties include post-discharge support services; and
- Short term (90-120 days) programming to prepare youth for transition to their home communities and to prevent them from being placed out of the community in RTCs.
- A Therapeutic Level II Home where the program focuses on children with complex needs that require long term behavioral interventions;
- A Multi-Unit Dwelling which is home to a transitional living program that:
- Focuses on the acquisition of life skills in a therapeutic environment;
- Is staffed 24 hours a day by behavior coaches trained in therapeutic interventions;
- Develops Treatment Plans based on each individual’s Functional Behavioral Assessment; and
- Supervises 16-18 year olds in the attainment of their educational and vocational goals through practice in their own apartments and in the community.
The three Therapeutic Level II residences are licensed as Level II Behavioral Health Residences by the Office of Behavioral Health Licensing (OBHL), which operates within the Arizona Department of Health Services/Department of Behavioral Health Services (ADHS/DBHS) and mandates the qualifications and training of the residential care staff in those residences.
The transitional living apartments are licensed by the Arizona Department of Economic Security/Child Welfare Agency Licensing office which also defines the qualifications and training for residential staff in that residence. Behavioral health services are delivered by qualified Intermountain staff on an out-patient basis to the youth living in this multi-unit facility.
Intermountain’s Children’s Residential staff consists of residential workers, consultants and trainers, therapists, psychologists, behavioral technicians and organizational administrative support staff.
For Referral and additional Information, contact:
Lynn Hale
Phone: (520) 721-1887, ext. 5266
Fax: (520) 721-0069
Email: lynnl@ichd.net