Longleaf Hospital is pleased to offer adolescent-specific acute inpatient treatment for youth between the ages of 12 and 17 in Alexandria, Louisiana. We are dedicated to providing young people with the highest level of psychiatric care that will allow them to achieve success in meeting and exceeding their treatment goals.
Youth-Specific Care
When adolescents are suffering from mental health concerns, the care that they receive must be different than that which is offered to adults. Young people respond differently to various therapeutic interventions, and the treatment they receive must be customized to their developmental stages so that their needs can be fully met.
Programming for adolescents is offered in the same, newly renovated, state-of-the-art treatment center that our adult programming takes place in. However, adolescents take part in programming in a separate unit, providing them with the comfort and security of being around peers of their own age.
Types of Therapy
Group Therapy
Promoting a sense of comfort for the youth in our care, we offer group therapy sessions in gender-specific settings, with the girls’ groups being led by a female therapist and the boys’ groups being led by a male therapist. We have found that young people are more likely to open up and feel comfortable discussing their concerns when they are amongst same-sex peers, and it is our goal to make the youth in our care feel at ease as they confront their challenges.
These gender-specific group therapy sessions are extremely beneficial to youth in treatment as they allow them to come together with their peers to give and receive support to and from one another. Young people who are suffering from mental illnesses frequently feel isolated from those around them, ensnared in a pervasive sense of loneliness from thinking that they are alone in their struggles. By engaging in these group therapy sessions, that sense of loneliness is lifted as they come to realize that they are not alone. These sessions also give them the opportunity to provide support to others, which can promote a sense of self-purpose and ultimately enhance their sense of self-worth.
Individual Therapy
In addition to group therapy sessions, adolescents who engage in our inpatient program will have the opportunity to receive daily individual therapy sessions, which take place in a one-to-one setting with a Master’s level social worker. During these sessions, young people can discuss concerns that they may not feel comfortable addressing in a group setting, while also sharing their challenges and celebrating their successes with a professional who truly cares about their wellbeing.
Family Therapy
With the knowledge that family dynamics are instrumental in promoting healthy development for a child, we provide family therapy sessions where our patients can meet together with their family members to work on developing coping mechanisms and learning ways in which the family unit can become stronger, ultimately eliciting positive treatment outcomes.
Recreational Therapy
Additionally, at Longleaf, we recognize that young people need alternative outlets for expressing themselves and releasing pent-up energy, which is why we offer recreation therapy twice a day. During this time, adolescents can play basketball, volleyball, and kickball, or just enjoy the freedom of having free time in our indoor gymnasium.
Medication Management
Medication management services are also available for patients in our adolescent program who require the implementation of medication in order to fully alleviate the distress that their symptoms may be causing them. Medication decisions are always made on a case-by-case basis and in conjunction with a child’s parents or guardians. Medical care is also available when needed, and is administered by medical doctors and nurse practitioners.
Visitation & Care
At Longleaf Hospital, we know that this is a troubling time for you, and we want to do everything in our power to make you feel as comfortable as possible as your child receives the care that he or she so desperately needs. If you choose to have your child receive care at our treatment center, you will be able to visit with him or her daily, and our therapists will reach out to you on a regular basis so that you can be kept abreast of the gains your child is making while in treatment.
We want you to feel confident in your decision to entrust your child into our care, so if you have any questions about our adolescent-specific program, or about the care we offer in general, please do not hesitate to contact us at any time. Our treatment center is conveniently located in Alexandria, Louisiana, easily accessible to the surrounding communities.
Please do not wait another day to get your child the help that he or she needs. At Longleaf Hospital, we are committed to providing exceptional care in a healing atmosphere that is fully conducive to true and lasting healing. Contact us today, and let your child’s bright future begin.
