PTSD Treatment for Children and Adolescents in Texarkana, AR

Learn more about PTSD treatment for children and adolescents at Riverview Behavioral Health Hospital in Texarkana, AR

If achild or adolescent bears witness to, learns about, or directly experiences a trauma, that teen is vulnerable to suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. When PTSD manifests in a child adolescent, symptoms present may vary from what an adult may display when grappling with this illness. If a child or teen displays symptoms synonymous with posttraumatic stress disorder following a trauma, prompt and appropriate treatment should be sought. With proper care, an adolescent can overcome his or her distressing symptoms and live an emotionally healthy life once more.

At Riverview Behavioral Health, your child will be given the attention, support, and methods of care that will help him or her to overcome the symptoms of PTSD and achieve lasting recovery from this distressing mental health disorder. We offer numerous interventions and therapies, and we aim to work closely with each child and teen’s family so they have ample support once their time at our PTSD treatment center is complete. Call Riverview today to learn about our PTSD treatment and how we are able to help young people battling this illness.

Helping a child or adolescent get treatment for PTSD

The following are some steps that you, a parent or legal guardian, can take to help your child or teen get treatment for PTSD:

• Become familiar with the options for care that are available to children and adolescents grappling with posttraumatic stress disorder. Some young people benefit from outpatient treatment, while others may need inpatient services.
• Select a treatment provider and contact their staff to learn more about their services and their admissions process.
• Schedule an admissions assessment for your teen and make sure that it is on a day and at a time in which you can be present. Parents and legal guardians must be available to provide information and complete paperwork during this assessment, so it will be to your advantage to be part of this process as well.
• When meeting with treatment center staff, make sure that you provide as much information as possible about the trauma that your child or teen endured. It can be hard for a young person to talk about negative experiences with someone he or she does not know. So in this instance, your feedback is extremely important.

Lastly, it is crucial that you are very much part of your child’s healing process while he or she is in treatment. Attend family therapy sessions, stay informed of your child’s progress, and learn what you can do to help your child continue his or her healing success once he or she returns home.

Why consider treatment for PTSD at Riverview’s treatment center in Texarkana, AR

The symptoms of PTSD can become worse if treatment is delayed or not sought. Children and teens who are battling this disorder often face a number of obstacles that were never an issue before the precipitating trauma occurred. Conflict with family members and peers may happen, as young people with posttraumatic stress disorder can become more easily irritated by minor triggers.

Academic pursuits may be derailed, as focusing in class, interacting with teachers, and completing homework may become more difficult following a trauma. Additionally, some children and adolescents turn to the abuse of licit or illicit substances in a misguided effort to quell their emotional pain. Sadly, some children and teens even begin self-harming themselves when they lack the proper coping skills and support needed to cope with a trauma and handle life’s stress at the same time. Given these adverse possibilities, it is best for an adolescent to receive proper treatment to heal from the symptoms and effects of posttraumatic stress disorder. In taking time to focus on becoming well again, a teen can develop the skills and confidence needed to persevere through a trauma and manage distress in healthier ways.

Types of PTSD treatment for children and adolescents offered at Riverview Behavioral Health Hospital in Texarkana, AR

Riverview Behavioral Health, which is conveniently located in Texarkana, Texas, is an exemplary provider of mental health treatment for individuals of all ages who are battling a myriad of mental health concerns. With several forms of care available, those in the Texarkana area have relied on Riverview as the go-to mental health treatment center when someone is requiring immediate stabilization of mental health symptoms, as well as longer-term treatment for youth who need additional support to manage the symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder and other mental and behavioral health concerns.

When children between the ages of 7 and 17 need prompt and effective mental health treatment, they can benefit greatly from Riverview Behavioral Health’s inpatient programming. This level of care features only the most effective treatment methods, as well as behavior modification techniques that are proven to help young people improve their emotional wellness and learn to control impulsive behaviors. The staff of professionals who supply treatment do so with an unparalleled dedication to helping children and teens thrive, and each young person who comes for care is perceived as an individual with unique needs, strengths, and goals for the future.

We assess the treatment requirements of every child and adolescent who is in need of our services so that our staff can determine if our programming is appropriate for him or her and which methods of care will bring about the most positive results. Among the interventions that may be incorporated into a young person’s treatment plan, the following are those that our inpatient treatment program offers:

Medication management services: Children and adolescents who come to Riverview Behavioral Health may benefit from certain medications if PTSD symptoms are severe. When indicated during our streamlined admissions process, our staff will speak to the child’s parent(s) or legal guardian(s) about the need for medication, and, if consented to by those responsible for the child or teen, our onsite psychiatrist can determine what kind and the amount of a medication(s) that will benefit the child or adolescent most. While a young person is taking psychotropic medication(s), our team of compassionate nurses closely monitors the effectiveness of any medication(s) given so as to preserve the safety and overall wellness of the children and adolescents entrusted in our care.

Medical care: As a means of ensuring that each child and adolescent is maintaining good health while receiving treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder, we employ a medical doctor and nurse practitioner so that the basic medical needs of the children and adolescents we treat are cared for. Additionally, the same team of nurses that assists in the monitoring of each child and adolescent’s progress while taking psychotropic medication(s) is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to provide medical care and support for the duration of a youth’s time at Riverview Behavioral Health.

Individual therapy: Each week, children and teens at Riverview Behavioral Health are able to meet with a licensed mental health professional for individual therapy sessions. During these sessions, a young person can discuss managing the symptoms of PTSD, experiences of the past, goals for the present, and ambitions for the future. Additionally, children and teens grappling with posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms can utilize individual therapy sessions to process their feelings and emotions in a safe space so that they can improve upon their overall emotional wellness.

Group therapy: Group therapy sessions are an integral part of the care that children and adolescents receive while at Riverview Behavioral Health. Led by licensed mental health professionals and behavioral health technicians, young people partake in process groups and other types of group therapy opportunities multiple times per day while working to heal from posttraumatic stress disorder. Among the topics that may be covered during group therapy sessions, the following are those that children and adolescents may talk about with our staff and their peers:

• Anxiety management
• Any topics that may be relevant to the group that influence positive treatment outcomes
• Art therapy
• Coping skills
• Crisis intervention
• Education on mental health conditions
• Medication education
• Recreation
• Stress management

Education services: At Riverview Behavioral Health, we will do all that we can to prevent disruption in our young patients’ education while they are receiving care for PTSD. Because of this initiative, while a child or adolescent is partaking in our inpatient care, he or she will participate in the education services that we offer each day. We have certified teachers onsite who will conduct lesson plans, assist with schoolwork, and help children and adolescents continue working towards any academic endeavors that they may have.

Family therapy: Because the success of our young patients’ healing journeys are often reliant on the support they have with their family members and/or other loved ones, we, at Riverview Behavioral Health, include family therapy in our child and adolescent inpatient programming. Offered at least one time each week, family therapy sessions are conducted by our staff and can help youth and those closest to them understand PTSD better and forge healthier bonds that can support emotional wellness for all involved. We strongly encourage family members to participate in these sessions, as we believe that children and adolescents experience more favorable treatment outcomes when they know they have the backing of their families and loved ones.

Family program: Whether a child or teen has been battling posttraumatic stress disorder for some time, or if a young person has been recently diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder, family members and/or legal guardians often have several questions about their child’s mental health and require support of their own during this time in their lives. For these reasons, Riverview Behavioral Health is pleased to offer a family program that allows parents, guardians, and loved ones to participate in group therapy opportunities, partake in educational lectures about mental health conditions, and benefit from the support of other families who have a loved one grappling with mental health concerns. This program does require preregistration in order to attend, and all who come for this invaluable service will leave with a greater understanding of their child’s condition and of themselves as providers of support for him or her.

Continuing care and levels of treatment for PTSD

Depending on the needs of the child or teen who is suffering from PTSD, the interventions that are incorporated into the customized treatment plan that is created can vary. Some methods of care will occur more or less frequently, though each youth is able to participate in any of the interventions that we offer. We make the treatment planning process personalized so that each young person is able to experience the most favorable treatment outcomes possible.

Furthermore, in addition to personalized treatment planning, each patient in our child and adolescent inpatient program receives individualized discharge planning. From the moment that they are admitted, our staff plans for each youth’s discharge so that children and teens have the follow-up supports and resources in place that will allow them to continue managing posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in a healthy manner. Among the supports and services that a youth may access, we are pleased to provide school-based services that can assist young people in improving their emotional wellness while receiving a top notch education at the same time as healing from PTSD.

If your child or an important youth in your life could benefit from the world class care that Riverview Behavioral Health has to offer, feel free to contact our center at your convenience to learn more about the programming options we have available. At Riverview, we strive to improve the lives of every young person who is entrusted to our care, and we believe that we can help a child or adolescent in your life as well. Call today to schedule an assessment with our staff and let today be the first day of a better life for a youth you know.