There are different types of treatment and counseling programs available if you have children or

adolescents with behavioral problems. This complete range of programs is called the continuum of care. All of the services or programs on this continuum may not be available everywhere, but many psychiatric hospitals now provide most of them.

If you are worried about one of your kids behavior or emotional problems, the best place to start would be a consultation with a qualified mental health professional, such as a clinical psychologist. At the conclusion of the consultation, he or she will recommend the best type of treatment or counseling program for your teen.

Your consulting psychologist will then seek approval from your insurance carrier to provide treatment. If you are looking for programs funded publicly, there will probably be a specific community agency that must authorize the recommended services. It is important to understand that obtaining these authorizations is crucial because if the program or service is not authorized, the cost will not be paid by the particular organization.

Many of the available programs offer a variety of treatments, such as individual psychotherapy, family therapy, group therapy and treatment with psychiatric medications. The following are brief descriptions of various programs offered within a complete continuum of care:

Office or outpatient care:

These counseling visits usually last from 30 to 60 minutes each, take place in an office setting and the number of visits per week usually varies based on your youngsters needs.

Intensive case management:

This takes place when specially trained professionals coordinate or provide certain mental health, financial, legal or other medical services to help your child or adolescent to live successfully at home when not previously able to do so.

Home-based treatment:

A team of professional staff go into your home and develop a specific treatment program to help both your child and family cope with your kids problems.

Family support:

These are services designed to help you care for your childs emotional needs and include, parent training, support groups etc.

Day treatment and partial hospitalization programs: These are intensive treatment programs which provide psychiatric treatment and counseling together with special education services. The child usually attends five days per week. The services are usually provided in a hospital setting, with your child returning home each evening.

Emergency/crisis services:

These are 24-hour-per-day counseling and treatment services for crises or psychiatric emergencies.

Therapeutic group home:

This is a live-in program which usually includes 6 to 10 children or adolescents in a home-like setting; it may be linked with a hospital, day treatment or educational program.

Crisis residence:

This setting provides short-term (usually fewer than 15 days) crisis intervention, counseling and treatment. Your youngsters would receive 24-hour-per-day supervision during that time.

Residential treatment:

In this campus-like setting seriously troubled kids receive intensive and comprehensive psychological counseling and psychiatric treatment on a longer-term basis, months and sometimes years.

Hospital treatment:

Patients, while staying there, receive psychological counseling and treatment in the hospital setting.

These treatment programs should be specifically designed for either children or adolescents, depending on your childs age; their duration will vary.

If a professional recommends psychiatric treatment for your child or adolescent, be sure to ask the following: What types of treatment are rendered, and by whom? You should also ask about the length of treatment? What is the cost? How much of it is covered by your insurance company or other agency? And finally, what are the advantages and disadvantages of the recommended program?

You should always feel free to obtain a second opinion about the type of program that is best for your child or adolescent.