Day Treatment

Day Treatment Program for Adolescents

Skyland Trail offers a mental health day treatment program for adolescents ages 14 to 17. Day treatment is also called "partial hospitalization" or PHP.

Teen day treatment clients live at home with their families and come to the Skyland Trail campus for treatment daily, Monday through Friday.

Day treatment is a full day schedule. Teens enrolled in day treatment may not attend school in-person. Adolescent day treatment clients continue to make progress toward graduation through daily academic services.

Day treatment, sometimes called partial hospitalization or PHP, may be an appropriate next step for clients who have completed 12 weeks of adolescent residential treatment, are ready to return home, and who need continued structure and therapeutic support while making the transition.

Typically, adolescent clients stay with their residential psychiatrist, individual therapist, and treatment track. Some of their individual and group work will shift toward practicing skills at home and in situations outside of treatment.

Day Treatment families have access to 24/7 on-call support if concerns arise outside of treatment hours.

Adolescent day treatment clients must reside with a guardian or other family member in the Atlanta area. Families who do not live locally may want to consider identifying local temporary housing or accommodations.

Families must provide transportation for their adolescent to arrive between 8:15 and 8:45 AM and depart at 3:00 PM, Monday through Friday. Clients may not drive themselves.

Average length of stay at the PHP level is 4-6 weeks.

Adolescent day treatment may be appropriate for teens who have completed a residential program with another treatment provider. 

Adolescent PHP may be the right level of care for teens who are "stuck" in outpatient therapy and not able to make progress. Teens whose mental health symptoms have not led to self harm, suicide attempts, or hospitalizations, but whose symptoms are preventing them from attending school or participating in meaningful family and peer relationships may benefit from day treatment.

Our admissions team will recommend an appropriate level of care for admission.

Our minimum length of stay is 8 weeks. Average length of stay for clients admitting directly to day treatment is 8-10 weeks.

Adolescent Campus Art Room

Structured Daily Schedule

The adolescent day treatment program provides individualized, evidence-based treatment by diagnosis. Clients meet with a dedicated therapist one-on-one at least twice each week.
Clients meet individually with a psychiatric provider at least
once each week.

Families are required to participate in family therapy sessions at least once each week. While each client meets individually with their primary therapist at least twice each week, sessions with the family therapist focus on the family system and require introspection and adjustments from all family members, not just the adolescent.

Families also are required to participate in the weekly Adolescent Family Program. The Adolescent Family Program includes education on mental health topics, strategies for how to reinforce skills at home, and peer support.

Adolescent clients direct admitting to day treatment receive an educational needs assessment at admission and academic education services year-round.

Adolescent day treatment clients stepping down from residential continue to receive academic support and services. Any partnerships established with schools during residential treatment remain in place throughout day treatment, and the education coordinator remains the school's primary point of contact. Clients enrolled in ADVANTAGES online school through Skyland Trail can continue their enrollment.

Daily schedules include at least two and a half (2.5) hours of structured academic support each weekday. If clients have struggled with school in the past, the education specialist helps them work toward building skills to handle classroom dynamics, assignments, and presentations in a supportive environment.

Adolescent clients must be enrolled in an accredited school or online learning program. If the client does not want to remain enrolled at their current school, or if the current school is unable to meet the partnership requirements, the client will be enrolled in ADVANTAGES Digital Learning Solutions.

Learn more about academic services.

Experiential activities offered throughout each week include art, music, fitness and sports, yoga, meditation, and horticultural therapy. Experiential activities give adolescents a break from talk therapy, encourage social engagement with peers, and help teens explore activities that they can use to express emotions and maintain mental health long-term.

Experiential activities also employ Behavioral Activation, an evidence-based therapeutic approach. Many teens with depression or anxiety have developed avoidance as an unhealthy coping strategy. Behavioral activation helps break the cycle of avoidance and reinforces the connection between doing things and feeling good.

Accommodations & Transportation

Housing is not provided as part of the day treatment program. Adolescent day treatment clients must reside with a guardian or other family member in the Atlanta area. Families who do not live locally may want to consider identifying local temporary housing or accommodations.

Families must provide transportation for their adolescent to arrive between 8:15 and 8:45 AM and depart at 3:00 PM, Monday through Friday. Clients may not drive themselves.

Adolescent Day Treatment Program Fees

The adolescent day treatment program is in-network with most major private insurance providers. Learn more about adolescent day treatment program fees.