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Adolescent and Child Mental Health Services

When a young person feels stressed-out or hopeless, we can help

For some young people, life becomes overwhelming. It may be because of an underlying emotional illness such as depression, or it may be the child’s individual reaction to stress. Other types of problems include:

Anxiety
Bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness)
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Family or school problems
Loss and grieving
Effects of trauma or abuse
Drug or alcohol use
Sexual or gender identity problems
Emotional problems related to a physical illness

Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network (LVHHN) offers a range of inpatient, “partial hospital,” and outpatient services to help care for children in need.

ADOLESCENT INPATIENT PROGRAM

The adolescent inpatient program provides a safe, secure, caring environment for adolescents in crisis where their condition can be stabilized and they can be protected from harming themselves.

Located in the Behavioral Health Science Center at Lehigh Valley Hospital—Muhlenberg, our 13-bed unit is bright, cheerful and specially designed to make adolescents feel at home. At the same time, we are equipped to protect and care for adolescents with a serious mental health crisis.

First, we carefully evaluate the young person’s physical health, mental health, and social and educational history. Then we customize the young person’s treatment. It may include:

Individual therapy to develop personal, practical coping skills
Group therapy to share feedback with peers and begin practicing these new skills
Family therapy to promote parents’ involvement in care
Educational services from a certified teacher who works closely with the young person’s own school
Rehabilitation services to help our patients stay fit, enjoy recreation, build their self-esteem, express their creativity and manage stress

Medication also plays a valuable role for most of our patients.

Typically a young person is here for 7-10 days, until he or she is able to function successfully in a partial hospital program or an individual outpatient treatment program.

PARTIAL HOSPITALIZATION PROGRAMS

Adolescent Transitions
Adolescent Transitions is designed for young people making the shift out of the hospital, or for those who don’t need an overnight hospital program but still need very structured care. Teens are typically in the program about two weeks. After leaving our program, many children go into school-based programs or outpatient counseling for the final phase of treatment.

Young people attend Transitions every weekday from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. and return home overnight. As they test their new coping skills with family and friends, Transitions acts as a safety net to help them through the process. Treatment includes:

Group therapy focusing on issues like problem solving, anger management, communication and education about the young person’s own condition. Group therapy is the foundation of our program because adolescents often learn best with their peers.
Individual therapy to help the young person develop personal, practical coping skills
Family therapy to begin exploring family dynamics, to promote parents’ involvement in the care of their child, and to help enhance their own coping strategies
Education (two or more hours daily) from a certified teacher who works closely with the young person’s own school to keep him as current as possible
Rehabilitation services for recreation, esteem-building, creative expression and stress relief

Medication also plays a valuable role for many of our patients. Families are always informed why a certain medication might be needed at this point in the teen’s life.

Adolescent Transitions is located at 1255 S. Cedar Crest Boulevard, Suite 1500, near Lehigh Valley Hospital—Cedar Crest.

Outpatient Care
For children who do not need daily intensive treatment, the hospital has a number of highly qualified psychiatrists and other behavioral health professionals who specialize in the care of young people.

For example, two of our larger outpatient programs, Muhlenberg Behavioral Health, (located on the campus of Lehigh Valley Hospital-Muhlenberg), and The Guidance Program, (located at 1255 S. Cedar Crest Boulevard, Suite 3800) each have a board- certified child and adolescent psychiatrist, and a variety of therapists to care for the special needs of children and teens.

To schedule an appointment with a behavioral health specialist at Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network, call 610-402-CARE.

This page last updated 2/12/08 04:08 PM

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LVH Info Line: 610-402-CARE
Cedar Crest & I-78, P.O. Box 689, Allentown, PA 18105-1556

Lehigh Valley Hospital has campuses in Allentown and Bethlehem, Pa. and serves the Pennsylvania communities of Easton, Doylestown, Quakertown, Hazelton, Lehighton, Perkasie, Pottstown, Pottsville, Reading, Scranton, Wilkes Barre, Stroudsburg, and the Poconos and also Phillipsburg and Flemington, N.J., and western New Jersey. You don't have to travel to Philadelphia or New York for quality health care.