It Takes a Team.
By Molly Hedrick, PhD
Many believe in the African proverb “it takes a village to raise a child.” Ideally, we see this in extended family, friends, neighborhoods, schools, communities and government policies.
This “Village” is Key
The village is especially important when your child is struggling with mental health issues. Families can find the range of behavioral health providers bewildering; it’s often unclear where to turn for support. Frequently, providers are in different locations and don’t necessarily coordinate with each other, sometimes creating mixed messages and ruptures in treatment.
At Bradley REACH, we strongly believe that the best approach to helping teens and families in crisis is through a collaborative, multidisciplinary treatment approach.
The Bradley REACH Village
The Bradley REACH adolescent partial program is an intensive day treatment program in which your teen can join from the comfort of their own home. Group, individual, family, psychiatric and milieu-based therapies are offered as an intensive alternative to outpatient or inpatient care.
Paramount to this treatment model is the multidisciplinary team:
Psychiatrists work with you and your teen to evaluate medications and make recommendations. Evidence shows that that medications are not a cure, but a supplement to the hard work done in therapy.
Nurses are integrated into day-to-day programming. They address medical needs as they arise and run specialized health groups.
Psychologists and social workers conduct group, individual and family therapy with the teens and families and are the link between home and program.
Behavioral health specialists are with the teens all day and help reinforce treatment goals by challenging, supporting and, most importantly, having fun with the teens.
Psychology assistants collect admission and discharge information from children and their families to ensure that teens are benefiting from our program. We use this information to inform and continuously improve the treatment we provide.
This team of providers meets daily to discuss all teens in our program. All staff members run group therapies so everyone on the team know the participants in multiple settings. Our team of providers truly love and enjoy our work and serve as a model for healthy relationships and communication.
The Heart of Our Team
At the heart of the multidisciplinary treatment team is the teen and their family. We respect adolescents’ agency and autonomy. We also recognize that parents are experts on their teens. Our goal is to empower teens and families to problem solve and cope with stressors as they arise.
Finally, outside organizations such as school and outpatient providers close the gap from the multidisciplinary to a multisystemic team, especially as teens get ready to leave the program. Without significant support from outside agencies, teens might relapse. We coordinate closely with schools and community providers.
Our village of providers won’t “fix” your child, but we hope they will provide a corrective experience and skills that leave you and your child better equipped to cope with life stressors and ultimately build healthier villages of support.
Learn more about our team-based care model at the Bradley Conference.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Molly Hedrick, PhD
Psychologist at Bradley REACH in Florida
