 
Florence Crittenton serves adolescent girls age 13-18 with major mental
illnesses, substance abuse experience, and/or unmanageable at-risk
behaviors requiring containment and a controlled, nurturing environment
with active psychiatric treatment. Most of the residents have multiple
acute needs and have been impacted by substance abuse and/or domestic
violence. Often they lack experience with healthy, positive
relationships. Many have mental health issues such as depression,
aggression, anxiety, impulse control, and antisocial behavior and have
not succeeded in other care facilities. Additionally, some are pregnant
and/or parenting when they come to Florence Crittenton. Moreover, many
have been involved with the foster care system-some with more than 40
placements before arriving at Crittenton. Florence
Crittenton Services believes each person is a biological,
psychological, spiritual and social being. Each young woman is more than
her medical and psychiatric diagnosis or set of behavioral problems.
Every resident is unique and has the ability to improve the quality of
her life today and in the future with appropriate adult support,
guidance and validation. | | | | Active Gender-Specific Treatment | | A
growing body of research and practical experience shows that young
women in treatment for substance abuse, trauma, and/or involvement in
the juvenile justice system have different circumstances and needs than
their male counterparts. Gender-responsive
treatment recognizes and responds to the unique needs, challenges and
strengths of women and girls. Florence Crittenton provides a
multi-dimensional program addressing women specific issues, such as
addiction and chemical dependency, domestic violence, sexual abuse,
pregnancy, parenting, relationships and connectivity. This approach is
cutting-edge and is being implemented across the country. | | | | Active Treatment | | Active
treatment is defined as programming for all aspects of a resident's
life which supports the accomplishment of specific treatment goals. The
young women are involved and participate in developing the goals and
related services they will receive at Florence Crittenton. A major goal
of the program is to increase each resident's ability to manage their
life in a constructive, appropriate and acceptable manner. Florence
Crittenton uses a Dialectical Behavioral Therapy model (DBT) which
focuses on building skills to help residents keep themselves safe, get
their thoughts organized and achieve greater capacity to manage
instability. | | | | Dialectical Behavioral Therapy | Dialectical
Behavior Therapy (DBT) is an empirically-supported treatment approach
designed to increase regulation/organization in various aspects of a
resident's life. Florence Crittenton uses DBT to help residents replace
current behaviors with new skills as follows:| FROM | | TO | | Emotion Instability | | Emotion Regulation | | Impulsivity | | Distress Tolerance | | Distorted Thinking | | Middle Path Thinking | | Confusion About Self | | Identity Development/Mindfulness |
Increased
self regulation allows residents to manage symptoms more effectively
and, as a result, improves functioning in self-care, social, family, and
academics. The treatment program incorporates many opportunities for
residents to practice skills each day based on their current
functioning. The treatment team closely monitors a resident's ability to
stay organized at various levels of independence and the individual
plan of care is adjusted accordingly. The resident's pattern of
organization is a crucial component in planning for discharge to a less
structured environment. Residents
are also encouraged to start the process of building a life worth
living. Part of this process is a shift in locus of control from
external forces (authority figures, point systems) to internal forces
(personal goals and values). We want the resident to begin to envision a
life that they can feel proud of and get joy out of living. This is a
two-fold process of learning how to incorporate positive experiences
into everyday living and also setting long term goals for a future that
brings hope. | | | | Staffing and Setting | | The
youth counselors provide continuing opportunities for residents to
practice new DBT skills, try out new behaviors, experience limit setting
and develop ongoing supportive relationships. These staff members are
always present 24 hours per day and do the very important interactional
work within the milieu. Our homelike
setting is comfortable and nurturing with no more than 10 residents in a
living unit with staffing that exceeds regulatory requirements. An
on-site school uses a variety of teaching modalities to meet the needs
of each individual student. Working together we provide opportunities
for growth and support each resident in the development of tools and
skills that can change the course of her life. (Click below to get more details about our services) For further information, send your inquiry via e-mail to Dana Schoffelman, Clinical Director PLEASE NOTICE: .PDF files can only be read using the free Adobe Acrobat Reader application. |
|
