The residential programs accept children ages 6–18 with various emotional and behavioral health needs. Many of these children have a history of abuse and neglect and may have required multiple hospitalizations or other out-of-home placements.
We encourage you to call the coordinator of the program you are interested in to discuss admission criteria and other steps needed to admit your child. If you are unsure about which program to call, just call our receptionist and they will be happy to direct your call to the appropriate individual.
For the STTEP program, the length of stay is approximately 60-90 days, although some children stay as little as 30 days. For the intensive residential program, the length of stay is determined by the child’s progress toward their individualized treatment goals. The average length of stay in those programs is about one year.
You’ll need to bring several documents and other items to your child’s intake appointment; please consult our intake appointment checklist. Each program provides parents/guardians with a packing list as part of the pre-admission process.
Each child receives individualized care based on their specific needs. Medication can be an important component of their treatment, depending on the child’s unique situation. A board-certified child psychiatrist will evaluate your child to determine if medication might be a beneficial component to their treatment plan. Guardians must provide their consent before medication can be given, and you are encouraged to discuss any concerns you may have with the psychiatrist during treatment team meetings.
Sample schedules for each program are provided on their respective pages:
Each of our programs incorporates school, therapeutic group activities, and basic living skills instruction. Activities are structured and consistent from day to day, and tailored to your child’s development and needs.
Yes! We allow visitation during business hours and on weekends. Nighttime visitation may also be an option if needed. The child’s guardian determines who may visit, and we encourage visits with family at least once per month, when appropriate. Depending on your child’s progress and with permission from the legal guardian, off-campus visits may also be permitted.
Yes! All children generally have the opportunity to make a phone call each night. Parents/family are also allowed to call during phone hours (approximately 5:30–7:30 p.m. depending on the program/unit). Although there are some days when your child may not call, due to an outing or other unusual circumstance, phone calls are not withheld as a consequence for behavior occurring earlier in the day or week.
All clients are provided three balanced meals per day, as well as two or three snacks. Meals are developed by the cafeteria manager and approved by our consulting dietician. The dietician also evaluates any clients with particular needs and adjusts their menus accordingly.
Residential programs celebrate birthdays, as they are a very important part of childhood. We provide a birthday cake to each residential client on his or her birthday, which is shared with peers in the program. In our Intensive Residential program, children also receive a birthday present from Brewer-Porch. Parents/guardians are welcome to celebrate with their child and to bring presents. We encourage you to discuss presents with your child’s therapist prior to purchase to ensure that it is appropriate for this environment and that your child will be able to use and enjoy the present.
Community outings are an important component of treatment. Each program has guidelines on how clients earn the ability to participate in community outings. Each weekend we take outings to a variety of museums, stores, and restaurants, and we want as many children as possible to participate in these outings if their behavior permits.
Each child in the intensive residential program earns a weekly allowance. For the STTEP unit, money for the outings is provided. Clients are always permitted to save their allowance rather than participate in the outings, and they are also able to work with their therapists on a plan to save their allowance to use on larger purchases (toys, game systems, etc.). Any money left in their allowance account at discharge is sent by check to the child or guardian.
