Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why was the Day Treatment Center created?
The Day Treatment Center was created for a number of reasons. First, it was to fill a gap in adolescent mental health services in light of the closing of the OAKS child and youth services program at NHRMC. Secondly, it was to be an alternative to detention for adjudicated youth. When the Juvenile Justice Reform Act of 1998 restructured the juvenile code, an allowance was make for a sanctioning option known as a "structured day program". The Day Treatment Center was developed to provide the courts an additional sanctioning option for adjudicated youth, which allows them to remain within the community, while also fulfilling the need for additional structure and treatment.
2. How is the Day Treatment Center funded?
The Day Treatment Center is funded by a variety of sources: New Hanover County; New Hanover County Schools; grants from the federal and state government; private foundations (national, state or local level); and Medicaid reimbursements (the JDTC is a licensed mental health facility).
3. How does the Day Treatment Center receive referrals?
Currently the Day Treatment Center receives referrals from its partner agencies that include the following: New Hanover County Schools, Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Department of Social Services, Pre-Trial Release and Community Support Service Providers. Parents who are interested in having their child enrolled at the JDTC need to work in conjunction with the administrative personnel at the school which their child attends. The Center is responsible for the development of client health from both a mental and behavioral perspective.
4. What are the goals of the Day Treatment Center program?
The Day Treatment Center has a number of goals, including: addressing mental and behavioral issues that limit client performance in the classroom, increasing youth involvement in the community, providing advocacy support to parents, increasing appropriate social skills and responsible behavior in youth, increasing academic success, and reduce thinking errors that lead to delinquent behavior.
5. What are the basic guiding principles of the program?
The Day Treatment Center has seven key principles: People Security, Program Security, Teamwork/Communication, Care and Concern, Cleanliness and Care of Environment, Accountability/Responsibility, and Role Modeling. These are the principles that guide the interaction amongst all participants in the program--both staff and youth.
6. What is the schedule like?
The Day Treatment Center programming runs from 8:30 A.M. until 4:30 P.M. Monday through Friday. The students are grouped within their grade level. The middle school students attend their academic studies in the morning, while high school students attend their academic classes in the afternoon. The The middle school students attend clinical and life skills classes in the afternoon, while high school students attend these classes in the morning.
7. What are the basic programmatic components?
The Center offers three types of program components: educational, vocational and clinical. Certified teachers are responsible for implementing the North Carolina education curriculum. Pre-vocational instruction takes place in culinary arts and woodworking. A wide variety of psychological services are delivered by a combination of Counselors and Therapists. Intervention Specialists provide life skills and social skills development psycho-education along with individual and group counseling opportunities.
8. How does the program interface with the community?
The Day Treatment Center collaborates with a number of other agencies in providing services on-site to our youth. Some of those agencies include DREAMS (artists involved in sculpture, music, art design, and journalism/desktop publishing), the Wise Guys program and Wellness Clinic staffed by Wilmington Health Access for Teens, Making Better Choices sponsored by Coastal Horizons Center, Inc., Occupational Therapy provided by Jennifer Philips and Seth Berkebile.
9. What is the program's philosophy?
The Day Treatment Center uses a cognitive-behavioral reality approach in working with youth. The emphasis is on helping the youth to recognize and change the thinking errors they exhibit, which lead to delinquent behavior. The goal is for students to move from mere compliance to commitment in making permanent changes so that they can be successful.
10. How do students complete the program?
An individualized person centered plan is created for each client attending the Center. While in the program, each client works on treatment goals associated with their plan. These goals are set by the Treatment Team in concert with the client as he/she enters the program. In order to graduate from the program, the client must be successful in obtaining 80% or better completion of each goal within the treatment plan.
11. Do the students receive academic credit for the education they receive within the program?
The Day Treatment Center has partnered with New Hanover County Schools to provide certified teachers in the areas of Language Arts, Mathematics, and the Special Education program. The credits that the clients earn at the Day Treatment Center will transfer as actual school credit.
12. What is the maximum number of youth the Day Treatment Center can serve?
The program can serve up to 48 youth.
13. What kind of training or credentials are necessary for employees of the program?
The staff must have a minimum of a college degree, experience working with at risk youth and versed in therapeutic apprpoaches and interventions working with this population. As part of their orientation, each staff person receives comprehensive training in the Day Treatment Center's philosophy, types of interventions used with respect to least restrictive restraints to secure the physical safety, protection and well being of both cients and staff, and medical safety (First Aid/CPR). On a monthly basis staff receive training on best practices in the mental health, leadership development, youth development frameworks, and behavioral modification fields.