Treatment Components
The College Hill Campus residential treatment program at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center is a place where youth who need psychiatric care over extended periods of time can receive therapeutic treatment. The program helps youth make healthy decisions by learning and practicing new ways to behave and expressing their emotions through appropriate communication. The therapeutic opportunities at the Cincinnati Children's College Hill Campus are tailored to the individual needs of the youth.
Therapeutic Opportunities
Animal-Assisted Therapy & Equestrian-Assisted Therapy
Animal-Assisted Therapy with guinea pigs provides youth opportunities to build relationships with animals and allow the youth to learn empathy, self-awareness, nurturing capabilities, appropriate touch, and appropriate social skills to increase their self-esteem. Youth who participate in the six week program create a presentation for family, staff and peers to promote their accomplishments and testify to their success.
Animal-Assisted Therapy with a dog focuses on components of healthy relationships. Dogs are utilized as a creative resource in helping the youth learn about their behavior and how it affects relationships. Some of the topics covered include communication, hygiene, feelings, behavior and consequences, perception, defensiveness and expression.
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Equestrian-Assisted Therapy
Equestrian-Assisted Therapy is designed to create a learning environment using activities with specially trained horses. The six week program at an offsite stable requires the youth to apply certain skills such as non-verbal communication, assertiveness, creative thinking, problem-solving and leadership. Concepts like taking responsibility, teamwork, building relationships, confidence and attitude are also promoted. Equine Assisted Therapy is a powerful and effective therapeutic approach that has an incredible impact on individuals, youth, families and groups. Youth are selected for this seasonal program based on level of interest and level of progress in treatment.
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Art Therapy
Art therapy provides youth the opportunity to use art materials for self-expression. Often, youth use the art materials to express what they cannot or do not feel comfortable saying.
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Experiential Therapy
Experiential therapy provides non- competitive opportunities to develop cooperation skills and achieve a sense of accomplishment in group settings. Choice and empowerment are emphasized in Experiential Groups that consist of hands on activities involving trust, communication, respect, honesty, leadership assertiveness and problem solving.
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Community Reintegration
Community reintegration is provided to assist youth in preparing for re-entry into their community. The needs and desires of clients and caregivers are assessed and a plan is formulated for future involvement of the youth in their community. Often, youth will develop new leisure interests or rediscover past interests during their stay in the residential treatment program. The recreation therapists assist youth in further exploring these interests by connecting them with community resources.
Youth participate in weekly outings to various places in the Cincinnati / Northern Kentucky area that provide unique educational and / or recreational opportunities. Outings serve as opportunities to explore the community as well as experience new places that can be revisited after treatment. Examples of such places include the Crackpots Kiln, Omnimax Theater, Putt-putt Golf, Lazer web, Colerain Bowl, Chuck E Cheese, Perkins, MadCapp Puppet Theater, local parks, Danbary Cinemas and The School of Performing Arts.
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The Community Service Program
The community service program offers youth the opportunity to volunteer in a variety of settings within the community. The Youth have had the opportunity to volunteer at Twin Towers (a local nursing home), Interfaith Hospitality Network, SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) and Imago Nature Center. Weekly, youth come together to process their community service experience through group discussion, journaling and related activities. Occasionally, youth develop fund-raisers to raise money for the various organizations where they proved their services. The goals of the program include: relationship building, demonstrating commitment, self expression, and the use of creativity. This program works with organizations within our own community to reach our clients and aid in their treatment. Often youth will take an interest in finding out more information about continuing their volunteer experience after treatment.
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De-Stimulation Room
The De-Stimulation room (Snoezelen Room) is a place created with a therapeutic atmosphere for our youth to enjoy and benefit from during their treatment. It is a wonderful blend of sights, sounds, textures and aromas. The environment is filled with fascinating visual displays that surround and absorb. Gentle vibrations sooth the body creating a relaxing environment for the youth to express difficult thoughts, reduce stress, decrease hyperactivity, increase attention span / concentration, increase social relationships, decrease self stimulating behaviors as well as injurious behaviors and increase quality of life.
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Fitness
Fitness is provided three times a week. The youth are given the opportunity to try various types of fitness exercises for example; yoga, strength training, cardiovascular exercises, Tae Bo and flexibility exercises. Youth will on occasion play team sports and visit a local recreation center to swim and play basketball. The College Hill Campus also has two baseball fields onsite.
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The Leisure Education Program
The leisure education program is an ongoing program that covers a variety of topics including leisure awareness, benefits, barriers, methods to overcoming barriers, and planning for a healthy leisure lifestyle. Youth participate in group discussion, group games, and individual tasks that aid in reinforcing the importance of a healthy leisure lifestyle and the value of exploring new interests. Information acquired through the program is often passed on to the youth's individual recreation therapist so that steps can be taken to connect the clients with various resources and activities within their own community.
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Group Therapy / Activities
Open ended groups allow the youth to process and reflect on their experiences, behaviors and attitudes. The groups promote peer feedback. Group activities are led by the unit staff and are designed to process events concerning the unit staff and youth. Group activities are designed to help the youth create their own goals for their residential stay and to recognize their own progress. This allows individuals to serve as role models for other youth in the program.
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Individual Psychotherapy
Weekly, our youth participate in individual psychotherapy with a therapist. The therapy model depends upon the youth's mental health needs but the Cognitive Behavior Therapy model is generally the modality used by the treatment staff.
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Milieu Therapy
Treatment in our residential treatment program begins with milieu therapy. This therapy is the creation of a therapeutic environment within our units. The environment is carefully constructed and focuses on providing a culture that is structured, supportive, and safe. Every interaction and activity with the youth, families and our staff is designed to promote mental wellness and unconditional positive regard. The goal is for our youth to develop coping skills in an environment predicated on open communication.
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Family Therapy
Family therapy is led by our therapists and is designed to positively impact the family system. The family system focus is to identify and build on family strengths, identify family needs and ultimately build trusting relationships within the family unit.
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Visitation / Family Involvement
Visitation is strongly encouraged and supported. Visits should be set up with the unit staff to eliminate conflicts with the schedules. Family members are welcome to play games with their children or use the grounds for visits. Passes off the grounds will be scheduled by the therapist. To ensure safety, your child will be checked for contraband upon return to the Cincinnati Children's College Hill Campus.
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