There are approximately 14 rating classification levels of care for children in California, each of which represents more therapeutic and more restrictive care. With a rating classification of 14, a short-term residential therapeutic program is the highest level of placement that offers intensive mental health services for youth with severe emotional and behavioral problems. The … Read more Follow your program!
As a giver at heart, I’ve always had a keen eye to show others I cared by finding ways to cheer them through my act of giving. Whether that be going out of my way to fix a problem or by offering little gestures, such as making a resident a snack or giving a … Read more Why I Hid My Giving from My Co-Workers
Find incentives the boys want to do, by asking them. Cottage Manager: “Is there something you want to work towards that will motivate you to be on level?” Resident: “Yes! I want there to be an Xbox inside the recreational room. I see there are games, but we have no way of playing them.” Cottage … Read more How to Make the Level System Work!
How would you feel if your teen one day after school came home, packed a bag, grabbed his allowance, and very quietly snuck out the back door? You call his name. No answer. You call his cell phone. No answer. You wonder if maybe he went to a friend’s house and called his friend’s … Read more Why foster children in group homes runaway
I wake up every day with a positive attitude and I remind myself: I make a difference. My presence makes a difference even when it doesn’t feel like it. When I walk into the cottage I feel the tension inside the room (depending on who I work with). Some staff will greet me while other … Read more A day in the life of a Residential Treatment Counselor in STRRP
When I first walked on campus, I was excited and curious to start. I believed everyone who would be working at a residential treatment facility would have the same passions and enthusiasm as me to help children in need. After all, the purpose of a residential treatment counselor was to provide professional child care services … Read more First Impressions of a Residential Group Home
Keys (lanyard & badge combo) I use my keys to open most of the locks on campus, such as the laundry room, bathroom, and food pantry. My badge is my form of ID when I transport the residents off-campus, to their doctor’s appointment or when I pick up or drop them off at school. Wallet … Read more What’s inside my Backpack as a Treatment Counselor
The program the children follow is very simple. The rules on the other hand are not, and I will explain why. Here is a list of the following rules the residents must follow: Rules No eating on the couch, living room, bedroom, or kitchen counter No feet on the couch No room visiting (this … Read more Rules that box you in
I learned a valuable lesson from one of the first residents I ever worked with. He was a friendly and cooperative child, who at the time was new just like I was. I later found out he would be a bit of an instigator and bully. Let me tell you about Juan. I have … Read more Learning to Verbally Display Fairness
In a short-term therapeutic treatment center, you will find a calendar where all the activities for the kids are posted every month in advance. The calendar sets expectations early and follows through at the end of the week and the end of the month. The idea is simple. By providing clear boundaries for each … Read more Lack of on-campus activities: What type of treatment center is this?