Adolescents who have been struggling with mental health concerns and related behaviors can receive personalized inpatient care through the Inspiration Unit at Tower Behavioral Health. This specialized unit offers age-appropriate programming for adolescents ages 14-17.
Benefits of the Inspiration Unit
The Inspiration Unit is designed to serve adolescents ages 14-17 who have been experiencing distress related to mental and behavioral health concerns. Adolescents who receive care in this unit benefit from personalized services, trauma-informed care, a safe and supportive treatment environment, family support and coordination, and educational services. Treatment focuses on helping adolescents recognize and develop their inherent strengths so that they can make a successful transition home.
Each adolescent who receives care in the Inspiration Unit is an active participant in their treatment planning. This process begins with a thorough review of their medical, psychological, behavioral, social, family, academic, legal, and treatment history, with the goal of identifying strategies that can be helpful in providing initial and sustained relief of the symptoms they have been experiencing. The Inspiration Unit is a safe and supportive environment where adolescents can achieve stabilization, develop and practice healthy coping skills, and establish a solid foundation for sustained progress.
Adolescents who receive care in the Inspiration Unit work in active collaboration with a multidisciplinary team of experienced professionals. Treatment teams in this unit include an adolescent psychiatrist, physicians, nurse practitioners (NPs), registered nurses (RNs), dietitians, therapists, social workers, behavioral health technicians, and other experts as needed.
In addition to providing superior, person-focused care, this team also coordinates with parents or other caregivers to ensure that they are best prepared to support the adolescent during and after their time in treatment.
Therapeutic Services
Our treatment professionals are committed to providing each adolescent with a unique experience that addresses their specific needs and empowers them to manage the mental health symptoms they’ve been struggling with.
Depending on the needs each adolescent presents with when they enter treatment, their initial plan may include intervention strategies that incorporate an array of evidence-based therapies and best practices, such as:
- Individual intervention
- Group therapy
- Family meetings and support
- Activity and recreational therapy
- Yoga
- Horticulture
- Life skills development
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
- Psychoeducational sessions
- Safety and wellness planning
- Ongoing discharge planning
The typical length of stay in the Inspiration Unit is approximately 14 days. This allows enough time for most individuals to stabilize from the initial distressing event, learn and practice a variety of healthy coping skills in a safe space, and prepare for the transition home with the support of their treatment team and peer community.
All adolescents are unique and can present to treatment with a wide range of symptoms, so the exact amount of time a person remains in the Inspiration Unit is determined by their treatment plan.
Educational Support
In addition to comprehensive clinical services, adolescents who receive care through the Inspiration Unit also benefit from strong educational support led by a certified teacher who develops and delivers individualized educational plans for each patient. The teacher coordinates with the student’s home school district and provides their academic curriculum in an on-site classroom environment.
Students in the Inspiration Unit typically receive about two hours of academic instruction throughout the day. Classroom participation is seamlessly incorporated into the treatment day, and the teacher is an active member of each patient’s multidisciplinary treatment team. Individual education consults are also available either by student request or at the direction of the treatment team.
Continuing Care
The time an adolescent spends in our Inspiration Unit can be a vital step on their path to a healthy recovery. While engaged in this inpatient program, adolescents can practice new strategies for coping in a safe therapeutic environment. We are committed to preparing each adolescent to continue these practices when they transition home.
Our discharge planning process begins during the admission process. This ensures that adolescents, their families, and other members of their personal support network are connected with professional services and community-based resources that will help them maintain the progress they made with us.
Depending on each patient’s unique circumstances, discharge planning may also incorporate primary care physicians, children and youth services agencies, school districts, and other relevant organizations.
This content was written on behalf of and reviewed by the clinical staff at Tower Behavioral Health.
“My daughter was sent here after multiple inpatients all over the state of PA over the past 2 years. When sent here it was my child's most severe incident and I'm so thankful she was sent here... Tower finally got my child back on track and I'm forever grateful. They listened, the first institution that just listened to the parent and the nightmare we've gone through and they listened. I will forever be grateful”
