Mental health challenges can affect nearly every part of a young person’s life, including school, friendships, family relationships, and daily routines. In fact, nearly one in five children ages three to 17 had been diagnosed with a mental, emotional, or behavioral health condition as of 2021.
These conditions can begin in early childhood, and their prevalence may change as children grow. While weekly outpatient therapy is effective for many children and teens, others may need more structured, intensive support called day treatment.
Kidstar and Teenscope at Huntsman Mental Health Institute offer day treatment for children and adolescents ages five to 18. Participants receive coordinated mental health care during the day and return home each evening. This setup offers more support than traditional outpatient treatment without an overnight hospital stay.
Understanding Day Treatment Programs
Day treatment services may include:
- Psychiatric evaluation and medication management
- Individual, group, and family therapy
- Psychological and educational evaluations
- Expressive therapies
- Social and emotional skills development
- Coordination with schools and other providers
These services may be appropriate when a young person’s symptoms are disrupting school, relationships, family life, or daily functioning. They can also be used to help someone transition home after inpatient care.
Importantly, a key advantage of day treatment is that participants can practice new skills in their everyday environments while continuing to receive intensive support.
Kidstar vs. Teenscope
Kidstar serves children ages five to 12 years with a multidisciplinary team. This team evaluates each child’s emotional, behavioral, developmental, and educational needs before creating an individualized treatment plan. Services provided include family therapy, social skills training, psychological testing, and recommendations for school support.
Teenscope serves adolescents ages 12 to 18 who are experiencing significant mental health challenges. The program is designed to help:
- Clarify diagnoses
- Evaluate medication needs
- Address family concerns
- Treat conditions such as anxiety and depression
Teenscope includes an accredited educational program so participants can continue earning school credit while receiving treatment. An education specialist can coordinate with the student’s school and help plan a successful return to the classroom as needed.
Practicing Skills That Support Daily Life
Day treatment is designed to address immediate concerns while helping young people develop skills they can continue using after the program ends.
Participants may learn how to:
- Identify and communicate emotions
- Manage anxiety and stress
- Use healthy coping strategies
- Resolve conflicts
- Tolerate frustration
- Build stronger social skills
- Ask trusted adults for help
- Return to school after an extended absence
Families also participate in treatment to reinforce new skills and support continued progress at home.
Strengthening School-Based Success
Social workers at Kidstar and Teenscope gather valuable information about which strategies are most effective for the children and adolescents they serve. They then use those insights to recommend classroom supports to help each student succeed at school (e.g., classroom accommodations, schedule changes). Staff members can also help families explore alternative educational settings as needed.
Of note, Kidstar and Teenscope both fall under University Academy, the only school district in Utah that does not receive government funding.
When you give to the Huntsman Mental Health Foundation, you help fund programs such as Kidstar and Teenscope.
Give today to help more children and teens build skills and move forward with hope.
