Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility for Children
At Penn Highlands' Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility, children and adolescents ages 8-18 learn self-regulation skills and build confidence to transition back to their lives at home and school. We care, we listen and we connect with residents so they feel heard and understood. Our safe, nurturing program focuses on therapeutic relationships, sensory integration and family work to repair relationships and build trust so kids can grow their emotional regulation, resilience and skills to thrive once they leave our facility.
Penn Highlands’ Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility (PRTF) Unit, known as R-Place, is a newly renovated facility with 22 private rooms. R-Place provides residential mental health treatment for youth ages 8-18 in a home-like setting for up to 90 days. It is located within Penn Highlands Stern Center for Behavioral Health on East Campus in DuBois, PA.
Clinical Programming at Penn Highlands' Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility
Penn Highlands' Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility is known as “R-Place” because our approach to care uses the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT) that is built on six tenets that start with an “r.” NMT is an evidence-based approach that focuses on brain regulation for children and teens who have experienced chronic adversity or trauma.
The Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics used at R-Place are grounded in these six principles:
- Relational: We build trust and create change through relationships.
- Relevant: Our program is developmentally tailored to each child’s individual needs.
- Repetitive: Because the brain thrives on repetition, we focus on repeating new behaviors to help residents experience and integrate them into daily habits.
- Rewarding: We make it fun!
- Rhythmic: We use rhythm to create resonant neural patterns.
- Respectful: We are respectful of the youth resident, their family and their culture.
Our multidisciplinary team provides evidence-based individual, group and family therapy. Treatment plans are customized to our patients, ensuring their unique mental and physical health needs are addressed.
At R-Place, we also provide intentional therapeutic outings that connect our residents with their treatment goals. We find activities in the community that help kids and teens build skills, expand their perspectives and re-engage with their community in a positive way, such as an art class or musical performance.
The R-Place Environment
R-Place features 22 colorful private rooms designed for comfort and security. R-Place has a classroom, therapeutic rooms, a spacious gym, quiet rooms and a cafeteria for group dining and socialization. Using natural light and color, R-Place aims to create a home-like setting that inspires growth and healing.
Family Involvement at R-Place
At R-Place, parents are active co-therapists. One of the goals of treatment is to heal the family system so your child can thrive once they return home. Family therapy sessions are held a minimum of one hour per week via telehealth/phone.
During a resident’s 90-day stay, families are encouraged to call regularly and attend visiting hours.
To contact your child, please call 814-375-6280. All incoming and outgoing calls are facilitated by staff and transferred to the resident phone. Please note that calls are not permitted during school or group therapy hours; any missed calls will be returned during the resident’s next scheduled free times.
Families can visit on Sundays from noon to 3 p.m.
Transitioning from Residential Treatment to Outpatient Care
Our goal at R-Place is to help children and adolescents successfully transition and thrive in their communities. We include families in discharge planning, which includes transition from residential treatment to outpatient mental health care so that patients can continue to foster their self-regulation, coping and resiliency skills.
Penn Highlands Outpatient Services for children and adolescents include a range of counseling, therapy and treatment options for mild to severe mental health conditions. Our outpatient behavioral health services are available at our Penn Highlands clinics in DuBois and Clearfield. We also offer telehealth and online therapy appointments.
Frequently Asked Questions About Long-Term Psychiatric Residential Treatment for Kids in Pennsylvania
Penn Highlands’ Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility (PRTF) is more of a home-like setting for longer-term residential care for children and adolescents ages 8-18 who need intensive, structured treatment over a longer period (up to 90 days). It is not a traditional hospital unit, like Penn Highlands Child/Adolescent Inpatient Unit, which provides critical, emergency mental health care for children and teens ages 5-18 for only a few days to a week until the patient is safe and stable to transition to residential or outpatient services.
Most youth residents stay at Penn Highlands' residential treatment facility for 90 days so that they can fully develop the skills and support to successfully transition back to everyday life.
A typical day at Penn Highlands' residential psychiatric program starts with breakfast, then school for six hours a day Monday through Friday. We proudly model our curriculum after the local DuBois School District to ensure high standards. Our education team will maintain regular contact with your child’s home school, ensuring their academic growth remains steady and undisturbed during their 90-day stay.
During the school day we do regular sensory and recreational activities. After-school hours include a range of individual therapy, group therapy and skill-building activities. After dinner, we have evening groups or may do a social outing to help prepare your child for re-engaging in the community.
On weekends, we focus on outings, planned activities and skills-building groups. See our family handbook for more details about the daily life of a resident.
Referrals to Penn Highlands' residential treatment program are typically made by the Stern Center for Behavioral Health Child/Adolescent Inpatient Unit or the county. For more information or to send referrals: email [email protected] or call: 814-661-3974/814-375-6258 The following needs to be included in the referral:
- Demographics
- History and Physical (including height and weight)
- Labs
- Medication List
- Psychiatric Initial Evaluation with the recommendation of short-term PRTF program
- Documentation of progress notes (physician, social work, therapy)
- Any Restraint/Seclusion/IM/PRN Documentation
- IEP or 504 Plan if applicable
Yes, parents can visit your child at Penn Highlands' residential psychiatric treatment facility on Sundays from noon-3:00 p.m. A few important things to note:
- Visitors are required to have identification prior to entering the unit.
- Visitors under 18 years of age must be accompanied by an adult.
- There is a limit of 2 visitors per resident at one time.
- Visitors will be checked with a metal detector wand prior to entering the unit and will need to leave their belongings in a locker at security.
- Only people that a patient has given consent for will be able to visit (this is completed by the resident’s guardian at the time of admission).
- Off-unit visiting is approved through a physician order.
