Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)
When a teenager is having a difficult time managing depression, anxiety, trauma, substance use, or other emotional and behavioral concerns, traditional outpatient therapy does not always provide intensive enough treatment. However, residential care may feel like more than they need. PHP for teens in Pennsylvania offers a middle ground, giving adolescents access to frequent therapeutic and clinical care. While in our partial hospitalization program, clients are able to receive crucial treatment during the day while allowing them to remain connected to their families and, when appropriate, their homes and schools.
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About Our PHP for Teens in Pennsylvania
A partial hospitalization program can provide a significant amount of treatment without requiring a teenager to live at a treatment facility. At Tessera Adolescent Health, our adolescent PHP is designed around the realities of teenage life. This includes school, family relationships, peer dynamics, emotional development, and the challenges that can make symptoms harder to manage.
Mental health concerns are common during adolescence, and some teenagers need more frequent care when symptoms begin interfering with everyday life. According to the CDC, data collected from July 2021 through December 2022 found that 21% of adolescents ages 12–17 reported experiencing symptoms of anxiety during the previous two weeks, while 17% reported symptoms of depression. These numbers highlight why accessible treatment options are important when symptoms become difficult to manage.
Our PHP gives teens regular opportunities to work with our compassionate professionals, practice new skills, and address ongoing concerns. Families can also remain involved throughout treatment, which can make it easier to carry changes from the program into the home environment.
What Is a Partial Hospitalization Program?
A partial hospitalization program is a structured behavioral health program that provides intensive treatment during the day while allowing a person to return home outside scheduled programming. It is more involved than traditional outpatient therapy but does not include the overnight component of residential care.
PHP can be used as a primary level of treatment or as a step between more intensive residential care and outpatient services. The exact schedule and services depend on the teenager’s clinical needs and treatment plan.
Who Is a Teen PHP Designed For?
Teen PHP is intended for adolescents whose symptoms or substance use require frequent treatment but who can safely spend time outside the program. It may be considered when a teenager is having difficulty functioning at home, socially, or academically, yet does not require the continuous supervision provided by residential treatment.
Tessera Adolescent Health provides treatment for concerns including:
What to Expect During PHP
We understand that a day treatment program can feel like a major change for a teenager and their family. Our process begins gently with an assessment to better understand the adolescent’s symptoms, history, current circumstances, previous treatment, and goals.
While in our PHP, teenagers participate in scheduled therapeutic and clinical services throughout the day. They may spend time in group therapy, individual work, family sessions, psychiatric care, and skill-building activities. Our team monitors how the adolescent responds to treatment and can make adjustments to their care plan as needs change.
Given that the teenager returns home after programming, there is also an opportunity to practice new skills in everyday situations. Experiences at home, school, and with peers can become useful material for ongoing treatment.
Therapies and Treatment Services
Our PHP brings several services together so adolescents can work on different aspects of their mental health and behavior simultaneously. This thorough approach enables full-body healing and long-term personal growth.
Therapeutic modalities offered at our facility include:
- Family Therapy: We create space for teenagers and caregivers to address communication problems, conflict, expectations, and relationships.
- Group Therapy: Group therapy helps adolescents to learn alongside peers while discussing experiences and practicing skills in a supervised setting.
- Interpersonal Therapy: This focuses on relationships, communication, life changes, and interpersonal situations that may influence emotional health.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): This type of therapy helps teenagers examine connections between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors and consider different responses.
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): DBT teaches skills related to emotional regulation, distress tolerance, communication, and managing difficult situations.
- Psychiatric Services: We provide psychiatric evaluations, medication-related care when needed, and ongoing clinical oversight.
Academic and Family Support
School and family life remain important parts of an adolescent’s world, even while treatment is underway. When clinically appropriate, the treatment plan can take academic responsibilities into consideration so that the teenager can remain connected to education.
Family members can also participate in therapy and treatment planning. As a result, they are better able to gain an understanding of what their teenager is experiencing and how they can respond at home effectively.
Transitioning to a Lower Level of Care
PHP does not have to be the final stage of treatment. As a teenager becomes more stable and better able to manage symptoms outside the program, our team can begin considering whether a lower level of care is more fitting.
This may mean moving into an intensive outpatient program or traditional outpatient treatment. The transition can be gradual, giving the adolescent opportunities to apply what they have learned while receiving a level of care that matches their evolving needs.
Why Choose Tessera Adolescent Health?
At Tessera Adolescent Health, we understand that seeking intensive treatment for a teenager can be difficult for both the adolescent and the people who care about them. Our approach is centered on adolescent-specific treatment that takes the whole situation into account.
Some benefits of choosing our PHP for teens in Pennsylvania include:
- Designed for teenagers: Programs are built around adolescent development rather than adapting an adult treatment model.
- Multiple treatment levels: Families can explore different levels of care as their teenager’s needs change.
- Integrated mental health and substance use care: Co-occurring concerns can be addressed together when appropriate.
- Family participation: Caregivers have opportunities to be involved in the treatment process.
- Clinical oversight: Adolescents receive ongoing evaluation and professional monitoring throughout PHP.
- Practical skill building: Treatment focuses on skills teenagers can use in relationships, school, and everyday situations.
Start a Teen PHP in Pennsylvania
If your teenager is struggling but does not necessarily need residential treatment, PHP may provide the level of care your family has been looking for. Tessera Adolescent Health can help you understand whether a partial hospitalization program fits your teenager’s circumstances and what the next step could look like.
To learn more about our treatment options or to start on the path to a more fulfilling future for your teen, give us a call at 215-810-0061 or visit our admissions page now.
Frequently Asked Questions
PHP typically involves several hours of treatment each day, often across most of the school or workday.
There is no fixed timeline for PHP. Some teenagers may need several weeks, while others require a longer period of intensive treatment before stepping down to a less frequent level of care.
The primary difference is where the teenager lives while receiving care. Residential treatment includes around-the-clock living arrangements and supervision. PHP provides intensive daytime treatment and allows the adolescent to return home afterward.
Academic needs can be considered as part of treatment planning, although the amount of school participation will depend on the teenager’s symptoms, schedule, and clinical recommendations. Our treatment team can help families determine what educational arrangement is most appropriate.
PHP is normally covered by health insurance when the treatment is medically necessary and the teenager meets the plan’s criteria, although specific benefits, authorization requirements, deductibles, and out-of-pocket costs vary. Reach out to our admissions team to verify your insurance today.
Contact Us Today
Tessera Adolescent Health is here to provide evidence-based treatment for teens with addiction and mental health disorders. We also support families of teens who struggle.
Contact us today to get your teen the help they need to thrive into young adulthood.
Addiction Specialists
Meet Our Team
Mary Montgomery
Executive Director
Mary Montgomery
Executive Director