Residential Treatment

When behavioral and emotional problems interfere with a young person’s ability to function well at school or at home, they need supervision for medical compliance and a structured environment to address behavioral, emotional and control issues.

Cumberland’s Residential Services Program is designed for adolescents who have a chronic illness, brain injury or neurological impairment, providing them with a specialized medical atmosphere when hospitalization is not needed. The program can accommodate 16 residents and accepts young people with IQs of 55 or greater.

Residents are treated with respect and given choices, with their inappropriate behaviors redirected. With consistent interventions, they begin to internalize positive behaviors, which then become habitual. They gradually require less external structure and should be able to live in environments with less supervision after discharge.

Cumberland Hospital uses an interdisciplinary treatment team approach. Clinical assessment and treatment is managed by a child psychiatrist, a behavioral and developmental pediatrician and, whenever needed, consultations from specialists.

The core treatment team also includes a psychotherapist, case manager, teacher and recreational specialist, as well as behavioral counselors and nurses. When appropriate, Cumberland Hospital’s speech and language pathologists and physical and occupational therapists are part of the treatment team. Residents with neurological involvement also are treated by a physician.

Cumberland Hospital’s highly-trained staff members are specialists in pediatric development, and each resident’s Master Treatment Plan takes into account that adolescent’s unique, specialized needs.

Criteria for Admission:

• 13–22 years of age
• Diagnosis of chronic medical illness, brain injury or neurological disorders co-occurring with behavioral diagnosis
• IQ of 55 and higher
• Able to perform activities of daily living (ADLs) independently, requiring verbal cues or minimal physical assistance (reviewed on a case-by-case basis)
• Able to maneuver in the environment
• Able to communicate verbally or independently with augmentative device
• Requires only minimal rehabilitative services
• Requires moderate level of nursing services
• May have an education or learning disability and emotional disturbance or other health impairment
• Able to participate daily in 5.5 hours of school

Individuals who do not meet these requirements may be appropriate for other programs offered by Cumberland Hospital for Children and Adolescents.

Weekly Family Engagement

As treatment progresses, the physician (in conjunction with the treatment team) may authorize passes. These passes give patients and their families a chance to practice skills in the community.

Therapeutic leaves, which are overnight passes, may be ordered by the physician toward the end of hospitalization to assist the patient and family in the transition to home.