Preferred Adolescent Residential Treatment Program

Admissions criteria for the psychiatric residential treatment facility at Little Creek Behavioral Health

Little Creek Behavioral Health’s PRTF accepts out-of-state male and female patients, ages 12-18, who are coping with a behavioral health issue as a primary diagnosis. While we eventually intend to treat patients from Arkansas, our current license does not allow us to provide care for in-state children and adolescents.

At Little Creek, we work closely with out-of-state agencies and organizations that help children and families who are in need of mental health programming. By keeping in constant contact with case managers and other service providers, we ensure that our young patients can begin to heal from the mental health challenges that have affected their lives at home, in school, and with their families.

Little Creek makes all admissions decisions on an individual basis after a thorough review of each child’s or adolescent’s history, needs, and goals. In order to be considered for admission, parents or guardians will need to schedule an assessment that will be reviewed by our clinical team. If your child or a child you care for is in need of treatment for a mental health challenge, you may contact Little Creek directly to request an assessment.

Generally speaking, Little Creek’s PRTF offers specialized care for children and adolescents who are struggling with one or more of the following behavioral health conditions, among others:

• Depressive disorders
• Anxiety disorders
• Bipolar disorder
• Impulse control disorders
• Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Oppositional defiant disorder
• Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Reactive attachment disorder
• Non-suicidal self-harm

Little Creek is able to accept children and adolescents who have complex trauma histories, significant behavioral issues that haven’t improved in previous treatment environments, and intellectual or developmental disabilities, as well as those who haven’t succeeded in traditional care settings. Our facility also has a doctor who will work with children and adolescents who have autism spectrum disorder.

Little Creek is unable to accept young patients who have a diagnosed eating disorder or those who exhibit sexually maladaptive behavior.

Programming in the psychiatric residential treatment facility at Little Creek Behavioral Health

Every child or adolescent who is a patient at Little Creek Behavioral Health in Conway, Arkansas, receives an individualized treatment plan that is based on a thorough assessment of the care that will help them heal properly.

Depending on the severity of your child’s mental health challenges, their personalized plan at our PRTF may include individual, group, and family therapies to help expedite their healing. Licensed clinicians from our staff, which includes master’s- and Ph.D.-level professionals, provide all care in our therapy sessions.

Individual therapy takes place at least once each week. Most of our young patients begin their time at Little Creek with more frequent individual sessions and decrease over the course of their stay based on their progress and their individualized treatment plan.

We offer group therapy multiple times per day. The amount and frequency of our groups may vary depending on the day, but Little Creek continuously offers a mix of rehabilitation, process, and life skills groups to help our patients relate to their peers and understand that they’re not alone in the recovery process.

Little Creek also offers family therapy on an as-needed basis. As a facility that cannot accept in-state patients, we work to accommodate the schedules of parents, guardians, and case managers who may have to travel long distances to participate with the children in their care.

Additionally, to ensure that the children and adolescents who are healing with us thrive academically, we offer educational services for six hours per day, Monday through Friday. Special education teachers affiliated with the local school district near our Conway, Arkansas, facility conduct our classroom sessions. We reinforce the same therapeutic milieu introduced during day-to-day care in our educational setting, and we feature therapists and support staff in the classroom for those who may need an additional outlet.

An overview of the treatment used in the psychiatric residential treatment facility at Little Creek Behavioral Health

Just like a young person’s local school, the education services at Little Creek Behavioral Health operate six hours a day in a classroom setting. Special education teachers run each class with the help of licensed therapists and other support staff, who reinforce the therapeutic environment in the educational setting.

We assign each child or adolescent to a class based on their grade level or age so that they receive developmentally appropriate curricula that meets state regulations. Because the educational setting can be challenging for young people who are coping with the effects of a mental health challenge, the children and adolescents who participate in the education services at our facility in Conway, Arkansas, benefit from the additional support of licensed therapists.

If a young person experiences any issues or concerns while engaging in the school day, a special education teacher or therapist can help them find a healthy and productive way to express their feelings so that they can continue with the lesson. If a child or adolescent needs time or space away from others to fully express and process their emotions, our staff is trained to help them do so in a safe and healthy way.

To learn more about how a child in your care might benefit from the education services at Little Creek Behavioral Health, please contact us directly. A knowledgeable member of our staff can answer any questions you might have about our education services and our residential program for children and adolescents.

Why choose the psychiatric residential treatment facility at Little Creek Behavioral Health

Typical length of stay at Little Creek Behavioral Health’s PRTF is six to 12 months, and some child and adolescent patients are with us for 18 months or longer. That’s a significant amount of time for any young person to be away from their day-to-day life, but your child will be receiving top-of-the-line care from a team of experienced professionals. From the moment your child enters our programming, they’ll begin to heal from any damage they may have already experienced.

At Little Creek, we understand that mental health challenges are complex and that recovery can be a lengthy process. Your child’s time in our PRTF programming is just one part of their road to recovery. We’ll work closely with you and any additional caregivers to set your child up for long-term success.

Our therapists start discharge planning from the first day your child or adolescent steps foot in our Conway, Arkansas, facility to best prepare them for a transition to a lower level of care or a return home. This process ensures that we can identify the best resources available to support your child in the days, weeks, and months to come following their discharge.

Every young person who has been grappling with a mental health concern has a unique story. By choosing Little Creek Behavioral Health, you can rest easy knowing that your child’s individual journey toward recovery will get better with each passing day.