As an alternative to psychiatric hospitalization or juvenile detention, many girls are referred to Excelsior when parents, clinicians, social workers, or probation officers determine that long-term treatment is necessary.

Upon entry, an Individualized Treatment Plan is developed utilizing input from the placing agency, client and parents. Treatment Plan goals incorporate information from prior history and evaluations as well as assessments by Excelsior's professional staff. The therapeutic, education and life-skill goals are regularly monitored and reviewed by the resident's entire treatment team. Treatment methods include individual and specialized group therapy, family counseling, and milieu and recreational therapy. All therapies are carried out within a framework of Reality Therapy principles that stress individual responsibility for one's own actions and management of behavior.

Our girls live in 12- to 24-bed cottages or dorms, learning life skills such as cooking, grocery shopping and balancing a checkbook. Due to the diversity of our teens not only in age but also culturally and socially, we attempt to provide activities that address their individual differences while promoting group participation. Our chaplains provide leadership to those individuals wishing to grow spiritually. We celebrate the richness created by serving a variety of cultures, beliefs and life experiences.

Day Treatment

Excelsior's Day Treatment program provides a fully developed alternative school program with comprehensive treatment services for female adolescents, ages 12-18, and their families. The goal is to provide services and intervention to prevent or reduce the need for placement outside of the home or community and to improve the students' ability to function within the public school setting.

The Day Treatment Program has the capacity for 20 students and accepts students from the Denver metro area. The school hours are 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and transportation is provided. The campus is located in Aurora, Colorado.

Services include:

• providing an individually tailored treatment plan and academic curriculum with monthly reviews
• family focused interventions and parent empowerment
• weekly treatment goals and assignments
• completion of nightly process journals
• psychiatric and educational consultation as needed
• transportation is provided by trained counselors
• behaviorally structured school setting closely resembling the public school format
• individual consequences are tailored for each student
• daily contact with guardians

For further information about Excelsior's Day Treatment program, please contact Patra Friedly, 303-693-1550 ext, 395.

Listen to what a former client has to say
You must have high-speed internet access to listen to this (.wav file, 3.3 MB).

RETURN TO TOP