Getting Help
Adolescent Treatment Info
The Treatment Team
Your family will work with a treatment team that consists of the unit physician, psychiatrist, unit nurse, the program director, the primary counselor, a recreational therapist and the adolescent guidance specialist (AGS) staff. The AGS staff is the support staff for the inpatient unit. They facilitate the daily schedule and educational groups, monitor the unit, manage behaviors and interact consistently with the adolescents. These individuals can provide updates to immediate family members.
Each adolescent is assigned to a counselor within each program level. Although the adolescent works with everyone on the treatment team, the primary counselor will be the one that directs the treatment.
Clothing
Everyday clothing is allowed as long as it is appropriate. Shoes or slippers must be worn at all times for safety and hygiene purposes. Clothes may not be revealing (e.g. cut off shirts, low cut shirts, holes in jeans, tank tops for the girls, etc.). Adolescents will receive a more detailed dress code upon admission.
Name Tags
Name tags must be worn at all times by visitors, staff and patients.
Recreation
All adolescents participate in recreational activities on a daily basis. Some of these activities involve being on the gym floor or being outside. Adolescents need to have tennis/gym shoes for these activities and appropriate clothing.
Smoking Policy
It is illegal for adolescents under the age of 18 to buy, sell or possess cigarettes. This is not just a health and safety issue, it is part of our licensing regulations. Adolescents participating in the inpatient levels of care who are 18 may smoke during designated break times. Please do not bring cigarettes, lighters or matches for adolescents who are under 18.
Visitation
Only immediate family members are allowed to visit adolescents. We define this as parents (this can include step-parents if they are part of the support network), siblings (step-siblings) and grandparents. Please see insert for visitation days and times.
Food and Drink Policy
It is our policy to meet the nutritional needs of adolescents. We are governed by the State Board of Health, therefore, no food or drink may be brought into the facility. No gum is allowed. Only candy purchased in the gift shop will be allowed on the unit.
Fraternization
Romantic or exclusive relationships among patients and/or staff are strictly prohibited.
Television
Adolescents who are in the Fairbanks TLC program are the only ones who may watch television. All others will see movies during designated recreational time.
Bedtime
All adolescents are to be in their rooms by 9:45 p.m., and lights out by 10:30 p.m.
Laundry
Adolescents are provided towels and linens. They are responsible for doing their personal laundry. The laundry machines are free of charge, but laundry detergent needs to be provided. Bringing a personal pillow, blanket or comforter is allowed but should not be put in the laundry with the facility’s towels and linens, as those items are sent outside the facility to be cleaned.
Money/Personal Belongings
Adolescents who are participating in the inpatient, partial or residential levels of care are allowed to have $5 in their possession. Any money that a parent or guardian chooses to leave for an adolescent should be given directly to staff and will be placed in a safe. We discourage leaving large sums of money on the unit. Personal belongings that cannot be kept in the adolescent’s room will be kept in a personal storage box.
All belongings will be searched prior to being given to the patient. Items not allowed include cell phones, electronic handheld games, pagers, MP3 players, laptops, cameras, walkmans, stereos, CD’s and weapons of any kind. Any belongings that are not allowed, but are found in the adolescent’s possession, will be stored and sent home with parents or a guardian on the next visitation day. Valuables should be left at home.
Medication
All adolescents will meet with a member of the medical staff upon admission. Please be aware that adolescents coming into treatment taking a prescribed medication that is a stimulant or any other prescribed medication that is recognized as addictive, will be reevaluated. No changes will be made without discussion with parents or legal guardians.
Medical Emergencies
Fairbanks staff are trained in CPR and First Aid. Patients requiring emergency medical or surgical care are transferred to an acute care hospital.
Educational Services
For adolescents participating in the inpatient and partial hospitalization levels of care, we provide academic instruction with a licensed teacher contracted from the Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township on-site at Fairbanks. Scheduled school time, Monday through Friday, as well as study times throughout the day, are provided. It is the responsibility of the home school to provide the assignments, quizzes and tests that are necessary to maintain academic progress. Parents are responsible for obtaining textbooks and bringing them to Fairbanks. Our unit teacher will make arrangements with the home school to receive assignments and to return completed assignments back to the home school for grading and receiving credit. At the end of treatment, our unit teacher is only allowed to share information regarding school progress, not treatment progress. The counselor must give treatment progress. Adolescents in the residential program will develop their educational direction with the treatment team.
Hope Academy, the recovery high school at Fairbanks, is a public, tuition-free, charter school available to adolescents who are committed to sobriety, academic achievement and personal growth. Please call 849.8222 for more information and ask to speak to the Hope Academy staff.
Adolescent Contact Information
Phone Calls
Immediate family members are always welcome to call for an update from the AGS staff or from the counselors concerning their adolescent who is participating in the inpatient levels of care. For other incoming calls, messages will be taken and the adolescent will return phone calls during free time. Adolescents are allowed to make one 10-minute phone call to immediate family members only. In the case of divorced parents, adolescents are allowed to make two 5-minute phone calls to each household. Long distance phone calls must be made with a calling card, prepaid phone card or by making a collect call. If there are special needs for your family, please discuss these with the primary counselor.
Adolescent Visitation Schedule
Only immediate family members are allowed to visit adolescents. We define this as parents (this can include step-parents and step-siblings if they are part of the support network), siblings and grandparents. Visitation is on Thursday from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Family members may purchase a meal ticket at the front desk and eat dinner with their adolescent during visitation at this time. The Multi-Family Group is from 6 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. The Family Education Group runs from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. It is very important that members of the family support system attend the Family Education Group to develop an understanding of what will be needed in order to support the adolescent upon the return home. Visitation will continue from 9 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Saturday visitation is from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., with the Family Activity Group from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. On Sundays, family members arrive at 2 p.m. and visit until 2:30 p.m. They attend the Family Activity Group from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Visitation continues from 3:30 p.m. until 5 p.m. If special visitation is needed, your counselor will need to approve the visitation.
Key Contacts
| Access Center (assessment and admitting) |
317.572.9396 |
| Business Office |
317.572.9317 |
| Director of Adolescent Services |
317.572.9382 |
| Adolescent Services Treatment Team |
317.572.9383 |
| Nurse for Adolescent Services |
317.572.9329 |
| Access Center Manager |
317.572.9419 |
| Recovery Coach |
317.572.9451 |
Other Questions:
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