What is a residential treatment center?
With 24-hour support and a trained medical and psychiatric staff, residential treatment centers are equipped to provide therapy for behavioral issues, mental disabilities, and substance abuse. Although some people think of residential treatment as a “last resort,” it offers a nurturing, focused environment for young people to heal and grow.

Who are RTCs for?
RTCs treat a host of different types of people.Residential treatment centers (RTCs) come in varying sizes and specialties. RTCs are often thought as “rehab centers” for those with addiction issues–but that’s untrue. While that’s one facet of RTCs, there are many different types.
Ones that specialize in helping adolescents and young adults often accept individuals:
- Who have experienced some type of trauma, such as sexual or physical abuse, parental neglect
- Whose behavioral issues have repeatedly gotten them in trouble with family members, teachers, police, or other authority figures
- Whose mental or emotional condition prevents them from enjoying their hobbies, maintaining healthy friendships, and living a normal life
- Whose lack of motivation, low self-esteem, or unstable moods interfere with their day-to-day functioning
- Who consistently make risky sexual decisions, put themselves in physical danger, or jeopardize their future due to an existing condition
- Who have turned to drug or alcohol abuse

Common Types of Residential Treatment Centers
Residential Treatment Centers come in several different forms.Some of the most common types of RTCs include:
- Youth Residential Therapy Centers: Certain residential treatment centers specialize in helping children and teens bounce back from traumatic life events or cope with persistent behavioral issues. Many of these programs use their unique environment for innovative treatments like group therapy, adventure and wilderness therapy, or equine therapy.
- Addiction Therapy Centers: Sometimes referred to as medical detox or withdrawal management programs, addiction therapy centers are designed for people with a physical dependence on drugs or alcohol. Their primary goal is to help residents manage withdrawal symptoms
- Long-Term Residential Therapy: These highly-structured residential programs usually last 6-12 months and meet the needs of residents with more complex struggles. They generally treat psychiatric issues, prolonged substance abuse, self-harm or suicidal ideation, and severe behavioral disorders.

Finding the right RTC for your family.
Every individual is unique, which means not every RTC will be the right fit.- Finding the right residential center is crucial to successful treatment. Before looking for a treatment center, think about which kinds of treatments have been most helpful to you in the past. If you lean heavily on your therapy group, for example, try to find a center that offers communal treatments.
- Ask yourself whether supervised withdrawal from drugs and alcohol would support your recovery journey.
- Decide whether you want to stay close to home or travel for treatment. Some people prefer to stay in contact with their existing support system, while others enjoy the anonymity and privacy of moving out of state for treatment
- Determine how long you can afford to stay in residential treatment. Certain treatment centers only accept long-term residents, while others specialize in short-term outpatient care.
Why send your child to an RTC?
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REFINED FOCUSBy trimming away the distractions and diversions of everyday life, residential treatment helps patients focus on themselves.
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SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITYWith medical staff and psychiatric professionals on call round-the-clock, plus a group of other residents who understand, residential treatment helps teens feel less isolated.
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NURTURING SETTINGA fresh environment, completely removed from struggles at home, helps teens discard damaging thought patterns and start building healthier habits.
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SOLID STRUCTUREAlthough a rigid daily schedule may seem confining at first, it actually encourages residents to set healthy boundaries, follow through on their commitments, and stay on track during challenging times.