Residential Therapeutic Intervention
Located on our 32-acre Shaker Heights campus, Bellefaire JCB serves at-risk and clinically complex youth with two secure residential program offerings. Both programs are licensed as Qualified Residential Treatment Programs (QRTP) and accredited by the Joint Commission and the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS). These programs are designed to meet the needs of youth with acute psychiatric crises, prolonged and pervasive behavioral health issues, and/or co-occurring mental health and substance use issues.
The Intensive Treatment Units (ITUs) serve youth ages 11-17 and offer two self-contained, co-education, LGBTQA+ friendly units in a secure setting. These 15-bed programs serve youth needing long-term intensive intervention and interdisciplinary support. The average length of stay is three to nine months.
The Stabilization Critical Care Unit (SCCU) offers at-risk youth ages 8-17 an alternative to psychiatric hospitalization for brief periods of stabilization, assessment and intervention. This four-bed licensed mental health unit provides a safe, highly supervised and supportive environment that facilitates intensive, individualized and short-term therapeutic services.
Both the ITU and SCCU programs specialize in intensive dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)—an evidence-based cognitive behavioral treatment approach that emphasizes the development of four skill sets: mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, emotion regulation, and distress tolerance. Our goal is to help youth manage their emotional worlds in search of their life worth living, and to apply the knowledge they learn in our program in less restrictive settings.
- Assessment and diagnosis
- On-campus staff psychiatry and psychological evaluation/testing
- Weekly Individual and family therapy
- Partial hospitalization and group therapy
- Day treatment and DBT skills training
- Direct care staff-to-client ratio 1:3 (ITU) and 1:2 (SCCU)
- Fully accredited on-campus educational programming at Reserve School
- Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) integrated across residential and educational settings
- Nursing, dental, and pediatric medical care on campus
- Medication management
- Chemical dependency assessment and treatment
- Individual Treatment Plans
- Individualized Crisis Support Plans
- Anger and stress management skills
- Individual, group and family substance abuse and behavioral health treatment
- Sustained sobriety and relapse prevention
- Linkage to the 12-Step Community when appropriate
- Linkage to after care services including intensive in-home treatment
- Certified by the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services
During treatment, an Individualized Treatment Plan is developed and services are prescribed to target skill development and generalization. Youth will participate in individual psychotherapy, group psychotherapy, day treatment/skills training, and therapeutic behavioral support services. Youth in need of substance use treatment are assessed and prescribed care based on the ASAM (American Society of Addiction Medicine) levels of care.
?
The ITU provides a therapeutic setting for youth who have:
- Significant mental health and psychiatric needs
- Demonstrated self-injurious, risk-taking and aggressive behaviors
- Co-occurring mental health and substance abuse
- Broad IQ ranges, including those lower than 70
- Experienced trauma and abuse
- Attachment issues
- Borderline personality traits
Meet Our Director of Residential Treatment Jamie Walker-Syph!
Our multidisciplinary treatment team includes:
- Dually-trained licensed mental health and substance use clinicians
- Child and adolescent psychiatrists and psychologists
- Program clinical managers and case managers
- Master-degreed licensed therapists
- Registered nurses
- Advance-degreed residential supervisors
- Licensed dietitian
At Bellefaire, we consider families and caregivers to be an integral part of the treatment team. Caregivers are encouraged to visit weekly, attend family therapy as prescribed, and attend the weekly DBT-Adolescent Skills Group, all of which can be done in-person or virtually. Caregivers will learn the skills our youth learn to improve treatment outcomes and support their youth upon discharge. Additionally, treatment team providers work closely with caregivers to develop comprehensive discharge plans, including linkage to recommended aftercare services.
?
While in the ITU, students attend The Reserve School on Bellefaire's campus. A chartered, nonpublic school for grades 6-12, this program offers core classes and electives with a focus on life skills, critical thinking and collaborative problem solving. Our three classrooms include a maximum class size of 10 students, one interventionist and two educational aides. The Reserve School takes a multidisciplinary, integrated approach to address the individual needs of each student, building upon their strengths as they progress through treatment in a Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) residential milieu.
Youth participating in the stabilization program attend Reserve School on a case by case basis and in alignment with their treatment objectives.
- Step One: Consult with external stakeholders to confirm residential and educational funding
- Step Two: Gather clinical documentation and submit with the completed application form to admissions@bellefairejcb.org.
- Step Three: Documentation Review by Admissions Team (generally takes 24-48 hours for behavioral health residential and up to 2 weeks for Monarch referrals)
- Step Four: Notification of admissions decision or request for interview
- Step Five: Confirmation of residential/educational funding – link to FAQs?
- Step Six: Admission
- Have questions and need to speak with our Admissions Team? Please call 216-320-8502 or email admissions@bellefairejcb.org.
Comprehensive Care with the Office of Healthcare Coordination
At Bellefaire our first priority is the health, safety and well-being of the youth we serve. All residential youth have access to routine and preventative medical and dental care on our campus: Zest Pediatrics and Infinite Smiles.
At admission, all youth receive a comprehensive physical. Psychiatric and physical healthcare needs are assessed and provided for the entirety of a youth’s treatment. For youth with more intensive medical needs, Bellefaire facilitates access to world-class healthcare through partnerships with The Cleveland Clinic Foundation and University Hospitals.
Outcomes/Testimonials
Outcomes/Testimonials
The Intensive Treatment Units and Stabilization Critical Care Unit
The Intensive Treatment Units and Stabilization Critical Care Unit provides a therapeutic and educational setting for youth who have:
- Significant mental health and psychiatric needs
- Demonstrated self-injurious, risk-taking and/or aggressive behaviors
- Co-occurring mental health and substance abuse
- Broad IQ ranges, including those lower than 70
- Experienced trauma and abuse
- Attachment issues
- Borderline personality features
- Deficits with activities of daily living (ADLs), social interactions, and communication
While our Intensive Treatment Units and Stabilization Critical Care Unit can serve youth with a wide variety of issues, our program is not appropriate for youth struggling with the following:
- Youth with sexual offending behaviors
- Youth with significant fire-setting behaviors
- Youth with diagnosed eating disorders
- Youth with a history of severe aggression with weapons
- Pregnant youth
- Youth with significant ASD presentations (ASD2/ASD 3 with high support needs)
- Youth with FS IQs below 40 (50/60?) or with significant cognitive impairments that would impact their ability to fully grasp the concepts of our DBT curriculum
- Youth with a primary substance use disorder or in need of medical detox
- Youth with significant medical issues beyond the scope of our medical team
Learn More About Our Intensive Treatment Unit/Reserve School
How do I make a Referral?
Finding the right treatment program can be an overwhelming task for caregivers. At Bellefaire, our Admissions team can assist in determining if our program is a good fit for your youth’s treatment needs and navigating the referral process. Each referral is assigned a dedicated Admissions Specialist to review documentation, assess clinical fitness for our program, and provide support and guidance for caregivers navigating this journey with their struggling youth. In addition to connecting with guardians and referral sources, our admissions team requires the following documentation at the point of referral:
- Recent diagnostic assessments or psychological evaluations
- When applicable, CANS assessments
- IEP/504 Plans or educational assessments
- Discharge summaries from prior treatment providers
- Documentation for any significant medical issues
- Completed Residential Application Form
How is residential placement funded?
- Families frequently partner with outside stakeholders and treatment team members to fund residential treatment. Common funding partners include school districts, county children service boards, county family and children first councils, OhioRISE, and juvenile court systems. Bellefaire is not in-network with any commercial insurance provider for residential treatment
Frequently Asked Questions
Accreditations
