Day Treatment Services

Offered by Marriage & Family

Health Services, Ltd.

Mikan, Muckwa & Migisi Programs

Excellence in Child/Adolescent Therapeutic Day Treatment Services

·        The staff serving Mikan are exceptionally educated and experienced.  Each staff member receives significant on-going training in day treatment services.

·        Our staff have the preparation to complete psychological and behavioral assessments.

·        Lead therapy services in Mikan are provided by licensed therapists only.

   Excellence in Programming

·        Mikan’s 1/2-day program is the product of years of review, revision, and refinement of services.

·        Allows for healthy connections between students and their peers and teachers.

·        Provides highly effective interventions prior to the need for all day/out-of-home programming.

·        Serving children is Marriage and Family Health Services’ area of specialty.

·        Programs are specific to the developmental age of the child.  We offer the Migisi program for 5-11 yr olds, a middle school and a high school program.

   Program Impact

·        Mikan is one program, which studies its contributions to positive change in behavioral, emotional, and family health.

·        Significant gains have been realized for the majority of students attending Mikan in their school/academic performance, behavior, family interaction, and emotional health (see most recent data).

   Diversified Funding Sources

·        BadgerCare Plus Standard

·        BadgerCare Plus Benchmark

·        Fee for service and HMO Plans

·        Private Insurance

·        County/School Funding/Scholarship

   Excellence in Treatment Follow-up

·        We offer in-home & in-office family therapy.

·        Individual; and group therapy is also available.

·        Consultation with schools / county services.

·       Our programs serve nearly all behavioral/mental health conditions.  Some of the diagnoses we have had success with include but are not limited to:

   Age Ranges

·        Clients are treated in groups which best represent their chronological and developmental age.  We typically serve children ages 5 ½ to 11 years in our Migisi program (Eagle - Eau Claire).  The 12 - 14 year olds are best served in our Muckwa program (Bear - Eau Claire) however, they are often integrated into the Mikan programs (Chippewa Falls, Ladysmith, Marshfield, Mondovi, & Rice Lake) which serves the 12 - 19 year old.

    Programming

·        Clients who are a danger to others: Many of our clients have been violent/aggressive in their past.  It is not uncommon to have some clients express aggressive tendencies while in our programs.  These behaviors are assessed by our clinicians and a behavioral contract is created.  However, if the client is actively violent, they need to be temporarily removed for their own safety as well as the safety of the group/staff.

·        Our programs have had significant success with aggressive children/teens when the clients family, school, and community social worker are actively involved in the behavioral plan.  If children are held accountable for their behavior by all significant parties, they are most often capable of returning to day treatment after a period of individual and/or family therapy.  One of the goals of this type of intervention is to allow the child to gain safety as well as group skills with the purpose of returning to day treatment.

·         Clients who are a danger to themselves: Many of our clients have experienced suicidal ideation.  They are assessed by our clinicians and if they are able to contract a behavioral plan to ensure their safety, we are able to work with them.  However, if the client is an immediate danger to themselves, they must be hospitalized for their own safety.

   Family, School Placements/Credits

·        The children we serve may come from the biologic, foster, or a group home.  They may be mainstreamed, receiving special educational services, or could be expelled.  Children do not need to have difficulty in school to qualify for our day treatment services.  Many children do quite well in either the community, their homes or schools.  Some of our children do not act out behaviorally but suffer from a mental health disorder.  However, they all need to meet the diagnostic criteria necessary for a diagnosis.

·        We are fortunate in that all of the schools throughout the Chippewa Valley accept the credits derived from participating in the day treatment program.  This cooperation allows the children the opportunity to receive the treatment they need in their community and not fall behind academically.

·       Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or comments.  We look forward to hearing from you and discussing how we can be of service to you and your child/teen.

   Referrals can be made to our Day Treatment Case Managers

·       Chippewa Falls (726-9208), Eau Claire (832-0238), Ladysmith (532-0632), Marshfield (486-8302), Mondovi (926-5886) & Rice Lake (736-KIDS (5437))

Behavioral and Therapeutic Day Treatment Methodologies:

When and How to Best Use Them

There has been confusion about these two very different approaches to intensive day treatment services.  This memo is meant to clarify the most critical differences between the methodologies.  Although there are a number of differences, the two critical differences have to do with professional staffing, and level of restrictiveness.  Both of the differences have significant impacts in terms of the depth of therapeutic interventions available as well as a number of subsequent changes that the client will have to experience.  It should be noted that there is need for both services in a community.  The behavioral programs are most effective in meeting the needs of the severe behavioral clients who often meet the diagnostic criteria for a conduct disorder diagnosis.  They can also be effective with some clients who have a developmental diagnosis along with behavioral needs.  The therapeutic day treatment programming is much more effective in dealing with children with a mental/behavioral health diagnosis with emotional needs as well as those clients who have experienced trauma.  The types of diagnoses most responsive to therapeutic day treatment include depression, PTSD, anxiety, bipolar disorder, oppositional defiant, attachment disorders and etc.

Staffing & Level of Professional Involvement:

In the behavioral all-day treatment programs, the majority of services are typically provided by staff who have not been licensed or certified by the State of Wisconsin.  Usually they will have a licensed/certified therapist providing one hour of  individual therapy with para-professionals providing the group counseling experiences.  As such, the majority of services are behavioral and psychoeducational in nature.

In the therapeutic day treatment approach, the vast majority of the services are provided by licensed/certified therapists.  These therapists have the proper experience and supervision to meet state requirements and are the primary provider of individual, family, and group therapy experiences.  As such, true professional group therapy is provided.  Therapeutic day treatment programs can truly provide group therapy as well as address the individual and family needs of that client.  Although children spend less time in a therapeutic day treatment program, they actually receive up to 20 hours a week with a licensed clinician as opposed to the behaviorally based programs which typically allow for one hour of contact per week with a licensed or certified therapist.

Level of Restrictiveness:

In a behavioral day treatment program, the child is removed from their school for the entire day.  They receive some educational experiences during this time as well as their psychoeducational group counseling services.  As such, the child is removed from their school environment, their general academic staff, their special educational staff, as well as their school psychology staff.  Studies have clearly demonstrated that the more time a student spends away from their school, the less likely they are to graduate from a high school.  Removing the child from their school environment takes them away from one of the most critical areas for them to be successful.

Therapeutic day treatment programs are less restrictive and allow for the child/teen to stay connected with their academic environment.  It is within this philosophy to retain as much normalcy for a child as possible and as such it is believed that a child should be able to retain their connection with their school, yet receive a more in-depth therapeutic experience.  In therapeutic day treatment, the academic part of their day is provided by state certified/licensed teachers, school administrators, special education staff within a recognized school environment.  It is our belief that this provides the student a much greater opportunity to not only be successful in school, but to be successful after school.

Summary and Recommendations:

It is our belief that therapeutic day treatment services should be attempted first when intervening with a child who has not responded to traditional outpatient services.  We strongly recommend giving the child an opportunity to respond to professional therapeutic day treatment services prior to their being removed from their school and placed in a more restrictive behavioral program.  We believe it is a disservice to place a child who can respond to therapeutic interventions in a behavioral program.   Children with emotional or trauma needs are more likely to have their needs met in a less restrictive environment.  Additionally, in a therapeutic day treatment program, the assessment resources available are more comprehensive than one typically finds in a behavioral program.  Individualized assessments and treatment plans are critical for therapeutic success.  Those children with severe behavioral needs can be assessed and referred to an all-day program as needed.

The ability to receive 20 hours of therapeutic involvement with licensed/certified professionals while enrolled in a scientifically based treatment program and still retain involvement with a state approved educational environment is by far the treatment methodology of choice for the client, family, and community.

We trust that the above information will help clarify the differences between the two treatment methodologies.  We also hope that you will feel free to contact us should you have any questions or comments.

Outpatient Offerings & Programs

Individual Outpatient Therapy

Marriage & Family Health Services provides individualized counseling solutions and assessments for a wide array of individual problems.  We are a comprehensive mental health clinic whose goal is to offer professional services when and where you need them.  Our staff have varied areas of expertise, allowing you the opportunity to meet with an expert in your area of need.  Some of the services we provide include:

Marital Counseling

It is essential to meet with certified marriage and family therapists when you have a relationship problem.  We have several licensed MFT staff and one approved supervisor in the Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.

Child/Adolescent Anger Management Program

Marriage & Family Health Services provides a highly intensive and competent anger management program for adolescents at its Eau Claire office.  This program is the recognized treatment of choice for Eau Claire County and may receive financial support from this county to attend the program.  The staff are experienced day treatment and lead therapeutic professionals.  Typically, a treatment team of a male and female therapist work with 8 - 10 clients in a group therapy format.  This program possesses both structural components as well as opportunities to process individualized manifestations of difficulties with the expression of anger.  Should there be a need, this program could be replicated at our off-campus sites.  Some clients prefer not to work in a group format and as such, individual therapy for anger management issues is provided.

Trauma and Abuse Services

Marriage & Family Health Services also employs an EMDR trained Master’s Level therapist.  EMDR is the recognized form of treatment for children and adults who have been traumatized.  The types of trauma that we work with include but are not limited to physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, and/or witnessing a traumatic experience.

Play Therapy for Children

Marriage & Family Health Services has a well known expertise in the area of play therapy.  In addition to having a number of play therapists, Marriage & Family has two play therapy rooms to work with children.  Play therapy is the recognized form of treatment with children who are experiencing emotional and/or behavioral difficulties.  The age ranges with which our therapists work include children as young as 2 ½ years-of-age.

In-Home Family Therapy Services

Marriage & Family Health Services provides in-home family therapy in a wide geographic range.  We provide a therapeutic team lead by a certified psychotherapist with a competent and experienced co-therapist.  These individuals bring their therapeutic ability to the client’s home which often offers a greater therapeutic benefit.  Dr. Johnston, in addition to being a licensed, clinical psychologist and registered nurse, is also the approved supervisor in the Association for Marriage & Family Therapy.  As such, each certified marriage & family therapist as well as certified psychotherapists employed at Marriage & Family Health Services receives regular and meaningful supervision during the delivery of the in-home family therapy services.  Marriage & Family Health looks forward to an increasing number of referrals in this area as it has been a proven benefit for the children and their families.  Our experience suggests that the child and/or adolescent who experiences in-home therapy with a competent treatment team benefits to a greater extent given the cohesiveness in the therapeutic plan.

Services are available for both needs through our Eau Claire office.

Psychological Assessments and Evaluation

Dr Bradley Goeltz is a fully licensed doctoral-level clinical/developmental psychologist in the state of Wisconsin and has experience providing psychotherapeutic services for a wide range of ages and problems. Within his practice, he provides behavioral and mental health assessments for children, adolescents, and adults. He utilizes both projective and quantitative measures and provides evaluations in a wide range of areas, including: ADHD, general behavior and school based problems, relational or emotional difficulties, and diagnostic clarification in complicated cases. He also provides consultation for the therapists at Marriage & Family Health Services as well as other professionals in the Eau Claire community.

Making an Appointment and/or Referral

To schedule an appointment with one of our therapists, you may contact our office closest to you.  Please know that our office in Eau Claire has two full-time administrative staff who can schedule appointments for the Eau Claire office and assist you in identifying the therapist most appropriate for your area of concern and the satellite offices as well.

Please call our Eau Claire office at 832-0238 should you have any questions concerning how to reach one of our therapists for an initial consultation.  We welcome the opportunity to be of assistance in your scheduling of an appointment and/or any billing/insurance coverage questions you may have.

BILLING:

MFHS will bill insurance as a courtesy to you.  Please consult your insurance company or policy booklet to verify coverage for outpatient mental health services at our clinic.  Any portion of charges that are not covered by insurance will be billed to you.  If you do not have insurance and wish to pay your bill after your session, you may receive a discount for payment in full.

We do accept Medicare and Medicaid clients.  However, certain HMO's will not cover services at our facility.

CANCELLATIONS:

We ask that you call with cancellations on the day prior to your appointment so that others in need can be scheduled at that time.  If you do not show or cancel without cause on the day of the appointment, you will be charged a fee of $50.00.

Top

All Material Copyright © 2006 By Marriage & Family Health Services, Ltd. All Rights Reserved.