About House of the Good Shepherd
The House of the Good Shepherd in Utica, New York, offers multiple programs and services to support children, youth, and families. Intensive treatment, residential programs, short-term and diagnostic inpatient treatment, non-secure detention and pivot programs as well as a Raise the Age program. Children and youth in the foster care program, and the families who foster them, also have many services and programs available to them.
The Sanctuary trauma-informed care model is used at The House of the Good Shepherd. This is a therapy and healing model that focuses on experience rather than one of blame or personal defect. A child is responding to stress and trauma rather than “being bad”. Therapy attempts to find the source cause of the behavior rather than just discipline someone acting out.
Whether a child needs a little extra support, or they require a whole new environment that can provide 24/7 psychiatric, behavioral, or physical support, The House of the Good Shepherd has programs and staff to provide support and resources. Programs such as Families Forward helps youth who are at-risk stay at home and receive community support to help them thrive in their home environment and community. Foster care is available in the unfortunate situation where children can’t stay at home.
Behavioral, developmental, and emotional support is offered through the residential and Tilton school programs. Tilton School has two programs divided from kindergarten to grade 8 with Tilton West providing mental health and education services to high school youth between grades 9 and 12. Teachers use the NYSED curriculum and there are extra classes such as computer lab, health and physical education, music, home and careers, and library. There are close to 100 staff providing care and support to the youth at Tilton School. These include teachers, counselors, psychologists, guidance counselors, social workers, and support staff.
Goals oriented and incentive-based programs are available to help children and youth learn to set life goals, strive to reach them, and obtain them in healthy ways. Life and coping skills are developed as each individual learns to identify and overcome challenges in their lives.
Payment Options
- Medicaid
- Private insurance
- Self-pay options
Levels of Care
Inpatient
Residential treatment programs are those that offer housing and meals in addition to substance abuse treatment. Rehab facilities that offer residential treatment allow patients to focus solely on recovery, in an environment totally separate from their lives. Some rehab centers specialize in short-term residential treatment (a few days to a week or two), while others solely provide treatment on a long-term basis (several weeks to months). Some offer both, and tailor treatment to the patient's individual requirements.
Programs
Adolescence program
Children program
Treatment
Mental Health
Mental health rehabs focus on helping individuals recover from mental illnesses like bipolar disorder, clinical depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, and more. Mental health professionals at these facilities are trained to understand and treat mental health issues, both in individual and group settings.
Clinical Services
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a therapy modality that focuses on the relationship between one's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It is used to establish and allow for healthy responses to thoughts and feelings (instead of unhealthy responses, like using drugs or alcohol). CBT has been proven effective for recovering addicts of all kinds, and is used to strengthen a patient's own self-awareness and ability to self-regulate. CBT allows individuals to monitor their own emotional state, become more adept at communicating with others, and manage stress without needing to engage in substance abuse.
Couples Therapy
Whether a marriage or other committed relationship, an intimate partnership is one of the most important aspects of a person's life. Drug and alcohol addiction affects both members of a couple in deep and meaningful ways, as does rehab and recovery. Couples therapy and other couples-focused treatment programs are significant parts of exploring triggers of addiction, as well as learning how to build healthy patterns to support ongoing sobriety.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a modified form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), a treatment designed to help people understand and ultimately affect the relationship between their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. DBT is often used for individuals who struggle with self-harm behaviors, such as self-mutilation (cutting) and suicidal thoughts, urges, or attempts. It has been proven clinically effective for those who struggle with out-of-control emotions and mental health illnesses like Borderline Personality Disorder.
Experiential Therapy
Experiential therapy is a form of therapy in which clients are encouraged to surface and work through subconscious issues by engaging in real-time experiences. Experiential therapy departs from traditional talk therapy by involving the body, and having clients engage in activities, movements, and physical and emotional expression. This can involve role-play or using props (which can include other people). Experiential therapy can help people process trauma, memories, and emotion quickly, deeply, and in a lasting fashion, leading to substantial and impactful healing.
Family Therapy
Research clearly demonstrates that recovery is far more successful and sustainable when loved ones like family members participate in rehab and substance abuse treatment. Genetic factors may be at play when it comes to drug and alcohol addiction, as well as mental health issues. Family dynamics often play a critical role in addiction triggers, and if properly educated, family members can be a strong source of support when it comes to rehabilitation.
Group Therapy
Group therapy is any therapeutic work that happens in a group (not one-on-one). There are a number of different group therapy modalities, including support groups, experiential therapy, psycho-education, and more. Group therapy involves treatment as well as processing interaction between group members.
Individual Therapy
In individual therapy, a patient meets one-on-one with a trained psychologist or counselor. Therapy is a pivotal part of effective substance abuse treatment, as it often covers root causes of addiction, including challenges faced by the patient in their social, family, and work/school life.
Nutrition Therapy
Nutrition therapy, aka medical nutrition therapy (MNT), is a way of treating physical, emotional, and medical conditions through diet. Specific dietary plans are designed by professional nutritionists or registered dietitians, and patients follow them in order to positively affect their physical and mental health.
Trauma Therapy
Trauma therapy addresses traumatic incidents from a client's past that are likely affecting their present-day experience. Trauma is often one of the primary triggers and potential causes of addiction, and can stem from child sexual abuse, domestic violence, having a parent with a mental illness, losing one or both parents at a young age, teenage or adult sexual assault, or any number of other factors. The purpose of trauma therapy is to allow a patient to process trauma and move through and past it, with the help of trained and compassionate mental health professionals.