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The Intensive Residential Treatment Program (IRT) serves emotionally and/or behaviorally disturbed children within the state of Alabama. Children served in the intensive program generally have severe histories of abuse and/or neglect, and have not responded to traditional out-patient services. The admission criteria for children to be considered for treatment in the IRT Program are:
- Legal resident of the state of Alabama
- 6-18 years of age
- Permission of legal guardian for the child to be referred to/enrolled in the program
- Able to function in a group setting and otherwise be able to benefit from treatment
- Has not adequately benefited from out-patient or other community based interventions that would enable the child to remain in a less restrictive environment
- Has DSM-IV diagnosis with the range of 290-316 or has been identified by a mental health professional as having serious emotional and/or behavioral problems in need of intensive residential treatment. The applicants may be delinquents, chronic runaways, display manipulative behaviors, have difficulty maintaining self-control, display poor self-esteem, and have difficulty accepting authority. Referrals may also be diagnosed as autistic or have autistic-like behaviors. Referrals may also exhibit significant disruptive behaviors, such as impulsive aggression and self-injurious behaviors.
- Has a need for constant, 24 hour, adult supervision and intense treatment, which could include the use of psychotropic medications
- If diagnoses with conduct disorder and/or engages in significant involvement in the juvenile justice system, exhibits a significant accompanying mental illness or emotional disturbance contributing to the antisocial behavior
The IRT treatment team consists of experienced professionals from multiple disciplines including psychology, counseling, social work, psychiatry, nursing, and education. Treatment is individualized for every child in the program, with the primary focus being on positive reinforcement to increase desired behaviors. Each child's treatment plan is reviewed and revised every thirty days.
