An inpatient program offering medical, behavioral, and mental health care
Inpatient program for adolescents with
co-occurring medical and behavioral conditions
Young people with complex medical conditions, especially those with simultaneous mental and behavioral health needs, often struggle to find comprehensive care. Most mental health facilities don’t provide medical care, and many standard hospitals are unable to manage mental and behavioral health conditions.
The True North Program offers one continuum of care for the whole person, guiding adolescents and young adults through their mental, behavioral, and physical health struggles. By combining clinical methodology, rehabilitation techniques, behavioral interventions, and ongoing medical care, this inpatient program helps patients navigate toward their true north.
We are committed to equipping the young people in our care with the tools they need for long-term success, because we’re compassionately mending minds.
Two settings for behavioral and mental health conditions with co-existing medical needs
Nexus Children’s Hospital
For adolescents and young adults with more acute medical, behavioral, and mental health needs, this medical inpatient setting combines the characteristics of a hospital with features of a residential environment. Patients may admit from an acute care hospital, psychiatric facility, or home.
Nexus Neurorecovery Center
Our medical-model residential treatment center offers structured programming designed for adolescents with behavioral and mental health diagnoses. We’re also intentionally different, as our team can address simultaneous medical needs. Residents may admit from Nexus Children’s Hospital, home, or other referral sources.
it’s time to find your true north
Our program coordinators will help you find the right setting based on individual needs.
Supporting medical, mental, and behavioral health needs with hospital and residential treatment center settings
The True North Program interdisciplinary team provides medical treatment, mental and behavioral health services, and rehabilitation to meet all patient needs within a single continuum of care. Nexus’ uniquely integrated approach bridges the mental and physical healthcare divide, improving outcomes for the adolescents and young adults we serve.
Program features:
- Hospital and medical-model residential treatment center settings
- Integrates family medicine, physical medicine, psychiatry, psychotherapy, rehabilitation, and skilled therapies
- Personalized plans that combine different types of services, based on the patient’s unique needs
- Individual and group therapies, including dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), family systems therapy/family psychoeducation, and interpersonal psychotherapy
- Behavioral health counseling
- Physical, occupational, and speech therapies
- Recreational therapy, pet therapy, music therapy, and activities
- Concurrent school enrollment led by TEA-accredited teachers
- 24-hour nursing coverage
Admission criteria:
- Age 12 up to 18
- Requires intensive out-of-home therapeutic intervention
- Symptoms are interfering with ability to function in significant life domains and/or activities
- Requires 24-hour supervision due to emotional and/or behavioral challenges that have caused safety concerns
- Exhibits significant maladaptive behaviors
- Has been unsuccessful in less restrictive environments
- Responds to clinical services and skill development within a structured setting
- Has the cognitive functioning to benefit from the clinical services
- Has stable or chronic medical needs (youth will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis)
Meet a True North Program champion
“I have seen Maggie face her fears, try new things, learn effective coping skills, and become a source of encouragement to her peers. She has grown in her ability to advocate for herself and her desire to stay healthy.”
— Nexus social worker
Common diagnoses for mental and behavioral health patients with medical needs
The True North program offers a warm, friendly care environment for medically complex adolescents and young adults. We often provide treatment for behavioral, mood, and psychiatric challenges resulting from conditions such as trauma and injury, diabetes, and spina bifida — to name a few.
- Acute infection
- Anxiety disorders
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Behavior dysregulation
- Bipolar disorder
- Borderline personality disorder
- Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD)
- History of homicidal ideation
- Major depression disorder
- Physical deconditioning
- Schizophrenia
- Somatization disorders
- Seizure disorders
- Trauma and PTSD
- Uncontrolled diabetes
How to choose the right residential treatment center for medical, mental, and behavioral needs
Finding the right residential treatment center that can address all of you or your loved one’s needs can feel daunting. The following tips will help you narrow down your options and select the best fit.
- Understand the diagnosis. It’s essential to enter the search for a psychiatry program with a solid understanding of you or your child’s diagnosis, including all co-occurring conditions. Does the individual need primary care in addition to psychiatric or behavioral treatment? With a clear understanding of needs, you’ll be fully equipped to ask the right questions before you commit to a program.
- Ask a lot of questions. As you speak to clinicians and facility representatives, ask as many questions as possible. What types of care are they equipped to offer? What credentials do their clinicians hold? What are the most common diagnoses treated by the facility? In addition to general inquiries about the program, it can be helpful to question individual staff members. What do they love about their work? What inspired them to pursue their profession? The answers to such questions will suggest how invested staff members are in their patients’ wellbeing, and thus the overall effectiveness of the program.
- Check reviews. Even if you feel you’ve found the perfect program after conducting research and meeting with clinicians, it’s always a good idea to check a facility’s online reputation. Are the program’s ratings generally positive? Do current and former patients report feeling supported and safe? Bear in mind that many factors can affect patient satisfaction, but a high percentage of positive reviews is a good sign.
When it’s time to talk to your at-risk youth about residential treatment, remember to choose a calm, unhurried moment, be straightforward and honest about why residential treatment is necessary, and actively listen to their fears and concerns.
