The STAR Center Clinic provides timely, specialized outpatient psychiatric assessment and suicide risk assessment for at-risk youth with depression, anxiety and suicidality. Following the assessment, a treatment plan is determined which includes the recommended level of care (outpatient, IOP). If the youth is recommended for STAR outpatient care, the primary therapist is assigned and will provide best practice psychotherapy. The primary therapist may be a master’s level social worker, counselor, member of the medical staff, or a masters/Ph.D. Level intern (under the direct supervision of a WPH senior staff member). All treatment is under the direction of a physician. The primary therapist provides specialized individual cognitive-behavior therapy that includes psychoeducation about depression, anxiety, socializing the teen to the basics of cognitive therapy, improving problem solving and coping skills, interpersonal communication, emotion regulation and distress tolerance skills.
The therapists also meet with the patient and family to facilitate safety planning, provide family psychoeducation and plan treatment goals. Additional family sessions are held throughout treatment with a special emphasis on partnering with parents to help the patient recover. Sessions are held with the family throughout treatment to review progress toward treatment goals. An adjunct referral for family therapy can be made as clinically indicated. Additionally, the primary therapist collaborates with the teen’s school as clinically indicated and by the request of the teen and family.
Additionally, the STAR Clinic offers pharmacotherapy management as indicated. Our psychiatrists and Nurse Practitioner may prescribe medication and along with our Nurse Specialist, provides evaluation and ongoing monitoring of patients receiving medication. Additionally, we collaborate with the youth’s pediatrician, neurologists and other specialists.
Both STAR Outpatient and the Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) offer the following clinical services. Each patient may receive one or more service depending on clinical indications:
Psychoeducation Group for Parents:
In addition to the family sessions with the primary therapist, STAR offers a monthly psychoeducational group for parents of teens involved in treatment at the STAR Clinic. The group focuses on providing education and support by enhancing the parents' awareness about depression and suicidality. The group is aimed to enhance parental coping strategies and encourage their partnership in the treatment of their teen or child. Parents from our outpatient and IOP may attend this group.
Continuity of Outpatient Treatment
Frequency of STAR Outpatient Treatment:
Acute outpatient treatment within the STAR Clinic is provided weekly and focuses on providing individual CBT treatment and family psychoeducational sessions. Once the acute phase of treatment is completed, the patient may step-down to less frequent sessions and move forward to discharge.