PTSD Treatment Center & Clinic in North Mississippi

Learn more about PTSD treatment at Millcreek of Pontotoc

When children and teens live through a traumatic event, it has the potential to have a devastating impact on their lives and on their development. Children can be susceptible to experiencing traumatic events at a deeper level by internalizing the emotions they feel because they have not yet reached a point developmentally where they can cope with them appropriately. Thus, many children and teens develop post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which is a mental illness that elicits extreme feelings of emotional distress that causes impairment in a person’s ability to function in the same way that they did prior to the event. When proper treatment is sought and implemented, detrimental effects of PTSD can be avoided.

At Millcreek of Pontotoc, a behavioral disorders treatment clinic in North Mississippi, we recognize the unique, and often overwhelming, challenges that come with having a child or teen who is afflicted by post traumatic stress disorder. Remaining sensitive to the needs of this population of children and teens, our treatment clinic offers specialized programming that is tailored to meet the individual needs of each child or teen who is entrusted into our care. Situated on 18 beautifully shaded acres of serene landscape, our 51-bed residential PTSD treatment center provides caring and compassionate treatment for children and teens between the ages of 6 and 20 who are struggling with an array of mental, emotional, and/or behavioral concerns, including PTSD. In our PTSD treatment center, the behavioral and educational needs of these emotionally disturbed children and teens can be addressed as they develop the skills they need to learn how to manage their symptoms, overcome their negative thought patterns, and take the first step towards the happy, healthy, and bright future they deserve.

Helping your child or teen get treatment

Having a child who is plagued by the turmoil that is characteristic of post-traumatic stress disorder can be heart wrenching. If your child or teen has gone through a traumatic event and has begun displaying different behaviors that are causing you concern, it may be time to seek professional help. Examples of symptoms that may be exhibited by a child or teen who is suffering from PTSD can include:

• Bed-wetting (when it is not developmentally age-appropriate)
• Hallucinations (in some cases, reliving the traumatic event)
• Exaggerated startle response
• Extreme sleep disturbances, including sleepwalking and night terrors
• Avoidance of certain people, places, or situations that were not avoided prior to the event
• Loss of interest in things one used to be interested in
• Changes in temperament
• Oscillating moods
• Heightened sense of awareness
• Episodes of hysterical crying
• Isolating oneself or needing to be around people at all times
• Onset of fears that did not exist prior to the event (e.g. suddenly afraid of the dark)

The signs and symptoms that care indicative of the presence of post traumatic stress disorder will inevitably vary from child to child depending on a number of different factors. But if there are any behaviors that have caused even the slightest rise in concern, in would be extremely beneficial to have your child meet with a mental health professional. By having a thorough evaluation done, your child’s or teen’s need for treatment can be assessed and appropriate referrals for care can be made.

Why consider treatment for PTSD at Millcreek of Pontotoc in North Mississippi

Children and teens who are suffering from PTSD can experience significant disruption in many, if not all, areas of their lives. They may find that their ability to focus has become hindered, causing them to struggle academically. They may find that they are in a constant state of heightened alertness, always feeling jumpy and on edge and fearful that something bad is going to happen. They may find that their friendships have begun to slowly deteriorate as they seem to want to spend more time alone than with their peers. They may also have begun to act out in self-destructive behaviors. When the symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder remain untreated, they will likely continue to worsen.

Residential PTSD treatment centers have proven effectiveness in helping children and teens confront and overcome the challenges that they are facing as the result of their illness. By stepping away from the routines of their daily lives, children and teens who enter a residential PTSD treatment center are afforded a safe, secure environment where their only responsibility is to focus on becoming well again. Here, they are sheltered from memories that may act as triggers for the onset of distressing symptoms while developing the coping skills needed to confront those triggers with confidence once treatment has ended. By taking part in a residential PTSD treatment clinic, children and teens are also able to gain the additional support of peers who may be facing similar struggles, which can work towards helping them develop a sense of confidence and comfort in knowing that they are not alone. Our PTSD treatment clinic can help children and teens take the first step towards the bright, happy futures that they deserve to have.

Millcreek of Pontotoc’s treatment philosophy and benefits

At Millcreek of Pontotoc, a PTSD treatment clinic in North Mississippi, we are dedicated to helping children and teens lead healthier, more productive lives. By using a multidisciplinary treatment team approach to care, we are able to afford our patients comprehensive treatment plans that integrate their specific developmental, emotional, behavioral, and educational needs into their individualized plans of action for receiving thorough care. All children and teens in our PTSD treatment center benefit from having their own treatment teams which are comprised of psychiatrists, clinical therapists, nurses, teachers, and other healthcare professionals who formulate their treatment plans in conjunction with parents or guardians. When your child or teen comes our PTSD treatment clinic in North Mississippi, you can rest assured that they will be provided with the most optimal level of care possible in order to ensure that they leave treatment feeling successful, enriched, and fully prepared for the future.

Types of PTSD treatment offered at Millcreek of Pontotoc in North Mississippi

At Millcreek of Pontotoc, located in North Mississippi, we understand that making the decision to place your child or teen into a residential PTSD treatment center can be difficult. We also understand that the process of doing so can seem intimidating, which is why we strive to make our clinic’s admissions procedure as smooth, easy, and streamlined as possible. In an effort to be as accommodating as we can be, our treatment center’s highly trained and qualified staff is able to conduct psychosocial assessments over the phone, or in person, so as to allow for the admissions process to be a quick one. Once admitted for care, every child and teen will undergo a thorough evaluation process that includes physical, educational, psychological, and psychiatric assessments, of which the results will be added to the information provided by the initial psychosocial assessment. This thorough evaluation process allows the staff at our PTSD treatment clinic in North Mississippi to gain a full understanding of each child’s or teen’s unique developmental, emotional, and educational needs. Taking into account all of the information received throughout the course of these evaluations, an individualized PTSD treatment plan is then devised for each child or teen. The various aspects of the therapeutic interventions that your child or teen will be afforded as part of their treatment plan may include the following:

Medication management: In some instances, the implementation of psychotropic medications may be beneficial in helping to alleviate some of the symptoms associated with PTSD. Such needs will be determined at our PTSD treatment clinic on a case-by-case basis. Each child or teen will meet with a psychiatrist from our treatment center at least once each week in order to ensure the therapeutic effectiveness of any medications that are prescribed, as well as to make any changes that may be necessary.

Individual therapy: Individual therapy sessions at our treatment center are held for 60 minutes at least once each week and are designed to be a time for children and teens to meet one-on-one with their therapists in order to discuss any concerns they have, to track treatment goals, and to work on personal skills-building. Additional sessions at our clinic can always be added depending on a child’s needs or when specifically requested.

Group therapy: Children and teens in our residential PTSD treatment center participate in 60 minute group therapy sessions five times each week. The majority of the groups are based on a cognitive behavioral therapeutic approach and include discussions on topics such as goal-setting, social skills, peer pressure, aggression, following rules, and bullying. All group topics are tailored to address specific issues that pertain to the children and teens participating in each particular group, so the topics will vary.

Family therapy: At Millcreek of Pontotoc, located in North Mississippi, we believe that family involvement is paramount in eliciting successful treatment outcomes. Patients and their families participate in 60 minute family therapy sessions at our treatment clinic at least twice each month. However, additional family sessions can be added at any time depending on a patient’s needs or when requested.

Clinical staffings: Each child or teen in our PTSD treatment center is provided with two staffings during their first month at Millcreek, and in one staffing per month for each subsequent month that they are in our care. These staffings at our clinic provide patients and their parents or guardians with specified times to meet with their treatment team in order to discuss the child’s progress in all areas of treatment, including therapeutically and academically.

Experiential therapy: In order to provide a well-rounded approach to treatment, children and teens are offered additional therapeutic options at our treatment center as part of their treatment plans. These options include play therapy, art therapy, and daily recreational therapy.

Education: While participating in treatment at our PTSD treatment center, all patients will attend our fully accredited, onsite therapeutic day school. Classes are held from 8:00am-2:00pm. All classes at our PTSD treatment clinic are taught by teachers who are certified to teach children with special needs, and classes are held in small classrooms with low student-to-teacher ratios in order to ensure that all academic needs are fully addressed.

Continuing care and levels of treatment for PTSD

At Millcreek of Pontotoc, a PTSD treatment clinic in North Mississippi, discharge planning starts at the time of admission. Throughout the course of PTSD treatment, each patient’s progress is closely monitored in order to make sure that all treatment goals are successfully reached and that appropriate recommendations for aftercare can be made. All referrals for aftercare services are made based solely on each patient’s present level of functioning at the time of discharge, as well as based on their skills set and the challenges that they may still be facing. Our treatment clinic’s staff will work with each patient and their family in order to set up any aftercare appointments or services that will help the patient remain successful. Additionally, when it is appropriate, our treatment center’s staff can work with teens in getting them set up with part-time jobs following their discharge.

For those families who are still in need of intensive services, but whose children or teens no longer require a residential PTSD treatment center, we often refer them to MYPAC in order to facilitate wraparound services. MYPAC stands for Mississippi Youth Program Around the Clock and is an intensive wraparound service that provides patients and their families with home therapy services.

Some patients will benefit from transitioning from our residential PTSD treatment clinic to our therapeutic day school treatment center as part of their step-down process as they re-integrate back into their home lives. Patients taking part in this programming option will receive weekly group and individual therapy sessions, along with monthly family therapy sessions and multidisciplinary treatment team meetings with their psychiatrist.

Whatever your child’s or teen’s ongoing needs may be, you should feel assured that the staff at our PTSD treatment center at Millcreek of Pontotoc in North Mississippi will do everything in our power to help them continue on their path to success.