Adolescent Partial Hospitalization Program

It can be challenging to watch your child struggle with their mental health. 

At UCI Health, the Adolescent Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) provides a team-based approach for teens whose emotional and behavioral challenges are interfering with their ability to function at home, in school and/or in the community.

Our approach to PHP

PHP offers the most intensive level of day treatment, often serving as a step-down from inpatient hospitalization or a step-up for teens whose outpatient care is no longer enough to keep them safe and supported.

Our program is designed to help preteens and teenagers (ages 12 through 17) struggling with one or more of the following: 

• At risk or recent hospitalization
• Challenges at home
• Difficulty attending school
• Poor self-care
• Suicidal thoughts or self-harming behaviors
• Symptoms of anxiety or depression

Our team consists of committed and passionate psychiatrists, licensed clinical social workers and nurses who are highly skilled at working with adolescents. We create a safe, welcoming environment to make every adolescent feel like part of the UCI Health PHP family.

Your child's treatment team

• Board-certified child and adolescent psychiatrist
• Child and adolescent psychiatry fellow
• Therapists, including Licensed Clinical Social Workers
• Nurses

All treatment team members are experienced in working with adolescents with serious mental health conditions and their families.What to expect

The program runs Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., for approximately 4 to 6 weeks.

Treatment includes:

• Group therapy, including mindfulness/meditation, process groups, creative expression, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
• Individual therapy
• Family therapy
• Psychiatric evaluation and medication management, when needed
• Academic support from a trained instructor to help students keep up with schoolwork except during summer months

Individual treatment plans

Teens and their families help develop and continually assess a comprehensive, individualized treatment plan. The goal is to help teens:

• Communicate effectively and relate constructively to others
• Manage emotions and moods
• Control impulses and high-risk behaviors
• Build stronger relationships with family, peers and others
• Improve attendance and performance at school

PHP is designed to ease a teen's transition from an inpatient hospital setting back to the family home, and to reduce the risk of relapse.

For teens who aren't yet ready to return to the full pressures of school, the team provides specialized supervision and works closely with families and schools to support a steady transition back to the classroom and community.

Why choose UCI Health for PHP?

The only academic medical center in Orange County with premier mental health services

Ranked as one of the top 10 California hospitals, UCI Health is the premier choice for adolescent care. As the only academic medical center in Orange County, we provide:

• Highest standards and quality of care
• Academic support by a credentialed teacher
• Seamless transition of care after graduation from program
• Full-time, in-house psychiatrists for medication evaluation and management, as needed
• Collaboration with schools, parents, and outside providers
• Experts in adolescent mental health
• Daily admissions into the program

Effective treatment, real results

Adolescents who complete our program report:

• Feeling happier and more hopeful about their future
• Having more confidence to cope with situations
• Getting along better with parents and peers
• Having more positive thoughts about themselves and others
• Doing better in school