Intensive Treatment Units for Males and Females
Oesterlen Services for Youth
Oesterlen Services for Youth has been serving youth and their families since 1903. Located in Springfield, Ohio, on a 93 acre campus, the agency maintains a full range of residential and community based programs for youth experiencing emotional, behavioral, or psychological difficulties.
Oesterlen was among the first in Ohio to develop staff and program intensive, fully self-contained, residential units. Oesterlen has two intensive treatment units (ITU’s), one each serving male and female severely emotionally and behaviorally troubled youth. Both ITU’s provide a gender specific, highly structured, closely supervised therapeutic milieu designed to maximize the outcome of treatment interventions. The experience of providing intensive treatment unit services for more than ten years has enabled Oesterlen to refine the ITU program to an effective, competitively priced treatment option.
Client Profile
Oesterlen's intensive treatment unit therapeutic programs are designed to assist youth who need a staff intensive, controlled entry and exit setting where constant attention is directed toward implementing a consistent therapeutic regimen. Typically, the emotionally, psychologically, or behaviorally troubled youth served by the intensive treatment units may carry one or more of the following mental health diagnoses: Mood Disorders, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Reactive Attachment Disorder, Schizoaffective Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, Eating Disorders, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, or Conduct Disorder. Youth who have had previously unsuccessful placements are often candidates for intensive unit therapy at Oesterlen.
The Therapeutic Program
An individualized treatment plan is developed soon after the youth is placed at Oesterlen. The youth resides in a therapeutic cottage milieu and treatment includes individual, family and group psychotherapy provided by a licensed clinical therapist. In addition to attending school, the youth is provided daily therapeutic recreation activities, frequent participation in art therapy, and the opportunity to attend spiritual life programs.
Under the leadership of a licensed clinical therapist, the treatment team includes two cottage supervisors, a specially trained child care staff of twelve to fourteen persons, recreation workers, a teacher, teacher’s aide, a registered nurse, a registered and licensed art therapist, and chaplains. A consulting Board Certified Child Psychiatrist functions as the Medical Director/Supervisor providing medication management and treatment consultation.
The Education Program
An accredited educational program is provided by the Springfield City Schools who staff the severely emotionally disturbed (SED) classrooms on the Oesterlen campus. The classroom in the female ITU is located within the unit, while the classroom serving the male ITU is located on the Oesterlen campus in the Stevens Learning Center. With no more than twelve youth per classroom, teachers and teachers’ aides are assisted by Oesterlen child care staff members to create a highly cohesive educational environment with a high staff to student ratio. Students with poor academic histories often thrive in such an environment where studies are individualized and distractions are minimized.
Each youth enrolled in the school program at Oesterlen has an educational plan, which is integrated into his/her Individual Client Plan. Oesterlen provides tutoring and mentoring for students as needed. Oesterlen’s school program is able to help a youth prepare for a high school equivalency diploma if necessary. Students, who have the ability, can take college preparatory courses in the on-campus school or in off-campus school settings. Springfield City Schools provides counselors to help such students in preparing for and choosing a college. Parent/teacher meetings are scheduled twice during the school calendar year. Such meetings can be scheduled at other times as needed.
Facilities
Intensive treatment unit cottages include a living room, dining room, kitchen, recreation room, hobby room, bedrooms, outdoor recreation court, staff offices, and time-out rooms for short term individual behavior stabilization. Residents who demonstrate stable behavior may be escorted from the cottage to use Oesterlen's full size gymnasium, large recreation room, weight training and fitness center, indoor swimming pool, outdoor fitness trail, softball diamond, soccer field, and outdoor challenge course.
Oesterlens Range of Program Services
Oesterlen Services for Youth offers a continuum of residential and community services for male and female adolescent youth. Residents may move to a less restrictive cottage or group home settings as their treatment progress dictates. Oesterlen maintains independent living and treatment foster care programs.
Oesterlen's outpatient therapeutic programs may be used as part of an aftercare program by clients who move to Oesterlen's less restrictive residential options (treatment foster homes or independent living) or who remain in the Springfield area after discharge from the residential programs.
Admission Criteria
Referrals of prospective candidates for Oesterlen's intensive treatment units for boys or girls are welcome. Referral information should include records from previous psychological examinations, previous social work or therapeutic interventions, an educational history, and complete social and medical history including previous agency placements.
For a preliminary conversation or to set an appointment, please call the Residential Intake Coordinator at (937) 399-6101 or within the state of Ohio at 1-800-404-KIDS. Referrals may be faxed at any time to (937) 399-6609.
Oesterlens Agency Credentials
Oesterlen is licensed by the Ohio Department of Mental Health and the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. The Ohio Department of Mental Health also certifies services provided by Oesterlen. We are full members of the Ohio Association of Child Caring Agencies, the Child Welfare League of America, and Lutheran Services in America. Oesterlen is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and its synods in Ohio.
