Edgewood Hospital Diversion offers a residentially-based alternative to psychiatric hospital care, shelter care, or under-resourced temporary placements for children ages 6 to 17 years old. The program's goal is to assess and stabilize youth. Parents and caregivers are provided intensive support to bring youth home as soon as possible.  This short-term intensive treatment is typically two weeks in duration.

Edgewood Hospital Diversion serves youth and families who may be experiencing acute stress, psychiatric, behavioral health and/or family problems. Discharge planning begins at intake, and youth return to their natural environment with a coordinated and family-focused treatment plan.

The path to wellbeing is unique for every child. Our program is designed to assess and support the full range of a youth and family's needs. We begin the process by having the youth and family participate in an intensive interdisciplinary assessment in order to provide an enriched understanding of their needs.

Treatment focuses on understanding each youth in the context of their medical, psychological, and social-family needs and creating a comprehensive treatment plan individualized for each youth. The treatment team is a multidisciplinary group which includes a child psychiatrist, a mental health clinician, registered nurse, special education specialist, and the youth and family. Referring clinicians and primary care physicians who continue to be involved in the treatment are invited to attend as needed.

program services

All treatment takes place in a dedicated, highly-structured milieu that maintains at least a 1:4 (or when required 1:1) staff to youth ratio. The program offers comprehensive assessment, individual group and family therapy, psychiatric assessment and treatment, case management, an educational program, skills-building groups, and therapeutic recreational services.

The program’s treatment model focuses on imminent safety planning, stabilization and problem solving to ensure that youth and families can successfully manage the situation that led up to admission.  Parents and youth are given opportunities to incorporate new skills to assist optimal functioning in their community. All assessments and interventions are anchored in a family-centered and culturally-competent approach that engages with youth, caretakers and partners on all aspects of treatment and discharge planning.  

Treatment modalities include:

• Individualized psychiatric and medical assessment, monitoring and treatment;
• Individual therapy focusing on safety planning, problem solving and coping skills development;
• Group interventions including process groups, skill building groups and psycho- educational groups;
• Intensive family therapy focusing on reducing problem behaviors;
• Family/caregiver involvement in the assessment, treatment and discharge planning, psycho- educational groups, support services and collateral contacts; 
• Milieu treatment emphasizing safety, decision-making, mental and physical health and participation in activities of daily living;
• Educational services and outreach.