Teen & Adolescent Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) for Treatment
Taking the first step toward enrolling your teenager in a partial hospitalization program can feel like a major decision, but for many families it marks the beginning of real and lasting change. A PHP offers a structured level of care that works well as an entry point for teens dealing with behavioral, emotional, and mental health challenges, or as a natural next step after completing medical detox or inpatient treatment.
At The Plymouth House, our adolescent PHP is built around the belief that teenagers deserve more than surface-level care. We create a safe and nurturing space where young people feel supported enough to explore what is truly driving their struggles.
Behavioral challenges rarely exist in isolation. Issues like unresolved trauma, difficult home environments, and underlying mental health conditions frequently fuel the behaviors families see on the surface, including aggression, withdrawal, and substance use. Our evidence-based, whole-person approach helps teens work through these root causes while developing the emotional strength and coping skills they need to move forward with confidence.
If you are ready to take the next step for your teenager, or simply want to learn more about what we offer, we encourage you to reach out for a free and confidential conversation. Our team at The Plymouth House is here to help your family find the right path forward.
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What Is a Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)?
A partial hospitalization program sits between inpatient residential care and less intensive outpatient treatment on the continuum of care. While it is often used as a step down following inpatient treatment, some teenagers enter PHP as their first level of care when medical detox is not required.
At The Plymouth House, our adolescent PHP allows teens to live at home or in our sober housing option while still participating in a highly structured, intensive treatment schedule several days per week. Both options provide the consistency and support teens need to make meaningful progress.
Our PHP incorporates individual therapy, group therapy, and family sessions alongside medication-assisted treatment, academic support, life skills development, relapse prevention, and a range of holistic modalities. Evidence-based approaches including cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, and motivational interviewing are woven throughout the program, complemented by expressive therapies such as art, music, yoga, and mindfulness.
What sets our approach apart is the emphasis on understanding behavior rather than just managing it. We guide teenagers to look honestly at the thoughts, emotions, and experiences behind their actions. Because behavioral health, substance use, and mental health are deeply interconnected, our PHP creates space for teens to explore these relationships and develop genuine insight into their own patterns.
Family plays a central role in our adolescent PHP at The Plymouth House. We maintain open and consistent communication with parents and guardians, and we actively involve families through therapy sessions, educational workshops, and parent support groups. Both in-person and virtual formats are available for families near and far.
We also take academics seriously. Our team works directly with each teen’s home school district to ensure attendance credits are protected and academic goals stay on track. Dedicated educators provide individualized support each day, including two hours of structured academic and physical education, so that treatment does not come at the cost of your child’s educational future.
Because no two teenagers are the same, every treatment plan at The Plymouth House is built around your child’s specific needs, preferences, and goals. Before completing the program, each teen receives a comprehensive aftercare plan designed to support a smooth transition to a lower level of care, whether that is our intensive outpatient program or a virtual outpatient option.
What Is the Treatment Process in a PHP Program?
Every teenager who enters our adolescent PHP at The Plymouth House begins with a thorough assessment of their medical history, mental health background, and personal circumstances. Our clinical team works closely with both the teen and their family to gather the information needed to build a truly individualized treatment plan, covering everything from therapy types and session frequency to medication needs and program length.
From there, treatment unfolds through a combination of individual, group, and family therapy, integrated with academic instruction and holistic practices including yoga, meditation, physical activity, and expressive therapies. The focus is always on healing the whole person, not just addressing presenting symptoms, while also building the life skills, communication tools, and coping strategies that support long-term wellness.
Group therapy gives teenagers a structured setting to connect authentically with peers, practice conflict resolution, and share both their challenges and their wins. These sessions build a sense of community and help teens feel less alone in what they are going through.
Families follow their own path of growth throughout the process. Beyond joint sessions with their teenager, parents and guardians have access to support groups and workshops offered in both in-person and virtual formats.
The Benefits of Partial Hospitalization for Your Teen’s Substance Use Disorder (SUD)
The Plymouth House’s PHP delivers comprehensive, whole-person care that gets to the root of what is driving a teenager’s behavioral and emotional struggles. In a safe and structured environment, teens gain the awareness and skills they need to build a foundation for lasting health and well-being.
Additional benefits of our teen PHP include:
- Ongoing Intensive Therapy—Teens participate in individual, group, and family therapy sessions, which employ evidence-based care including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), motivational interviewing (MI), trauma-informed care, eye movement desensitization reprocessing (EMDR), and more.
- Access to Psychiatric Services—Our PHPs offer medication management and one-on-one meetings with a licensed, on-staff psychiatrist as needed.
- Safety and Inclusion—Our safe and nurturing environments, which are specifically designed for adolescents, offer healing, a sense of community, and the opportunity for transformational growth.
- Gradual Transition to New Normal—The Plymouth House’s full continuum of adolescent care allows teens to progress at their own pace and fosters gradual transitions between levels of care. We empower teens to step down to lower levels of care after they’ve built the skills and acquired the coping tools necessary to successfully integrate into their new normal.
- Relapse-Prevention Training—Teens learn to identify and work through their personal relapse triggers.
- Life Skills Development—Our PHP focuses on instilling teens with the life skills they need to thrive on their own—mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually—once treatment comes to an end.
- Family Growth and Healing—Along with regular updates on your child’s progress, we equip families with tools and techniques required to help strengthen relationships, build trust, and promote growth. In addition to psychoeducation and individual and family therapy, we offer engaging family workshops and supportive parent groups to foster continued growth.
- Academic Growth—Our educators regularly communicate with your child’s school to ensure your teen maintains academic progress and can seamlessly transition back to school at the completion of formalized care. In addition, our dedicated educators provide personalized attention and critical interventions to help your child regain or maintain good academic standing. In effect, we strive to reignite your child’s passion for learning and set them up for long-term success.
- Dual Diagnosis Care—Mental health and substance use disorders often occur concurrently, a phenomenon known as co-occurring disorders or a dual-diagnosis. Given the complex interrelationship between the disorders, best practice is to treat both conditions at the same time. The Plymouth House offers a host of dual-diagnosis treatment options that treat conditions such as anxiety, depression, and trauma alongside substance use disorders.
- Peer Support—Teens have the ability to offer one another peer support, encouragement, and advice based on their personal experiences. Teens also hone their communication skills and develop healthy friendships with one another.
Teen Mental Health in a Substance Use PHP Treatment Program
Adolescence is a uniquely vulnerable period for mental health. As the brain continues to develop, the systems responsible for regulating impulses and making decisions are among the last to fully mature, leaving teenagers particularly susceptible to both mental health disorders and substance use issues. When these challenges appear together, they can feed off one another in ways that make each harder to address on its own.
Studies have consistently shown that teenagers dealing with substance use disorders are also likely to experience co-occurring mental health conditions, a pattern known as dual diagnosis. There is also evidence that substance use during adolescence can increase the risk of developing mental health conditions later in life.
At The Plymouth House, we take a specialized approach to dual diagnosis care that treats both mental health and substance use simultaneously rather than in isolation. Using evidence-based methods including cognitive behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing, we help teenagers build meaningful coping skills and a genuine internal motivation to change. Research supports this integrated approach as significantly more effective than treating each condition separately, and our program is designed with that understanding at its core.
Is a PHP Program a Good Fit for My Child?
Determining the right level of care for your teenager depends on a careful look at their specific needs, how much support they require on a daily basis, and input from professionals who understand their situation.
For teens who need medical detox, that is typically where treatment begins. Following detox, or sometimes in place of it, a PHP offers a meaningful next step. The Plymouth House’s PHP is available with or without on-site housing, giving families the flexibility to choose the option that best fits their circumstances. For some teenagers, the separation from familiar triggers and stressors that comes with our housing option creates the mental and emotional space they need to begin breaking old patterns.
The best way to find out whether a PHP is the right fit is to have a conversation with our team. We offer free and confidential consultations where our staff can answer your questions, walk you through the full range of treatment options available at The Plymouth House, and provide an initial assessment to help identify the most appropriate starting point for your teen.
