Mood Disorder Partial Hospitalization Program
The Mood Disorder Partial Hospitalization Program at CHOP is a partial hospitalization program (PHP) that provides specialized, intensive outpatient care for high school students whose symptoms of depression are significantly impacting their ability to learn and participate constructively in their home, school or community.
Adolescents are referred to us by clinicians, pediatricians and others in the mental health community.
The Mood Disorder PHP offers two tracks of psychiatric programming.
- An in-person, full-day partial hospitalization program that runs six hours a day (9 a.m. – 3 p.m.), five days a week.
- An in-person, half-day partial hospitalization program that runs three hours a day (3 – 6 p.m.), four days a week.
The programs are designed to meet the varying needs of each adolescent and family. Depending on your child’s needs and individual progress, he or she will likely participate in both programs in succession for a total enrollment duration of six to eight weeks.
Who we serve
The Mood Disorder PHP is open to high school students ages 14 to 18 who are presenting primarily with symptoms of depression. Depressed adolescents in this program have likely experienced a combination of psychiatric symptoms and life stressors resulting in impairment of functioning in the home, school and/or community. They may have recently been psychiatrically hospitalized and would benefit from additional support to maintain recent progress. Alternatively, they may be engaged in less-intensive outpatient services and be considered at risk for being hospitalized due to lack of progress.
In addition to depression, teens who attend our programs may also have a history of:
- Anxiety disorders
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Other mood disorders
- Trauma disorders
Our services
- Thorough psychiatric evaluation and assessment
- Psychiatric consultation and ongoing medication monitoring, as needed
- Group therapies employing cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) skills and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) skills
- Creative therapies, including art and music
- Individual therapy tailored to each teen’s unique needs
- Family therapy, as needed
- Psychoeducational groups for parents/caregivers
- Case management/care coordination with referral to — and consultation with — community resources
Our philosophy and treatment
Our team is led by board-certified psychiatrists and psychologists and includes mental health therapists, nurses and other behavioral health professionals. We work together to provide comprehensive evaluations and individualized treatment to each child. Our approach to care incorporates the child, family and community, and our goal is to return children to their school and community.
Treatment focuses on therapeutic interventions that teach skills for managing depression, coping safely and effectively, regulating emotions, tolerating distress, resolving interpersonal conflict, strengthening identity, and balancing acceptance with change. Interventions are designed to help teens reach their behavioral, emotional, social and learning potential. Participants are further supported by individual, group and family psychotherapy, creative therapies, and, if needed, medication.
The weaving together of these interventions — under the guidance of the treatment team in a setting similar to a school classroom — creates the therapeutic environment.