103462d63d0239c778687f81df45cd0a.jpg

Providing help to adolescent girls

Princeton House Behavior Health launches new program

By Keith Loria, Special Writer
   Princeton House Behavioral Health has long been known for being a leading provider of highly skilled and compassionate behavioral healthcare, offering relief at times when life becomes clouded by mental illness, emotional difficulties or addiction.
   In October, the health services organization launched Supporting Adolescent Girls Emotionally (SAGE), a new program aimed at girls aged 13 to 18 who are dealing with mood and behavioral issues at the PHBH Princeton/Women outpatient center, 1000 Herrontown Road, Princeton.
   ”SAGE provides a supportive environment for girls to explore development issues that are unique to girls as they transition into young adulthood,” says Suni Antony, director of outpatient services, women’s program at PHBH. “It’s an adolescent girls program designed to help girls develop healthy communication skills and positive self-esteem and to reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety, bipolar disorders and the full specttrum of traumatic disorders.”
   As with all services of the women’s program, patients receive a comprehensive evaluation by a board-certified psychiatrist; an individualized plan of evidence-based treatment; group and individual therapy; family intervention; expressive therapies, such as yoga, art, and writing; education about mind-body connections in maintaining physical and emotional health; and medication management.
   The program provides dialectical behavior therapy skills training and structure to reduce self-injurious behavior and to increase the ability to manage emotions and psychoeducation on issues related to body image, safety, loss, relationships, trauma, and substance abuse.
   SAGE is an intensive outpatient program with two levels of care: The first has adolescents attending a full-day program three to five days per week. The second, called the Adolescent After-School Program, is designed for adolescents with psychiatric problems and/or substance abuse that significantly impair functioning at school or at home. For this program, adolescents come after school for three hours, 3:30 to 6:30 p.m., three days per week.
   According to Ms. Antony, girls wrestling with the pressures of adolescence may struggle with depression, anxiety or low self-esteem. Some may try to cope through dangerous behaviors such as self-injury (cutting), alcohol and drug use, or high-risk sexual activity. Girls also may develop disordered eating patterns, display aggressive behavior and socialize with older crowds. Others will withdraw from social interaction altogether.
   ”Our girls program really focuses on helping them work through issues that may have been traumatic in the past and may require more individualized treatment,” Ms. Antony says. “We are specifically targeting girls who may have been injured by self injury or have eating disorder behaviors or other struggles.”
   The idea to offer a separate program for adolescents has been kicking around for years. In the wake of its success helping women, Princeton House Behavioral wanted to offer similar support to younger females.
   ”Developmentally, girls are at a different place and while they may be experiencing similar issues, I think mentally they are different,” Ms. Antony says. “I think it’s important they feel safe and with peers. There is a lot of identity stuff going on at this point in their lives and they are worried about how to grow into themselves. It also creates this dynamic of caretaking.”
   For patients who are unable to maintain their usual school schedule, Princeton House offers certified teachers who provide two hours of education daily. A psychiatrist is also on staff if needed.
   ”Adolescence is a challenging time for most people and many young women need some additional support,” says Nathalie Edmond, associate executive director of outpatient services and director of the women’s program at PHBH. “Often, however, they are not comfortable discussing problems in a co-ed environment, which is why we established a program specifically for girls.”
   There’s also a family component, in which family members are invited once a week so they can interact, have a support group of their own and learn some of the same skills and tools the girls are learning.
   The biggest challenge, Ms. Antony says, is getting the parents to get involved and understand when their child has a serious problem that needs more help than they can provide.
   ”It’s not because they are neglectful, but it’s hard for them to sometimes believe that,” she says. “It’s not always easy to see it as problematic for some, which is why our family component is so important. Our goal is to facilitate improved communication in families to enhance recovery and promote a healthier lifestyle for all.”
   For more information, visit www.princetonhouse.org