BPDFamily.com

Hi - my daughter is 16 and has been in a PHP for dialectical therapy for the last 5 weeks (out of a 6 week program). She has emerging BPD+general anxiety+?  She certainly has challenges with regulating mood, impulsivity in some situations, but planned escape behaviors in pristine of people/places/objectives that are perceived to help or alleviate her emotional pain. She has a terrible self-image and in the last 6 months began binging/purging/restricting. She is not necessarily suicidal - however when she does feel that way it is often because she just feels there is no hope for her. After her last incident of running away we all decided that while DBT was helping her in some ways, she was using it selectively and that until she really decided that she loved herself enough to become better that we would continue in this never ending cycle of escaping, self-harm, and emotional outrage. So - we have decided to pursue a residential program that can give her a broader range of therapy options in a more controlled environment that would let her focus more on herself.

However, i will tell you that this has been an agonizing decision for me and it has been very hard to find reliable information on programs that will able to provide her what she needs. It has also been hard to find a program that our insurance works with and also will work with our insurance. I am keen to learn if anyone else has had their child in a residential program and how this worked for them...also the longer term step down in care and reintegration into family life. Things are so horrible right now and this whole situation has been steadily degrading for the last 2 years - affecting her 3 younger siblings and causing our family to be living apart for periods of time. Something has to change - but i do not know how likely residential is to help her decide to accept and move forward to become the person that she is capable of being.

Any advice is most welcome;

@heteroleptic

Welcome to the group heterolectic
I do not personally have experience with residential treatment. My son is 24 and refuses treatment at this point. But I am sure others will soon come along who can help. What does your insurance carrier say? Sometimes that is the place to start.

Our insurance is willing to work with us and has approved at least 30 days of residential services (perhaps up to 60 days). But some programs will not work with our insurance, or insurance at all for that matter. It is really a question of "will this really help"? and also "what should I watch out for when we are evaluating a program"?

Hello. I also have a 16 year old daughter and am researching Residential Treatment options. I put a thread out there last week that may be of some help or try a search here. I have found the best options are self-pay, so for me, not an option. I have found one option that is clinical hospital setting, full immersion DBT focused on emotional dysregulation with selective admission for motivated teen girls, in-network. Location is WI, with a law that states ages 14+ can refuse care, admission must be voluntary. The research is daunting. There are several on-line watch groups listing dangerous facilities and most of them are in-network for my insurance, falling under Universal Health System  :caution: (UHS) control. It is the most difficult of decisions to place a vulnerable child in the care of the system. I presented this option to daughter yesterday with the usual I am not going, I will runaway. I presented the alternative, that in the next crisis, she will be placed involuntary in a less than optimal facility, dangerous population, prison like atmosphere. I pointed to the benefit of excellent care, during summer break, with her successful discharge resulting in her obtaining her goals of returning to high school senior year, a car and a job, a future. Please know you are not alone and let us know what you find out there.