Children's Services
Outpatient Services
Outpatient services include several treatment components. Individual, family and couples therapy is available as part of outpatient services throughout the Volunteer system. Volunteer has clinical staff trained in family therapy as well as expertise in treatment of marital and relationship issues. Individual therapy is available for children, adolescents and adults. Specialized group therapy is available at several locations. These include groups addressing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression, anger management and sexual offender treatment. Providers are trained in several evidence-based practices including Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF_CBT) and Attachment, Self-Regulation and Competency (ARC).
Evaluation and Assessment Services
Evaluation services are available to children and adolescents throughout the Volunteer service area. Specific services include psychological evaluations, parenting assessments, alcohol and drug assessments and sexual offender assessments. We also provide consultation and evaluation services for local school systems and work with families to ensure appropriate mental health evaluations are administered.
Court Ordered Evaluations
Local juvenile court systems often look to Volunteer Behavioral Health Care Services clinical staff to provide evaluation services for children and adolescents involved in the court system. We provide psychological evaluations, competency evaluations and assessments of mental status as well as substance abuse. These services assist judges and court officers in planning for the care of the children and adolescents under their jurisdiction. Clinical staff who specialize in forensic evaluations work closely with the court systems in our area in providing these services. Court ordered evaluations are available in each county served by Volunteer Behavioral Health Care Services.
Child and Adolescent Case Management
Case management services for children and adolescents provide the entire family system with support, linkage, referral, and advocacy. The case manager’s role is to assist the family in accessing services, managing crisis and maintaining the least restrictive environment for the child/adolescent being served. Case management is a family-centered, strengths-based model specifically for families with children who are seriously emotionally disturbed.
Specialized Psychiatric Services
Many times children require medications to assist with managing emotional problems. Volunteer’s medical team consists of several experts in the field of child and adolescent psychiatry. The medical team includes registered nurses, nurse practitioners and psychiatrists.
Telehealth
Telehealth is an innovative way to ensure easy access to medical personnel. Telehealth is a direct connection to physicians and medical staff within our system from all locations within Volunteer’s 11,000 square miles of coverage area. The telehealth program provides psychiatric coverage to rural counties and enables the medical team to consult with one another on a regular basis.
Project AFFIRM
Project AFFIRM is a planned respite program for families with children who have serious emotional disturbances. The program provides families with break time and support, as well as the development of behavioral management skills with the children. The program model provides short-term relief as well as teaching an empowerment model to parents which assists the families in accessing community supports for longer-term respite care.
Volunteer also provides state technical assistance and training to all state contracted planned respite programs throughout Tennessee.
Regional Intervention Program (RIP)
RIP is a nationally recognized model for assisting families with learning behavior management skills. RIP is a grant funded program providing parents with opportunities to learn and practice skills in a supportive environment. The program is designed for families with children under six years of age who are experiencing behavioral problems.
Volunteer also houses the Regional Intervention Program State Coordinator. The position provides training, consultation and programmatic guidance to RIP programs throughout the state.
Project Basic (Better Attitudes and Skills in Children)
Project Basic is a school-based mental health early intervention and prevention program. This grant-funded program provides Child Development Specialists in elementary schools. The program targets students from kindergarten to third grade, providing early identification and intervention, teacher consultation and classroom programming to promote positive attitudes and mental health wellness concepts. Families with students at high risk of emotional disturbances are linked to community services and treatment services.
School-based Counseling
School-based counseling provides mental health counseling services for children and adolescents in the school setting. Individual therapy, family consultation and school staff consultation is provided for targeted children and adolescents within a specific school location.
Adolescent Day Treatment
The Endeavor Program in Cookeville is a structured adolescent day treatment and school program for adolescents between the ages of 13 to 18. The program provides a structured treatment component for adolescents experiencing addiction or co-occurring mental illness and addiction. The treatment activities include groups and Individual counseling to enhance understanding of addiction and co-occurring disorders. Individual needs are addressed and cognitive behavioral therapy is used to improve coping skills. The Endeavor program’s educational component ensures that participants continue making academic progress while in the program.
Grundy Safe Communities Coalition
The mission of Grundy Safe Communities Coalition (Grundy County) is to be united together to establish a safe, caring, drug-free community that supports youth and families. The program serves youth 18 and under. This grant focuses on: reducing the underage drinking rate, the rates of tobacco use among youth and reducing non-medical prescription drug abuse rate in the Grundy County. For more information contact grundysafecommunities@gmail.com or (931) 592-2923. This project is funded by the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS).
For more information and resources on behavioral health for children please visit: https://kidcentraltn.com/
