Treatment Services
There are times in day-to-day family living when things go wrong. A child acts out, a parent loses control, or life's stresses become unbearable. During these times, Touchstone offers help. Treatment programs are available to children and their families to assist them through the difficult times when outside support is needed. The experienced, educated, and certified counselors, therapists, and psychiatrists who have come together to make up this professional team are trained to 'partner' with families in order to find solutions to the problems causing stress, discomfort, and anxiety.
Treatment services encompass home, school and office-based services as well as an out of home program for those unique times when a child's needs require treatment outside of the home. You may "QuickJump" to a subject by clicking on the subject names here, or scroll down and continue reading.
Behavioral Health Services / Behavioral Health Aides » In-Home Outpatient Treatment » In-Office Outpatient Treatment » Intensive Outpatient Program (Partial Care) » Respite Weekend Program » Whatever It Takes » Functional Family Therapy (FFT) » Multisystemic Therapy for Problem Sexual Behaviors » Brief Strategic Family Therapy » Family-Centered Autism Program (FCAP) » Treatment Homes (HCTC) » Become a Treatment Home Foster Parent
Outpatient Treatment
Behavioral Health Services / Behavioral Health Aides
Our Behavioral Health Aides are skilled in providing direct services to our families either in the home or out in the community. Touchstone Behavioral Health prides itself on working together to achieve success, so with that, our Behavioral Health Aides work very closely with the Child and Family Team members. Our focus is to help the child and family with behavior coaching, living skills, parenting skills, in-home respite, and crisis intervention. We are very knowledgeable about resources in our community and can provide our families with the tools they need to become successful. (back to top)
In-Home Outpatient Treatment
Touchstone Behavioral Health knows there are times when the therapeutic process must take place away from the office and in the home of the family being treated. Therapists can make visits to homes, schools or group homes if needed. We believe this can often enhance the process by allowing the therapist to serve the consumer in their environment. (back to top)
In-Office Outpatient Treatment
Touchstone has three office locations for the convenience of our clients: the Timothy Dunst Treatment Center (TDTC) office on 35th Avenue, just north of Greenway, the Phoenix clinic at Tatum and Shea, and the Mesa clinic on Dobson Road, just north of Baseline Road. All three offices have psychiatrists available to schedule appointments for such needs as psychiatric medication monitoring and psychiatric evaluations. Sessions with our experienced therapists for individual counseling, family counseling, or support groups are also available at all three locations. (back to top)
Intensive Outpatient Program (Formerly Partial Care)
This program provides services to children and adolescents who have special emotional and behavioral problems. The IOP focuses on developing communication, coping and life skills in children in order to help them function at home and at school. During the school year Touchstone's IOP meets from 3:30-6:30. During winter, spring, and summer breaks, full day programs are in place. (back to top)
Respite Weekend Program (clients only, referral required)
NOTE: This program is available ONLY to Clients, with a Case Manager or Therapist Referral required.
The Respite Weekend Program (available to clients only) is a supervised (non-therapeutic) break time for families. The program is for youth ages 5 to 17 with mild to moderate behavioral health issues. Space is limited and a case manager or therapist referral is required. Hours are Saturday 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., and Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Contact the Program Coordinator at (623) 930-8705. (back to top)
Whatever It Takes (WIT)
The Whatever It Takes (WIT) Program is one of six "Meet Me Where I Am" generalized Direct Support service programs in Maricopa County. WIT is a home/community-based program working with youth and families in their natural community, avoiding out of home placements and higher levels of care to allow youth and families to become independent and self sufficient in their home environment. WIT utilizes a Functional Behavioral Approach focusing on meeting and understanding the underlying needs of behavior; being proactive and building skills in the areas of flexibility/adaptability, frustration tolerance, communication, sensory integration, and problem solving to address complex and challenging behaviors; and establishing natural and informal supports which "wrap" a family and create a support system using other family members, friends, neighbors, teachers, coaches, church members, and others. WIT collaborates with each youth and family on an individual basis, creating service plans and goals unique to each family. WIT adheres to the Arizona 12 Principles model and the Child and Family Team model. (back to top)
Evidence-Based Programs
Touchstone Behavioral Health is the premier provider of Evidence-Based Programs in the Southwest. As the only agency in Arizona to implement multiple Blueprints Model Programs and Promising Programs (See link here) Touchstone Behavioral Health provides positive family strengthening resources to youth-at-risk and in-need. Touchstone's Evidence-Based Programs provide families strategies to become more effective with their challenging adolescents and encourage the families' success for the long-term.
Brief Strategic Family Therapy (BSFT)
Brief Strategic Family Therapy (BSFT) has been shown to reduce drug use in adolescents and can be effective in dealing with other problematic behaviors in teens. BSFT has been implemented as a prevention, early intervention and intervention strategy for delinquent and substance-abusing youth. BSFT has shown to be effective at: empowering families to promote healthy relationships, improving communication skills in the family, helping parents regain authority and leadership, healing relationships in the family, assisting with conflict resolution, improving co-parenting skills, creating healthy boundaries in the family, and promoting positive behaviors in families. BSFT treatment typically lasts 12-15 sessions and is typically conducted in-home. (back to top)
Functional Family Therapy (FFT)
Functional Family Therapy (FFT) is an outcome-driven prevention/intervention program for youth who have demonstrated the entire range of maladaptive, acting out behaviors and related syndromes. FFT is a short term intervention and targets youth ages 11 to 18 and their younger siblings. There is clear identification of specific intervention phases. These phases help organize therapy into a coherent manner. Each phase includes specific goals and assessments. A strong cognitive and behavioral component is integrated into systematic skill training in family communication, parenting, and conflict management skills.
In an article appearing in the July/August 2003 issue of Monitor on Psychology, Tori DeAngelis discusses the Blueprints Project programs available at Touchstone Behavioral Health, including Functional Family Therapy.
(back to top)Multisystemic Therapy (MST)
Multisystemic Therapy has been proven to be effective in treating youth with serious acting out behaviors. The major goal of MST is to empower parents with the skills and resources needed to independently address the difficulties that arise in raising difficult teenagers, and to empower youth to cope with family, peer, school, and neighborhood problems. Within a context of support and skill building, the therapist places developmentally appropriate demands on the adolescent and family for responsible behavior. Intervention strategies are integrated into a social ecological context and include strategic family therapy, structural family therapy, behavioral parent training, and cognitive behavior therapies.
An article by Tori DeAngeles in the July/August 2003 issue of Monitor On Psychology features additional advantages of MultiSystemic Therapy. For additional information and research, please visit www.mstservices.com (back to top)
Multisystemic Therapy for Problem Sexual Behaviors
MST-PSB is a clinical adaptation of MST that has been specifically designed and developed to treat youth and their families for problematic sexual behavior. The MST-PSB model is a new innovation in the treatment world; previously there has not been an evidenced-based treatment protocol for youth with problem sexual behaviors. MST-PSB is delivered in the community, in client's homes, schools and neighborhoods, and has the primary goal of assisting the parents to maintain safety of the youth and the community. Extensive assessment and planning underlie the individualized treatment plan of each youth and family. Treatment typically includes intensive family therapy, parent training, cognitive-behavioral therapy, skills building school and other community system interventions and clarification.
For more information and research on the MST-PSB program, please visit www.mstpsb.com (back to top)
Treatment Homes (HCTC)
The HCTC program is a Treatment Foster Care model for children with behavioral issues who are a risk of being removed from their home and placed in a group home or other out-of-home treatment facility. These clients require a more structured environment to be successful in their treatment. HCTC can also provide a place of transition for a child after leaving an out-of-home treatment facility.
Treatment homes give children a chance to be a part of a structured family setting to learn to better develop social skills, and to strive towards positive outcomes in their daily lives. The adolescent is taught how to interact in a family setting and at school with intensive supervision and consistent behavior modification. The levels of supervision and discipline are adjusted according to the level of progress.
Throughout the placement, the biological or adoptive family participates in the program (if applicable), if not appropriate, permanent placement setting is incorporated. The natural or adoptive parents have opportunities to practice skills during home visits and to improve their ability to provide a successful home environment once the youth returns home. (back to top)
Become a Treatment Home Foster Parent
Interested in becoming a Treatment Home foster parent? Call (623) 930-8705 or click here to learn more details about the licensing process and how to become involved in this richly rewarding program. (back to top)
Family-Centered Autism Program (FCAP)
Touchstone's Family-Centered Autism Program (FCAP) serves families with children on the Autism Spectrum. The program is located at the TDTC office, 15648 N. 35th Ave, Building D, and can provide services in the home and community as well. Joseph Gentry, Ph.D, BCBA-D has been contracted to provide oversight to the FCAP and our therapists.
FCAP is able to diagnose and provide family support, individual and family therapy, and relationship counseling. The program also implements ABA interventions, as well as connects the family to resources within their community. FCAP is developing a group for parents with newly diagnosed children, as well as a social skills group for children and adolescents with an ASD. We are dedicated to helping families become successful and will assist families and their specific needs by directing them to the next steps wherever possible.
Last paragraph - At this point FCAP is only able to accept private insurance. FCAP does have admission criteria, for more information contact the FCAP program at 602-615-2204. (back to top)