David Lawrence Center’s Individual and Family Therapy programs give children and their families a chance to reconnect and learn how to rebuild their relationships. With the help of our mental health professionals, we help families find ways to handle stress and anger and allow them to live a normal family life.

Psychiatric medical services are provided on an outpatient basis for youth ages 5-17. These services can be provided after a child receives a comprehensive medical assessment by one of our board certified child psychiatrists. Additional services include medication management and ongoing consultation.

Meet the Medical Team

David Lawrence Center’s Adolescent Substance Abuse Intervention Program is a structured group therapy program designed for juveniles ages 12 -17 who experience problematic substance abuse. This biweekly, eight week program provides intervention and prevention education that focuses on substance awareness, positive life management skills and personal wellness so clients can achieve all that is possible in life.

Adolescent Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) blends proven Western cognitive therapy and Eastern meditative approaches to help people achieve emotional stability, decrease stress, and live in acceptance and mindfulness. The goal of the Adolescent DBT program is to help individuals 13-17 years old have a life that feels meaningful and worth living by teaching skills to deal with issues that cause distress and avoid self-defeating behaviors. DBT treatment includes weekly one-hour individual therapy sessions, weekly two-hour skills training group therapy and life coaching calls.

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy can help adolescents with:

• Drastic mood changes
• Chaotic interpersonal relationships
• Poor impulse control
• Self-injurious behavior
• Suicidal thoughts, urges or attempts
• High risk behaviors that interfere with daily life

Children’s Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) is a voluntary day treatment program that provides structured, intensive, and medically supervised treatment for adolescents ages 13 to 17. The program assists adolescents who are exhibiting significant psychiatric symptoms which are causing severe distress and impairment in areas such as self-care, school functioning, and family or interpersonal relationships. The goal of PHP is to improve functioning, promote life-changing wellness and decrease the need for hospitalization.

The program offers a safe environment for adolescents to learn healthy coping skills without the need for 24-hour inpatient or residential support.
PHP is run by a multidisciplinary team including a pediatric psychiatrist, licensed clinicians and a nurse. Individuals participate in daily therapeutic, educational, wellness, and expressive therapy groups. PHP also includes weekly individual and family therapy as well as medication management visits.

The average length of stay is one to three weeks. David Lawrence Center also works closely with the school system to ensure successful transition back to school.

Children’s Partial Hospitalization program assists adolescents with:

• Enhancing self-esteem
• Promoting healthy coping skills
• Teaching effective communication
• Developing self-awareness
• Maintaining a healthy support system
• Learning how to making choices to support a healthy lifestyle
• Reducing/eliminating self-harming behaviors

Thanks to the efforts of the Greater Marco Family YMCA to further enhance health and wellness services in the community, DLC has opened an office in the YMCA’s new Wellness Center on 101 Sand Hill Street. DLC accepts most insurances and, for those without insurance, utilizes a sliding fee scale based on financial need. Mental health and addiction services are available to all children and adults in the community, not just members of the YMCA.

Hours of operation are Wednesdays from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., and walk-ins are welcome. For more information about services available at the Marco Y, please call (239) 491-7602.