Overview
North Star is an intensive outpatient program for children ages 5-12, who are struggling with various issues such as anxiety, depression, staying safe, behavioral disruptions, mood disorders, and defiance, and who need a higher level of care than what is typically offered through traditional therapy sessions. Our multidisciplinary approach aims to help each develop the coping skills needed for anger management and improving peer relationships.
Before entering the program, families will work with a clinician to complete a comprehensive evaluation, so that together, they can create a plan with goals specific to a child’s needs.
Program Goals:
- Help stabilize and maintain children with serious mental health disorders so that they can remain in their homes, schools, and communities
- Prevent hospitalizations through crisis intervention
- Identify factors interfering with the child’s and family’s use of traditional outpatient services
- Provide stabilization and assist with the stepdown to reduced level of care treatment options after completing the program
OUR SERVICES
Meeting weekday afternoons from 2 pm-5 pm (10 am-1 pm during the summer months) over the course of 8 to 10 weeks, children participate in group sessions focused on social skills, check-in, clinical activities, and therapeutic recreation. Additionally, each child receives weekly one-on-one therapy and has access to one of our psychiatrists. Families/caregivers are required to participate in biweekly family sessions with their assigned clinician, as we strongly believe that their involvement plays an imperative role in successful treatment.
Services Include:
- Comprehensive assessment
- Psychiatric evaluation and medication oversight
- Development and implementation of a comprehensive treatment plan
- Individual and family therapy
- School consultation
- Parent guidance and training in behavioral management techniques
- Multi-systems collaboration and coordination
- Culturally competent intervention
- Crisis response
If you would like to learn more about North Star IOP services to see if they meet your child’s needs, or if you would like to make a referral, please contact our Coordinator of Clinical Day Programs, Felicia Nyser, LCSW, at (860) 643-2101 x211.
Insurance
North Star is a fee-for-service program that is covered by Husky, however, if a family has commercial insurance, staff will work to inquire how the program can proceed and help review benefits for any family.
Referral
Referrals typically come from schools, hospitals, pediatricians, or community providers. It can be, at times, helpful to have your child’s clinician or doctor complete the referral form because of the clinical information requested. Once completed, forms MUST be sent to the attention of Felicia Nyser, either via fax to (860) 432-8333, or via email tofnyser@ccgcinc.org. If a provider referral is unavailable, families are recommended to call CCGC directly.
