Admissions

Admission Process

In most circumstances, if there is an available bed or one is anticipated within the near future, initial orientation will be scheduled. If there is no bed available, we will discuss this with the referring party and with their agreement, place the child on our waiting list. If it is determined the referral is not appropriate or the program is unable to serve the family or the child for some other reason, (See Exclusion Criteria) this will be discussed, and we will make an effort to refer the family or the child to other services or agencies which may be able to meet their needs.

Exclusion Criteria

  • The child or adolescent is suicidal or homicidal.
  • The child or adolescent is diagnosed as having continuous psychotic episodes.
  • The child or adolescent is diagnosed as having a mental illness that is life threatening, indicates severe personality disorganization or deterioration, or may seriously affect the treatment process.
  • The child or adolescent is a serious threat to himself or others and is in need of a locked or secured setting.
  • The child or adolescent who has ongoing medical needs which would restrict full participation in the normal treatment process or who would be at risk in a residential treatment setting.
  • The child or adolescent does not have the mental capacity to participate actively in the peer group process or to use abstract thought.
  • Children with an IQ lower than 70 or have adaptive functioning indicating moderate to severe mental retardation are not appropriate unless
    individually assessed by our clinicians and it is determined they can comprehend the cognitive portion of our program.
  • The child or adolescent is in need of acute psychiatric hospitalization and/or requires incarceration for major acts of violence or aggression
    within the past six (6) months.

Referrals

We accept referrals for our full continuum of services (Residential Treatment, Day Treatment, Intensive Out-Patient Treatment, Out-Patient Treatment) from parents, guardians, Department of Children Services, Court Representatives, Insurance Representatives, other Mental Health Providers or from any involved person or agency regarding placement of a child. We accept children in the custody of their state of residence (custodial) as well as children in the physical custody of their parents or guardians (noncustodial).

We are an approved provider for children in the Department of Children Services custody, Virginia Department of Social Services, Virginia Medicaid, Tennessee Bureau of TennCare and other private insurances for noncustodial children. We are more than willing to work with anyone from any state in order to best serve the individual needs of the child.

Our programs are fully accredited by Joint Commission for Behavioral Health and licensed by the Tennessee Department of Children Services and Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities. We have served children from distant states through Unique Care Contracts and will discuss any available options.

For referrals call 423-257-6054 (Press Option 2)

Requirements for Admission

Referral Packs should include at minimum:

  • Name
  • Race
  • County of Residence
  • Current Placement
  • Brief Family History
  • Diagnosis
  • Current Medications
  • Current Psychological Evaluation (within the last two years)
  • Current Psychosexual Assessment (within the last two years)
  • Prior Placement History
  • Insurance Card (verification required for non-custodial referrals)
  • Educational Transcripts
  • Immunization Record
  • Criminal Charges (if applicable)
  • Incident Reports (regarding recent behaviors)
  • Current Risk Assessment (with clear recommendation for needed services)