The Program

Setting the bar for adolescent mental healthcare

Adolescent Program Director, Dr. Christopher Cutter, discusses the roles of research, neuropsychology, and measurement used by Turnbridge to achieve better diagnoses and more effective care.

Mental health and substance use disorders affect every aspect of adolescent and family life. These conditions threaten the developing identities of young sufferers and tear at the fabric of parent-child and sibling relationships. Untreated mental health conditions can derail academic progress, contribute to substance abuse and other risky behaviors, increase exposure to traumatic experiences, and alienate young people from the very resources that can help them recover and succeed. Anxiety, depression, mood and personality disorders, school refusal, and other dysfunctions do more than hurt — they put at risk the shared dreams of young people and families. 

Diagnosing and effectively treating mental health disorders at a young age has a profound life-long benefit on individual and family life. Stopping the progression of illness, returning quality of life, and refocusing developing minds on hopes and aspirations fundamentally changes the trajectory of those touched by these conditions. Turnbridge is designed to restore holistic mental and physical well-being, inspire positive engagement with life, and keep the doors of opportunity open. 

The Turnbridge Adolescent Boy’s Primary Treatment Program and Adolescent Girl’s Primary Treatment Program are home-like residential treatment programs welcoming young people aged 14 to 17 who need diagnostic assessment and intensive treatment for mental health and substance use disorders. The Primary Treatment Programs specialize in assessment and diagnosis, the development of individualized care plans, and the initiation of treatment.  

The Turnbridge Adolescent Extended Care Program is a comprehensive, individualized adolescent residential extended care program. For clients needing continued treatment after primary care, Turnbridge Extended Care immerses adolescents in an integrated program of clinical therapy, life-skills training, academic counseling, and experiential therapies designed to improve all levels of personal health and executive functioning. The skills, relationships, and experiences gained through the Extended Care Program enrich the lives of clients, reconnect families, and establish a sound footing in successful living.  

Turnbridge programming is guided by the Turnbridge EMPWR care model, which assesses Emotional Health, Mental Health, Physical Health, Work Ethic, and Relational Health to achieve a fully rounded view of client health. Extensive behavioral metric data is used in conjunction with EMPWR-based assessments to objectively determine each client’s level of clinical progress and overall well-being. This empirical approach allows Turnbridge clinicians to optimize care plans in real-time to achieve better outcomes.