Diagnostic and Evaluation Program – Now Open! 

Youth may be placed in the Diagnostic and Evaluation Program for up to 30 days to evaluate the needs of the youth and his/her family. Comprehensive diagnostic evaluations will incorporate information from multiple disciplines including nursing assessments, psychiatric evaluations, educational assessment, bio-psychosocial assessment, and psychological testing, as deemed necessary. Neuropsychological tests and medication evaluation will be included when needed.

In addition, information from the family, placing agent and previous service providers will be collected and reviewed. The completed diagnostic evaluation will integrate all data into a comprehensive written report including a summary of the treatment issues, any potential barriers to reunification, the psychological diagnosis, and specific recommendations for treatment. Specific tests will be tailored according to the referral and the client’s needs. All testing and evaluations will be directed by a licensed board-certified psychiatrist.

Target Population:
The target population of this program is youth who are in acute distress, youth manifesting atypical and disruptive behavior patterns, youth experiencing frequent placement changes, youth in need of a neuro- psychiatric and developmental assessment to identify needs to determine an appropriate placement/plan, and youth who need behavioral stabilization.

Admissions:
Age: 13 to 17 male or female
For admission, there must be some concern or question of acute or chronic mental health conditions, traumatic brain injury, verbal, learning, cognitive or developmental challenges.

Youth placed in this program need evaluation to determine:

  • Risk to self/others/community
  • Overall level of cognitive and adaptive behavior functioning
  • Presence of any acute psychiatric symptoms
  • Presence of any learning differences/disabilities
  • Provision of a definitive differential diagnosis
  • Assessment that leads to appropriate treatment planning; and
  • The ruling out of any developmental conditions (e.g. autism, intellectual disability)

Exclusionary Criteria:

The exclusionary include the following:

  • Adolescents who present with primary antisocial behaviors that are judged at pre-admission to not be associated with psychiatric, developmental or neurological conditions
  • Adolescents who present with primary substance abuse disorders
  • Adolescents who present with primary sexually harmful behavior that has not been successfully treated
  • Adolescents whose behavioral presentation is so acute that participation in the program is not safe
  • Adolescents who present with medical conditions that are not safely managed in a nonmedical setting
  • Youth older than 17 or under the age of 13

Program Details:

Campagna’s Diagnostic and Evaluation program has two focus areas.

The first is to help the child restore equilibrium and return to pre-crisis level functioning. This will take place through the use of providing a trauma informed environment focused on cognitive behavioral techniques, DBT and utilization of behavior management techniques, crisis assessments, medication management, counseling when appropriate, and unit programming that emphasizes skill building such as; problem solving, anger management, relaxation, stages of grief/loss, social skill building, stress management, and goal setting.

The second area of focus is obtaining the information needed for the formulation of the neuro-psychiatric diagnostic evaluation. This will take place by completing the following:

  • Medical review of systems
  • Comprehensive neuro-psychiatric evaluation that includes; cognitive, academic, personality, psychological, neuro-status, delinquency, and social functioning
  • Specialized testing, as needed, including substance-abuse, neuropsychological, and sexual behavior risk
  • Formal psychiatric evaluation to include review of current psychotropic medications, as needed.
  • Educational assessment; and
  • Evaluation of family and home.

For more information please contact our Admissions Department at 219.322.8614 x398 or intakereferrals@cahope.org