Midwest Center for Youth & Families offers specialized residential treatment for children and adolescents with complex mental illnesses. Conditions we treat include (but are not limited to) bipolar disorder, borderline features, depression, severe ADHD, suicidal and self-harming behaviors as well as the long term effects of low self-esteem.

We serve males 12–18 and females 10–18. Our locked and secure therapeutic residential units are separated by age and gender.

Midwest Center of Kouts, Indiana

• Males 12–18 and females 10–18

South Shore of Valparaiso, Indiana

• Females ages 12–18

Program and Treatment Facts

• Residential, full immersion DBT program for males 12-18 and females ages 10–18
• Locked and secure, pro-social and seclusion-free environment
• Fully accredited on-grounds school with a curriculum that runs throughout the year
• Clinical focus with 24-hour nursing, master-level clinicians, state licensed teachers and dietitians
• Board-certified psychiatrists attending to residents weekly
• Family-centered treatment philosophy with lodging assistance provided on a case-by-case basis
• We offer a secure webcam line for families and professionals to attend meetings remotely

At Midwest Center for Youth & Families, we understand the challenges parents face when caring for a child with a complex mental illness. We work to give families new tools and techniques to help children who feel angry, sad and fearful. Please call us today so we can discuss your child’s needs and explore what we can do to help.

Facility

• Midwest Academy: our state-licensed and accredited school combines clinical and educational services in one location
• Accredited by The Joint Commission
• Licensed as a State of Indiana Child Care Institution

Clinical Staff

• Board-certified psychiatrists to meet the psychiatric needs of our residents
• Every unit is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by licensed nursing staff, consisting of RNs and LPNs
• Staff members are trained in DBT upon hire and continue to receive ongoing DBT trainings
• Individual and family therapy is provided by licensed and masters-prepared therapists
• Teachers in our private, on-grounds school are licensed, DBT-trained and experienced in working with youth who have special needs
• Compassionate intake professionals assist families and referral sources with the admission process

Midwest Center for Youth & Families is tracking outcomes to help ensure better outcomes for our patients. The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale for Children is a clinician’s rating of the level of severity of a patient’s functioning and symptoms obtained through a structured interview conducted with the patient. Our quarterly results show that we are treating more acutely ill patients at admission than the national average, but our improvement with these patients is almost twice the national average!

DBT, originally developed by Marsha Linehan in 1979 to treat Borderline Personality Disorder patients, has been tested and proven by others to be a very effective treatment program. DBT seeks to validate feelings and problems. And it balances acceptance by challenging residents to make productive changes. Studies have shown that DBT reduces the rate of self-injury and suicide attempts, and connects with kids to help keep them engaged in the treatment process. It works because youth learn they can manage their issues without resorting to self-defeating behaviors.

We work hard to continually improve our treatment and program outcomes for youth and families, it is very important to us what our residents and families tell us about how their lives have been improved by our program. 

Residents shared the following comments about their treatment at Midwest Center:

• “So many of your staff deserve a raise…y‘all are wonderful people!”
• “I am going to miss everybody.”
• “This is the best facility I’ve ever attended.”
• “I would like to say thank you to absolutely everyone for your support.”

Find out how Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) at Midwest Center for Youth & Families can help your child find hope and healing. Call 888-629-3471 for a no-cost, confidential assessment. If you or your loved one need immediate medical assistance, contact 911 or seek the nearest emergency room.